Armenia

Located about 300km south-east of Constantinople, on the western side of the Anatolian plateau, a ceramic school flourished from the early sixteenth century to the early twentieth century in the hometown of Komitas Vardapet – Kutahya.

The King of the Armenian Highlands promenades around its kingdom, moving its giant paws, shifting from one leg to another. It soundlessly moves between the trees, listening to the whispers of the forest, leaving no trace of its presence. Very few people have encountered the animal from a close distance, as it chooses to stay away and live its life in privacy. Despite its secretive character, the Caucasian Leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica), a native of these lands, has earned the respect to be named King of Armenian Highlands. In the late 90s, the King left the mountainous area of Armenia, turning into a legend of our elders. Only in recent years, however, the situation appears to have changed. The Leopard has been spotted at several sites around the country: marking its trails in the north, chasing its prey in the south. The mystical beauty, they say, has returned to breathe a new life into the Armenian highlands.

With a new Government in Yerevan, the possible end of the Netanyahu era, and the Crisis in Iran, 2019 may spell a new direction for relations between the two nations.

What is Armenia’s perspective on climate change mitigation and why is the idea of saving the planet paradoxical? Regional Post discussed some of the central questions of the environmental agenda in Armenia and the world with the Deputy Minister of Environment Dr. Irina Ghaplanyan.

Komitas is arguably the most Armenian composer, whose prolific activities have affected a scope well beyond music or musicology. Komitas is a symbol of a whole epoch and his tragic end fully symbolizes the ordeals, that the Armenian nation went through in the beginning of the 20th century. Historian Tigran Zakaryan describes what was going on in the World and in the region during his life.

Environment protection has become a central issue for all societies and states across the world, and Armenia is not an exception. Amulsar, Sevan, burning forests, and the global question of climate change: all these issues have been at the headlines of news for several months. Regional Post spoke with the Minister of Environment Erik Grigoryan to shed light on the approaches and views of the Ministry on these matters.

Komitas not only collected, transcribed, researched and compared more than 3000 pieces of Armenian folk music, but also did research on the music of other cultures. We talked to Tatevik Shukhkulyan, head of Research Department of Komitas Museum-Institute about the topic.

Forest economy in Armenia selflessly supported the nation during the blockade years of early 90’s. The country managed to get out of the post-soviet crisis, but the forest sector in the country almost “drained,” suffering from unsustainable utilization and illegal loggings. In the past years, it became clear that time has come to put all efforts for the conservation and improvement of the forests in Armenia. UNDP, as a critical player, introduced two prominent initiatives tackling the problems of forests and providing hands-on solutions to these issues. Regional Post talked to the team standing behind these projects.