Armenia

Matenadaran is currently one of the most tourist-ridden landmarks of the Armenian capital, without which would be impossible to imagine Yerevan’s modern architecture and the urban spirit. But it is much more than a simple museum, a library or a research institution. It is one of the crucial loci of Armenian modern history, one of the crucial spaces which created modern Armenia as it is today.

A decade ago, one of Yerevan’s architectural landmarks, Cascade, finally became something more than just a huge stairway to Zeytoun district. It was renovated and inhabited by the pieces of contemporary art. The initiator of the project was American-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Gerard Cafesjian. It is called Cafesjian Center for the Arts now. Regional Post talked to the Center’s head, Vahagn Marabyan, about the things that have taken place recently, and those that are on their way.

There more than 140 museums of different subjects and sizes in Armenia. Regional Post selected 12 of them, that should definitely be in your must-visit list.

In 2018, a part of Yerevan’s historical Kond district was turned into an open air street-art gallery. We talked about this amazing art project with its author Sergey Navasardyan (aka yerevantropics).

Last year, Yerevan Zipline Airlines opened its doors at Arabkir (Molokan) park and up to this day, enables its visitors to fill in their daily dose of adrenaline, witnessing the beauty of Hrazdan Gorge. Regional Post team visited the sight along with other representatives of Armenian media outlets and discovered the perks of this unique experience.

Today higher technologies are the language and medium of the new generation, with a transformative effect on almost every sphere. To discuss the cases of its influence on culture, education, and the museums, in particular, we talked to Arman Atoyan, the Co-founder of Arloopa, IT company specialized in the creation of AR and VR products.

Every great initiative once was a dream lucky enough to receive support and have someone to stand for it. Bridge for CSOs programme became this support for numerous projects, creating a “bridge” between great ideas and the Armenian diaspora all around the world.

“Civil society is the backbone of any country and currently it takes over the political and social landscape of Armenia. Thus, to have a prosperous country we must work on the development of the non-profit sector but with systematic and institutional approach,” says Talar Kazanjian, the Executive Director of Armenian Benevolent Union. Following this idea, in December 2018, for the first time in Armenia a Non-Profit Management Certified program was introduced as a result of the flourishing cooperation between AGBU’s EU funded Bridge for CSOs project and the Extensions Office of the American University of Armenia. The program is designed for senior and mid-level managers of non-profit organizations with an aim to up-armor its beneficiaries with the basic skills needed to succeed in the NGO sector. Regional Post talked with the great minds behind this project including Sergey Tantushyan, the Head of AUA Admissions, Talar Kazanjian, the Executive Director of AGBU, and several NGO representatives who went through this enlightening experience during the prototyping phase.