Stories about Armenia from April, 2008
Soviet History: Samizdat Anniversary
Window on Eurasia writes about the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet samizdat publication, the Chronicle of Current Events.
Armenia: Norwegians Abroad
Armenia and Me, the blog of an expat Norwegian in the country, reports on stumbling upon a bus crewed by 11 fellow countrymen and women touring the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The blog posts photographs of a brief excursion with the Strangeways crew who also have a...
Armenia: Revolutionary Youth Movement
Unzipped reports on what appears to be an offshoot of the Sksela youth movement. Faced with some internal criticism on its pro-radical opposition leanings, the Now (Hima) movement has been established. The blog posts video of its first action staged in support of what some consider to be political prisoners...
Armenia: Torchlight Procession
Life in Armenia posts an account and photographs from last week's torchlight procession held on the eve of the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The blog says that the march brought a much needed sense of unity to Armenia after the recent post-election unrest that left...
Armenia: Art School Online
Kyle’s Journey in Armenia, a Peace Corps Blog, proudly announces the launch of an Internet site for the Koghb Art School. The move is not only part of work to help gain the school exposure, but also part of a project to make rural communities self-sustainable.
Armenia: Fashion Zombies
Life Around Me is puzzled by the apparent obsession displayed by many Armenian girls and women in changing their appearance to match foreign ideas of fashion and beauty. In particular, the blog says that the current trend of wearing artificial-looking and colored contact lenses has turned many of them into...
Armenia: Government U-Turn
Unzipped comments on news that the Armenian government has backed down in its attempts to prevent a congress by supporters of the former president and radical opposition leader from being staged in the capital, Yerevan. The u-turn happened after the organizers of the congress instead looked to Tbilisi, capital of...
Armenia: Sirusho in London
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports on the visit to London by Armenia's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, Sirusho. The blog notes that the young Armenian singer is one of the favorites to win the international song contest.
UK: Armenian Genocide March
Unzipped posts video, photographs and an account of a march staged by the London-Armenian community remembering the 1.5 million Armenians who died during the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The blogger from Armenia now living in the United Kingdom says the march reminded him to some extent of the...
Armenia: Djulfa
Blogian comments on a recent interview given by a former presidential candidate in Armenia on the destruction of an ancient Armenian cemetary in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan. The blog says that while the eradication of Djulfa should not result in Armenia pulling out of peace talks with Azerbaijan to...
Armenia: Nationalism & Remembrance
The Armenian Patchwork posts some photographs of the 23 April march to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan by youth affiliated to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation — Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D). The blog says that it was surprised by the nationalism on show.
Armenia: Black Dog of Fate
On the occasion of the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, The Armenian Odar Reads reviews Peter Balakian's Black Dog of Fate. Although the book has been around for some time , the review is quite timely given yesterday and is an interesting account of not just the Armenian Genocide,...
Armenia: Politicized Youth Group
Seetizen, the blog of a prominent youth activist in Armenia, criticizes the Sksela youth movement which was founded by other activists close to the campaign team of former president Levon Ter-Petrossian. Although the Sksela youth movement is meant to be politically neutral, the blog says that the reality suggests the...
Armenia: April 24 — Genocide Memorial Day
Yesterday marked the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocideand the deaths of approximately 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. Every year on 24 April, a date marking the roundup of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in what is now Istanbul, Armenians commemorate the massacres and deportations worldwide. In Yerevan, this is particularly the case with hundreds of thousands marching up to the Tsitsernakaberd memorial overlooking the capital to lay flowers and pay their respects.
Iran: Armenians remember Anniversary of Genocide
Armenians remembered 93th anniversary of Armenian Genocide in Tehran,Iran. You can watch related photos of this event here.
Armenia: Alternative Genocide Action
Hrag Vartanian remembers an unconventional action staged thirty-nine years ago by American-Armenian artist Kardash Onnig outside an Armenian Church in New York. The protest which called on ethnic Armenians to “Un-hate a Turk” was held on 24 April, the day Armenians worldwide remember the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
Armenia: Rock Against Genocide
Unzipped says that it is thrilled to discover that there will be a Rock Against Genocide rally in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, tomorrow. The following day will mark the 93rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
Armenia: New Government?
Unzipped comments on the formation of a new government by recently elected president, Serge Sargsyan. After what was seen as a handover of power from his predecessor, the blog says that nothing much has changed and foresees a power struggle brewing between forces supporting the previous president and his successor.
Armenia: Homophobic Politics
Unzipped: Gay Armenia expresses its concern with recent reports in the radical opposition Chorrord Ishkhanutyun newspaper implying that the newly appointed prime minister, Tigran Sargsyan, is homosexual. Although offering no proof that such speculation is true, the paper linked to former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, appears to be hoping to exploit...
Turkey: Armenian Sportsmen
Unzipped posts an entry on an online exhibition which depicts ethnic Armenian sportsmen in Ottoman Turkey. The blog notes that not only were Armenian sporting events held during the priod 1911-14, but that the two ethnic Armenians represented Turkey in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games.
Armenia: Wedding
Kyle's Journey in Armenia attends a local wedding and offers a fascinating account of some of the traditions which make tying the knot a day to remember. Although Armenians pride themselves on being the first nation to officially adopt Christianity as its state religion, most of the customs take place...