Back to School Time in Yerevan

September 1 is an excitement for children, students, parents in Armenia.  Some employers even give a day off to parents who have first grade pupils, because everyone gathers around the schools and watch children so wonderfully joyful with their beautiful eyes open, want to see their kids' first serious step towards growth.

Schools, Universities, Collages, all together start their academic year, and Yerevan decorates even more by multiples of pupils and students, talking, walking, discussing their new studies, teachers, friends, and with the colors of flowers, schools bags, held by school kids.  The most excited are the first graders.  Their eyes are so curious, so happy, so hopeful and open.


Let us only watch them in the class, where they all share what they know on their very first step entering new life of study, accomplishment and growing!

We want to share here 2 minutes video of a class of 2008 in the School # 161.  Look at these kids!

If you find more and interesting videos, you want to share with us, please come to our blog and post here.

Videos of Armenian Kids Performing

September is coming, back to school season, when our children are getting ready to get to their studies again, after long vacation and summer time rest.  Month of September associates with children, excitements of first graders, parks and streets are full of pupils, alone, in groups, with parents.  All of a sudden, Ponchikanoc (Armenian Donuts' place) gets even more crowded, especially after classes ...

Drivers should be careful, children are allover, crossing the streets, engaged in hot discussions of their new classmates, teachers, lessons.


We decided to do a quick search on YouTube and find Armenian talented, lovely, kids and share here in our blog, for fun and warmth.

Here they are 5 videos, you would love:

1.  A boy that plays duduk during a wedding.  Very professional :) the guests even forget the main purpose of the gathering :)

2. Counting :) Lovely song by Elmira and Alla.  Mek, yerku, yereq, chors ...

3. Maria in the kindergarten, trying to paint a leaf, which is blown by the wind.  She tries really hard to perform and be the best :)

4. Maria reciting well known poem "Kikos' Death :)  Gnaci vati, uneca voti ... :D


5. Oh this drummer is just very funny :)))

Little Margarita, living in Holland, she learned Armenian Alphabet and you can see how she recites the letters and how her smaller sister also wants to say something :)


If you could find other funny and lovely kids' performing, you can share your videos on this blog.

Waiting to see your shares :) 

Armenian Diaspora Power of Armenia

I watched a dance (see posted at the end of this note) and emerged in a thought which wanted to share with you.  This is what came to me while looking at the brave and strong movements of young men, with the audience joining into a charming choir.

It's not about talking of the topic that harms us Armenians to the deep.  It is not about why we Armenians had been spread out away from our home country, working hard to keep the identity, and making our kids speak "Hayeren".  It's not about the numbers, and geographic locations of the Armenian Diaspora, and that we are more outside than inside Armenia. Its not about wars, hardships, hungers, killings.  It is not about today's economic crisis, strange unemployment and closure of small businesses, which leads to increase of Armenian Diaspora Community.  Yes, Diaspora is our pain; we really hoped to be all together in Armenia, talking, thinking, breathing Armenian, struggling to build Hayastan!  However, I want to share a thought that is in my heart deeply appreciating everything which happens in our nation's history; good or bad, turning into good for all of us and for even all of the world.



This note is about the Power of Diaspora. I've been to many countries, Israel, Russia, US, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, etc. When people ask me, what I saw and what I experienced, do you know, what I say?  I meet Armenians; I meet them allover the world, in small and large cities, in provinces, villages, cultural places, dining areas, in the streets. They all talk about Armenia, they all want to know how is Armenia doing, they keep their vacations and try every year travel to their homeland.  Yes, Hayastan is their homeland, strong backing.  You don't know, but if something happens to Armenia, their homeland, they all will stand to protect, pray and support.  Whatever happens to us Armenians is to the best, if we stay in Faith and keep our Love.

What do you think, when you watch them?  

Short History of Ancient Armenia

The article is about ancient times of Armenia. This is helpful information for travelers who want to travel to Armenia.

Armenia is among sites of earliest life. Evidence of prehistoric humankind have been found in caves and open air settlements here. From 9-7 BC on the territory of Armenia was established one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world, the Urartian, or Van Kingdom, noted for its canonized architectural principles and proportional systems of separate buildings. The first cities with systemized layouts and landscape terra-forming features started to emerge (Erebuni, Teyshebaini, Tushpa, Argishtikhinili, etc.). The arts of jewelry, ceramics, armory forging, stone and bronze sculpture reached utmost development.

The Hellenistic culture (4 BC – 3 AD) heavily influenced portions of Armenia that remain until today. Cities such as Armavir, Arshamashat, Ervandashat, Tigranakert, Artashat date to that time. (The latter was named by Greek chronologist Plutarch as the “Armenian Carthagena”, most probably because the Artashat defense walls and castle towers were built on the advice of the greatest warriors of the ancient world Hannibal.)

The Kingdom of Armenia enjoyed its most powerful world influence in the 1st century BC under the reign of Tigran the Great. The wise and powerful leader built a strong state which started to compete in this region with the Roman Empire. But the Romans’ second effort, led by Pompeus, successfully took part of Armenia. But, conceding to the stubborn resistance of the Armenian Highlanders, Rome gave up the notion of making another empire province. Instead, Emperor Nero invited Armenian King Trdat the First to Rome and officially inaugurated him King of Armenia. Armenia kept her independence, but under the patronage of the Roman Empire.

The emerging of Christianity was another crucial event in the history of Armenia.  Two disciples of Christ, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, were the first Christians that came to Armenia, bringing with them relics of Christ’s crucifixion and the gospel of the new ideology.

In 301 A.D. Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as the official religion of the state. For Armenian culture the adoption of Christianity has had a unique significance. In order to immortalize and advocate the new ideology a principally new culture was developed: Quadrate temples decorated with biblical scenes, cross-stones, church architecture.

Then, in 404 A.D. MesropMashtots, a Christian priest, created the Armenian alphabet, which remains unchanged to this day. With the written word came the translation of the Bible, historic, spiritual, philosophical and scientific works, colorfully illustrated in the first examples of miniature painting.

In 428 AD the Armenian Arshakunian Dynasty collapsed and Armenia became a semi-independent state under the dominion of Sassanian Iran (481-640). In this period a new form of church architecture was developed – churches with cross-like layouts and central domes.

In 640 Armenia was conquered by the Arabian Caliphate. It regained independence in the 9th centuryand until 1045 was united under the Bagratunyan Dynasty. The capital city of Armenia was Ani with a population of around 100,000 that became one of the biggest trade and handcraft centers of the Middle East. Exclusive development was achieved in the spheres of architecture, in particular church construction. Ani was called a city of 1001 churches.

In 1071 after the Manazkert battle together with a number of eastern territories of the Byzantine Empire Armenia also appeared under the control of the Turk Seljuk reign.

In a period known as the Armenian Renaissance (10th to13th centuries) the Zakaryan family united Armenia and Georgia under one power. Under Zakaryan reign the economic and spiritual renaissance gave impetus for a new wave of development in architecture. The construction of powerful castles and monastery complexes included almost the whole territory of historic Armenia. Miniature painting, literature, spiritual music, classical architecture and the art of cross-stone carving continued to develop even in the period of Mongolian power.

From the middle of the 14th  century Armenia was conquered by a number of nomadic tribes and lost its independence and its chance to further develop its spiritual and cultural communities.

But in the middle of the 17th century there was a visible revival in architecture and in creating frescoes and manuscripts.

In the first quarter of the 19th century the north-eastern parts of Armenia were joined to the Russian Empire. Though the Russian Empire itself wasn’t a democratic country and rights of colonized nations were not respected, nevertheless it was much better than life under Ottoman rule. So Armenians living in Western Armenia were envying the destiny of Eastern Armenians. This notion contributed to the worst tragedy in the history of Armenia. During the First World War a well-planned genocide was organized and accomplished by Ottoman Turkey on the territory of the whole historic Armenia currently within the boundaries of Turkey. The Armenian population was completely annihilated or expelled, and historic cultural valuables were methodically destroyed.

At the end of The First Word War both empires – Ottoman and Russian collapsed. In 1918 the Republic of Armenia was established. This new Republic immediately joined the Antante. The Paris Peace Treaty restored the sovereignty of Armenians on the territory of East Armenia and part of West Armenia with a free access to sea.

Take a Christian Tour to Armenia and experience the culture and people.

Armenia's Got Talents!

You cannot learn this, it has to be graced by God.  They come naturally, in their warm and bright colors, with lively and clear eyes.

Look for them everywhere; in the schools, at kindergardens, in the streets, in the homes, in Yerevan, in the villages.  

Agree?  Let's just look around, let's discover them.  Just watch this vidoe and get inspired, find out more granted talents and share with us, we will publisize here, for everyone to enjoy visiting, experiencing Armenia's love!

More interesting information in this Global TV Channel.  Please share with us here if you know other awesome clips and videos.  We will all watch them with love!

Armenia by CNN - On the Road of Armenia

In this beautiful journey in Armenia CNN shares impressions of nowadays Armenia and also tells the history, connecting both present and the past of old, but still young Armenia!

This is a warm presentation of the country spirit, emotional show of Armenia's energy and love.

If I were not Armenian, I would want to experience Armenia, see this miracle of both challenges and accomplishments, emotions that are energetic.

Watch the video and fell in love with the people of Armenia!




You will see economy, IT industry, children, chess, habits, all on a passion that one would indeed want to travel to Armenia and be part of the traditions, power and lively environment.  

Armenian National Food

Armenian is a country rich with flavoursome and fragrant fruits and vegetables, of which its cultivation is one of the leading sectors of Armenian agriculture. Their uniquely succulent taste not only appreciated within Armenia but worldwide, can perhaps be attributed to Armenia’s favourable climate and the purity of its water sources.

Armenian cuisine is one of the oldest in the world. The cuisine is rich in both vegetables and meat and incorporates an extensive use of various herbs and spices. It is said that Armenians chefs use over 300 various types of wild flowers and herbs as seasoning. The most popular Armenian dishes are presented below.

Tolma

It is almost impossible to image an Armenian meal with the absence of meat, especially Tolma. This 

flavoursome meat dish is really a must for one who wants to experience local dining. There are several variations of Tolma in Armenia. One of them being prepared from minced meat wrapped in grape leaves -which is almost always served with garlic yoghurt. The second most popular alternative is “Summer Tolma” where minced meat is wrapped in cabbage leaves or used as stuffing inside various seasonal vegetables such as eggplants, green peppers and tomatoes. During the preparation process, one can smell the aroma of succulent fresh vegetables along with all the famous herbs and spices which are infused as part of the filling. 

Jengyalov hats

Within the eastern enclave of the Armenian highlands, there is the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a place famous for its picturesque landscapes and appetising cuisine. Amongst its various local recipes, its most famous would be “Jengyalov hats”, a must for anyone travelling to the region. Namely a bread dish, it constitutes 21 various types of green leafy herbs, finely chopped and used as a filling inside a thin layer of home made bread. The bread is baked on the burning hot brazier named a “sadj” and is tastiest when served hot, straight from the sadj! The preparation of “Jengyalov hats” has become an established gastronomical tradition over many centuries, gathering all of one’s relatives to be involved in the preparation process.

Lavash

An Armenian meal cannot be complete without bread. Armenia is famous for its production of a particular type of bread, namely “Lavash”, which dates back centuries. “Lavash” is currently listed on the UNESCO world heritage register. This famous bread takes form in a very soft, thin and unleavened appearance baked in a special oven, the “tonir”. “Lavash” bread is paper thin, and can be used as a wrap for anything starting from cheese to fruits. However if you care to try one of the more traditional Armenian sandwiches, one might suggest adding some white cheese along with various greens such as coriander, basil, parsley and tarragon.

Gata

Gata is one of Armenia’s famous pastries. Much like the abovementioned “lavash”, Gata is also baked in a “tonir”. It can be best described as a doughy pastry stuffed with butter and sugar, and sometimes crispy on the outside. In the preparation of Gata, Armenians use a fairly simple array of ingredients however this particular dessert can also be transformed into small unusually delicious cookies. Puff pastry is first prepared, which is then greased with butter and sugar. The dough is then rolled and cut into smaller pieces, and the result – small, soft cookies that melt in your mouth!

Barbecue or “Khorovats”

Armenian barbecue, or best known as “Khorovats” is one other Armenian national food which one must taste upon their visit to Armenia. Khorovats is usually served with grilled seasonal vegetables. It can be said to be one of the favourites of Armenians in the region. Barbecue is of course a meat dish which is well known in all regions of the world, however however the Armenians have a unique way of preparing their own “khorovats”. In Armenia, traditionally only men are involved in the preparation process of this barbecue dish. They are expected to purchase all the necessary products prior, and furthermore prepare the special marinade for meat. Another national peculiarity is a vegetable side-dish prepared from tomatoes, eggplants, and green peppers which are roasted on the fire and then served with the “khorovats” meat.