Soviet censorship and medieval literature


During the Soviet period, especially in the 1930s and 1940s, Armenian medieval literature was subjected to strict censorship. Not only were the works of our medieval authors not published or were published in abbreviated form, but literary criticism also presented and interpreted them with distortions corresponding to the ruling ideology. In the program “Parallel Readings,” literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan discuss the peculiarities of the presentation of medieval literature during the Soviet years.

Rev. Father Paren Arakelyan


Father Paren Arakelyan insists that the voice of the priest always reaches the right place. Every diocese has a responsible clergyman, before reaching the executive priest to the assembly, the priest first listens to the opinions of other priests serving in his diocese, and only then puts them on the table of the assembly for discussion. These questions and suggestions are assigned to a priest, who raises them with the Patriarch. Father Paren, the spiritual pastor of Saghmosavank, considers the claim that the voice of the priests is not heard to be false. He is sure that the life of the church is organized and there is no need to reorganize it. According to him, those who exclude themselves from the church are deviating. Church servants are obliged to follow and obey the rules and regulations, which are the backbone of the church.

The musical programs of the "Kayt Cultural Center"


"Kayt Cultural Hub" is an interdisciplinary ecosystem that unites several organizations, dozens of artists and musicians, as well as hundreds of students to ensure the life cycle of Armenian culture, from preservation to development. The acquired knowledge and experience are transformed into tangible results: books, recordings and albums, films and videos, as well as public performances, handicrafts. Tatevik Shakhkulyan, Senior Researcher of the Music Department of the Institute of Arts of the National Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Arts, Conservatory Lecturer, spoke at "Artfocus" about the musical programs of the "Kayt Cultural Hub".

National dance


National dance is the living environment where the character, value system, and historical experience of our people have been preserved. National dance reflects our spirit, our collective strength, and our inner discipline. Knowledge of national dance is not a technical skill, but a deep recognition and awareness of national identity. How did the Genocide, deportations, and repressions of the Soviet period against the Armenian people affect and what consequences did they have on national dance?

The faithful left the Mother See only after the Catholicos returned to the monastery


The group of bishops who arrived at the Mother See by minibus, under the supervision of police officers and people in civilian clothes, tried to read a statement near the Arch of King Trdat, but as a result of the chants of the faithful, their voices were not heard. First, Bishop Anushavan Zhamkochyan tried to spread a statement on behalf of the group of bishops, then Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan. They left the territory of the Mother See accompanied by whistles from the faithful and security forces. The citizens who came to support the Catholicos of All Armenians waited until His Holiness returned from the temple to the cloister, after which they left.

Contemporary Art


Contemporary art, as a restless thought of time, a questioning and intervention of the world, an attempt to formulate a way of life, to whom is it addressed and does it need to find an audience? John Cage's "4.33", the performances of Beuys, Marina Abramović, Catalani, as the most vivid manifestations and new meanings of contemporary art, suggest seeing new possibilities in this ever-changing world.

His Holiness the Patriarch left the Mother Cathedral and distributed blessings to everyone


The clergy of the Aragatsotn Diocese participated in the service not in Byurakan, as planned, but in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. During this joint ceremony, those present raised prayers to God for the vigilance of the Armenian Patriarch, the steadfastness of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the current incarcerated Archbishops Mkrtich, Bagrat, Michael and Arshak, Priest Garegin, and those in unjust imprisonment and captivity. At the end of the ceremony, the Patriarch addressed his fatherly message to the thousands of people gathered in the Mother Cathedral and in the courtyard of the Mother Monastery, who had come to express their support for the church and its enthroned. The Catholicos of All Armenians also addressed the ten bishops, calling on them to return to the canonical field and act only in accordance with the hierarchal order of our Holy Church.

Human rights activists sound the alarm: authorities are violating church rights


Representatives of the executive and legislative bodies of Armenia continue to interfere with the autonomy and freedom of the Church’s activities, violating the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”, international norms on freedom of religion or belief and precedential decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The authorities’ attempts to interfere in the formation of church governing bodies and internal decision-making are illegal and condemnable.” A number of non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders and public figures have issued a comprehensive statement. Anna Sargsyan spoke with Anna Melikyan, a legal expert from one of the organizations that signed the statement, “Protection of Rights Without Borders”.

Human rights activists sound the alarm: authorities are violating church rights


Representatives of the executive and legislative bodies of Armenia continue to interfere with the autonomy and freedom of the Church’s activities, violating the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”, international norms on freedom of religion or belief and precedential decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The authorities’ attempts to interfere in the formation of church governing bodies and internal decision-making are illegal and condemnable.” A number of non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders and public figures have issued a comprehensive statement. Anna Sargsyan spoke with Anna Melikyan, a legal expert from one of the organizations that signed the statement, “Protection of Rights Without Borders”.

Yeghishe Charents' poems in a new way


The second volume of the academic edition of Yeghishe Charents' works has been published, which includes the poet's poems written between 1915 and 1931. How does this edition of poems differ from previous editions and what distinguishes Charents' poems written during this period? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan discuss these issues in the program "Parallel Readings".

Activities of the Markos Grigoryan Foundation


His works are presented in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate British Gallery, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in Tehran. Painter, collector, gallerist, curator, actor, founder of the direction of earthen art in Armenian reality, whose works are sold for several hundred thousand dollars at the most popular art auctions. An artist who donated about 2,000 Iranian, Armenian, and European applied art samples to his homeland, Armenia. In "Artfocus", Anahit Margaryan talked with Michel Alaverdyan, director, curator, and art critic of the "Markos Grigoryan Foundation".

The Armenian Heritage of Constantinople: The Armenian Cemetery of Şişli


The largest Armenian cemetery in Istanbul is Şişli, which was founded in 1865. The rules and layout of the cemetery were officially approved by the Patriarchal Decree. It covers an area of ​​about 41,950 square meters. It is managed and maintained by the Armenian community of Turkey. The Şişli cemetery also houses the pantheon of Armenian patriarchs, intellectuals and artists of Constantinople.