Armenia: A New Era

by Lisa BoghosianMove over Tabriz, Sarouk and Kashan, an old carpet has been reborn.And what's all the fuss about? Armenian carpets known as Kazak, long recognized for their originality, expression and integrity of materials, have been revived, creating a renaissance in the great cottage industry of carpet-weaving in Armenia.

by David ZenianYerevan -- The National Gallery has come a long way since opening its doors 75 years ago to put on permanent display a collection of paintings from the first art show in communist Armenia.Some of these early paintings, including several based on communist-inspired themes, still hang on the walls of the Gallery which today boasts one of the largest and richest art collections among the republics of the former Soviet Union.

by David ZenianYerevan -- Armenia has two central banks. The first is where money is kept, while the other protects the roots of the nation -- more than 16,000 ancient manuscripts that tell the history and development of the Armenian people.The "other" central bank is the Matenadaran, first perceived as a repository of Armenian heritage as early as the fifth century, and gradually built into its current structure of a meticulously constructed institution that traces every aspect and development of Armenian life.

by David ZenianHoly Etchmiadzin, Armenia -- Armenians have throughout the ages given more to their churches than any other institution, and it’s these gifts and offerings that make the Etchmiadzin Treasury-Museum unique -- a reflection of the bond between church and nation.In fact, the Treasury-Museum itself -- founded in 1982 during the communist era when religion was shunned along with Armenia's Christian-national heritage -- is a gift from American-Armenian philanthropist and Armenian General Benevolent Union Life President Alex Manoogian and his late wife, Marie.

by David ZenianGarine Khatchadrian wants to be a world-class gymnast, but for the moment, she has to make do with being Miss Armenia 1996 and dream of the Miss Europe and Miss International titles later this year.Garine, a 17-year-old high-school graduate, was the overwhelming choice of a panel of 12 judges that included the President of the Miss Europe Committee, Miss Russia 1995 along with Armenian journalists, authors, directors and businessmen.

by Peter TomsenForeign diplomats and their wives often concentrate only on issues that are of importance to the country they represent but not U.S. Ambassador Peter and Kim Tomsen. Since their arrival in Yerevan, the Tomsens have spearheaded a number of projects benefiting Armenia. In the following article, exclusively written for AGBU News Magazine, Ambassador Tomsen shares his overview of the social, economic and industrial climate in Armenia.

by David ZenianYerevan -- The "Made in Armenia" label will soon appear in retail stores across the United States and Armenian technology will expand to India thanks to two women determined to jump-start the garment industry -- from the factory floor up.The first 20,000 men's windbreakers are already on their way to stores in California, and the consignment will soon be followed by thousands of raincoats and children's apparel -- the latest in the "only-for-export" products of Yerevan's mostly government-owned Garun garment factory.

by Tewell Avazian After nine months, 31 year-old American Peace Corps Volunteer shares anecdotes of his work and life in Armenia.

by Lee ForsytheLee Forsythe is a writer and husband of American diplomat Rosemarie Forsythe, currently assigned to the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels. She was the political and economics officer at the U.S. Embassy, Yerevan from 1992-93 and subsequently, the Director of Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council.Exchanging post hardship stories with my wife's diplomatic colleagues sometimes reminds me of a sketch in which two crusty Scotsmen were arguing over which of them had experienced the harsher upbringing.

by David ZenianYerevan -- House cleaning is in full swing as Armenia prepares to host the 32nd World Chess Olympiad in September, a gathering of dozens of international chess masters from more than 100 countries.At the Armenian Chess Federation headquarters in central Yerevan, construction workers, painters, electricians and carpenters are busy with a major facelift of the building -- home to generations of Armenian grand masters like Tigran Petrossian, the world champion from 1963 to 1969.

by David ZenianYerevan -- At first, discipline seems poor and students out of control as they race out of classrooms during morning recess. They rule the hallways and are loud and restless.But this is not an ordinary school and the children are not ordinary students. This is in one of Yerevan's poorer neighborhoods where the learning process has taken a major leap away from the archaic and rigid toward greater self expression, imagination and freedom.It is a public school with a difference.

by David ZenianYerevan -- Armenia's emphasis on private enterprise, combined with the harsh realities of a market economy, has left many casualties including the publishing industry.A nation of avid readers, most Armenians today are reading less, not only because little is being written or published, but because books are no longer on top of their shopping list.Some bookstores have already closed down, while many others look like they are about to go out of business.