Hovik’s Fate – Boy Serves Tea in Istanbul

During a recent trip to Istanbul, I was constantly taking notes of the people I met along the way.These were Armenians, both locals and those from Armenia, Kurds, Turks… Here’s a sample few:

Hovik Shahinyan – 13 years-old

Eliza – Hovik’s aunt

Zhanna – Hovik’s sister; 15 years-old

Hakob – Hovik’s father, who is physically disabled and can hardly move around

Most Armenians from the RA are located in Istanbul. It’s easier to find work here than in other Turkish cities. Then again, you have the local “Bolsahay” community with its churches, schools and other institutions.

I assume it creates a security blanket of sorts.  Read more... (876 words)

Armenia Celebrates Republic Day Today

Armenia declared independence from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, along with Azerbaijan, on May 28, 1918, to become the Democratic Republic of Armenia. (Georgia declared its independence from the Transcaucasian Federation on May 26, 1918.)

The birth of the Democratic Republic of Armenia (also known as the First Republic of Armenia) followed the battles of Sardarapat, Karakilisa and Abaran, and at a time when the situation was dire: in the territory of Armenia, there were many refugees (who escaped from the Ottoman Empire), the threat of starvation and numerous unresolved issues with its neighbors — with Turkey, in particular.

The first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Armenia was Hovhannes Katchaznouni and the chair of the Armenian National Council was Avetis Aharonyan.  Read more... (178 words)

Failed coup d’etat: An insight into Georgian government and opposition face-off

The diagram of “planting democracy” in a number of post-Soviet republics has seen most serious malfunctions – the political contingent that initially was depicted as “the carrier of democratic values”, very soon discredited itself and after coming to power in countries like Ukraine and Georgia started dividing that power.

And not only power was divided but also the once common electorate. The peculiarity of the situation in Georgia is that “new electorates” are subdivided based on territorial criteria.

The thing is that the concept of “Georgian nation” is aggregative and implies different ethnic groups – Mingrelians, Svans, Kartvelians, Kahetians, Gurians and others, who are carriers of different historical traditions and values.  Read more... (628 words)

Yerevan should be turned into tourism attraction, says mayor

Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan has said every effort will be made to make Armenia’s capital Yerevan an attractive tourism area.

Speaking at a meeting with delegations from Georgia, Ajaria and India who are in Armenia in the framework of an annual international tourism exhibition in Yerevan, Karapetyan said the Municipality has concrete programs and pursues their implementation.

“Yerevan should become attractive for all, and on that way we are ready to discuss any constructive proposal,” said Karapetyan.

“We will try to establish an attractive tourism environment in Yerevan full of a variety of cultural events,” Karapetyan added. “We have concrete programs and are taking steps towards their implementation.”  Read more... (183 words)

Nearly a third of Armenians ready to leave their country for good

Around 30 percent of respondents in Armenia said they were ready to leave the country permanently and 64 percent said they considered going abroad temporarily, according to a recent survey.

In Azerbaijan, the wish to leave the country permanently and temporarily was expressed by 17 percent and 52 percent respectively, while in Georgia the figures, accordingly, were 7 percent and 47 percent, reported the Mediamax news agency, citing the Armenian Center of the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) program.

The Center conducted the polls in 6,000 households in three countries of the South Caucasus.

CRRC Armenian Center Director Heghine Manasyan said the goal of the simultaneously held polls was to collect comparable data concerning social, political and economic processes in the South Caucasus countries.  Read more... (190 words)

Armenia More Peaceful than Azerbaijan, Georgia More Peaceful than Russia: Global Peace Index

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) today presented the results of the 2011 Global Peace Index, which ranked Armenia at 109th place among 153 nations in peacefulness.

Rather disparagingly, the report notes that the world is less peaceful for the third straight year. Now in its fifth year, the GPI also shows the threat of terrorism increased in 29 countries.

The index noted that Iceland is the world’s most peaceful nation while Libya tumbled a record 83 spots in rankings. Among Armenia’s neighbors, Georgia ranked 134th place; Azerbaijan,122nd; Turkey, 127th; and Iran, 119th; while Russia was ranked at 147th. Least peaceful among the 153 states was Somalia.  Read more... (154 words)

Chess: Several Armenian players successful at international competitions

The past few days have brought more news about successful participation by Armenian chess players in international tournaments.

Thus, Armenian female chess player Lilit Mkrtchyan has won a bronze medal in the European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Mkrtchyan placed among the top three having earned 8 out of possible 11 points in a blitz chess tournament, reported leading Armenian chess news portal armchess.am.

Meanwhile, according to the same source, Armenian GM Tigran Kotanjian scored 7 points out of 9 and took the second place among 68 participants of an open tournament held in Beirut, Lebanon. Kotanjian was only half a point behind the winner, GM Alexei Barsov (Uzbekistan). And GM Vigen Mirumian (Czech Rep.) won a blitz tournament which had 33 participants and was held in the Czech town of Orlova. The Armenian scored 10 points out of 11 and finished a point ahead of his nearest opponent, GM Alexey Kislinsky from Ukraine.  Read more... (164 words)

No Incentive: Armenians of Georgia expect little from political changes in the country

In Georgia’s current state of tense political development the Armenian community has adopted a neutral and unbiased attitude.

The wave of public protest that started in Georgia on May 21 and will continue till May 25 is led by oppositional People’s Assembly political party activists demanding President Mikheil Saakashvili’s and his administration’s resignation.

Shirak Torosyan, leader of Javakheti Union of Compatriots, who considers Javakheti-Armenians and the Georgian-Armenians to be two different communities, stated that in both cases the neutral stance is understandable.

“The community could have sided with the opposition, if the opposition had promised solutions to a number of issues Georgian Armenians are facing – Armenian Genocide recognition, a clear-cut legal status of the Armenian Apostolic Church, etc…” says Torosyan.  Read more... (256 words)

Javakheti residents do not feel like full-fledged Georgian citizens – ICG expert

To ensure political stability and prevent Russia or others to manipulate the local policies in Samtskhe Javakheti, Georgia needs to improve the integration of its Armenian-populated region, according to ICG.

Georgia: The Javakheti Region’s Integration Challenges is the ICG’s latest briefing which analyses how since the height of tension in the small but sensitive area in 2006, Tbilisi has succeeded in addressing grievances by applying a more constructive approach and helping reduce Armenian and Russian nationalists’ ability to encourage extremism.

Although Tbilisi has significantly invested in infrastructure and acquiesced to the use of the Armenian language in schools and public administration, Javakheti still faces serious problems.  Read more... (498 words)