From Censorship to State Sponsorship: The Fate of Jazz in the Soviet Union and Armenia

By Gayane Ghazaryan

Jazz and Armenia have a complicated history. From its early beginnings under Soviet rule to contemporary interpretations of jazz, the genre is part of the fabric of Armenian cultural life.

From Cilicia to Gyumri to Beirut

In this photo essay, Roubina Margossian discovers a gem near the neighborhood where she grew up in Beirut. The Kohar Library, established by the Khatchadourian brothers, who founded the Kohar Symphony based out of Gyumri, houses thousands of books related to Armenian music and so much more.

From Conflict Manager to Silent Observer

By Anna Barseghyan

The 2020 Artsakh War put to the test long-held assumptions about the roles of neighbors and global players in the region. Some maintained and reinforced their significance and role in the region, others raised their importance and some were invisible.

From Extreme Tourism to the First Pub in Stepanakert

By Maria Titizian

Azat Adamyan, a young entrepreneur from Karabakh (Artsakh) created a hiking club, volunteered during the April War, opened the first-ever pub in Stepanakert and now has his sights set on bigger plans. While he realizes the limits of his reality, his dreams are boundless.

From Gyumri With Love: An Inclusive Cafe With a Big Heart

By Kushane Chobanyan

Some said it would never work in Gyumri. Others took up the challenge. The Aregak Bakery and Cafe is shattering stereotypes by giving people with disabilities not only a job, but hope, dignity and a purpose while raising awareness.

From Isolation to Inclusion: Children With Special Needs and Their Right to Education

By Lusine Sargsyan

Dismantling decades of prejudice and perceptions about people with disabilities is not an easy task. The inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs in public schools is not an exception, however, attitudes are slowly changing.

From Mental Illness to Homelessness

By Sofia Bergmann

With mass institutionalization, lack of social programs and a society riddled with stigma against the mentally ill, there is often nowhere for them to go.

From National Security to the Concentration of Power

By Lusine Sargsyan

A newly adopted law on the “Formation and Activity of the Security Council” was recently passed in parliament that gives the new prime minister more powers over the country’s defense policy. This law came into effect to comply with the package of reforms that was passed in the 2015 Constitutional referendum.

From National to Municipal Elections

By Hovhannes Nazaretyan , Harout Manougian

Following the early parliamentary election that saw the Civil Contract hold on to power, upcoming municipal elections will give opposition parties, including those with no seats in parliament, a shot at gaining footholds throughout the country.

From Presidential to Parliamentary Governance

By Yevgenya Jenny Paturyan

Following the parliamentary election on April 2, the Republic of Armenia is set to transition from a presidential to a parliamentary system of governance. There has been much public discourse about the differences and implications of each