The First Armenian Republic and Its Territorial Conflicts with Azerbaijan

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The First Armenian Republic and Its Territorial Conflicts with Azerbaijan THE FIRST ARMENIAN REPUBLIC AND ITS TERRITORIAL CONFLICTS WITH AZERBAIJAN by KAMALA IMRANLI-LOWE A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy CENTRE FOR RUSSIAN AND EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM UNITED KINGDOM SEPTEMBER 2012 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract The thesis, which is based on extensive archival materials, explores the origins of the on- going conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan by focusing on the emergence of the first Armenian Republic in 1918 and its territorial issues with Azerbaijan, in order to understand the factors which led to this conflict. It examines the background to the creation of the first Armenian Republic by researching the location of the ‘historical Armenian homeland’, the construction and reconstruction of the notion of the ‘Armenian homeland’, the aspects facilitating the way in which the ideology and strategy of the Armenian national movement developed, and the factors instrumental in the construction of the Armenian identity. The work provides a historical background to the Armenian claims to Garabagh and Nakhchyvan and analyses the ethnic, historical, economic, geographical and security arguments used by the first Armenian Republic to substantiate its vision of the territorial delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan with regard to these regions at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. The thesis also considers the positions of the external powers involved in the South Caucasus vis-à-vis the Garabagh and Nakhchyvan issues and assesses the impact of their stance on the settlement of these conflicts. Acknowledgments I express my special and deep gratitude to Dr Edward Arfon Rees, as my leading supervisor, for his dedicated academic guidance throughout my writing of this thesis, including his valuable comments which helped to develop my ideas and their presentation. I am also very grateful to my second supervisor, Dr Galina Yemelianova, for her serious consideration of the thesis and critical comments which helped improve its quality. I would like to express special thanks also to my external examiner, Prof Vera Tolz from Manchester University, and internal examiner, Dr Rhoads Murphey from the University of Birmingham, for their careful consideration of the thesis and their useful comments and suggestions which allowed me to make my arguments stronger and eliminate the existing gaps. Special thanks to my friend, Dr Eldar Bayramov, who, despite being very busy, found time to read the thesis and make valuable comments. My sincere appreciation and thanks to Natig Bakhyshov for helping me with the preparation of seven maps with great professionalism in spite of being extremely busy, as well as for his, Naila Murtuzova, Eldar Bayramov and Onder Cakir’s support in finding different publications. I am also very grateful to the staff members of the UK, Azerbaijani and Georgian Archives where I worked during my study of the subject. Many thanks to Khalid Bayramov for the translation of two books on the history of Caucasian Albania and the Albanians from Armenian into Azerbaijani, as well as to Sarlan Hasanov for the translation of a historical document from Armenian into Azerbaijani. My gratitude to Dr Philippe Lassou for the translation of the memorandum submitted by the Republic of Armenia to the Paris Peace Conference on 17 May 1919 from French into English. Also thanks to Hannah Wälzholz for the translation of the sections related to Siunia, Artsakh, Uti and Nakhchyvan from German scholar Joseph Hübschmann’s work Die Altarmenischen Ortsnamen, published in Strasbourg in 1904, from German into English. Thanks to Liz Broomfield for proofreading the thesis. I would like to thank the ‘State Programme on the Education of the Azerbaijani Youth Abroad in 2007-2015’ sponsored by the Azerbaijani Government, without whose scholarship I would not be able to do my PhD at the University of Birmingham. Finally, I would like to express my special gratitude to my family in Azerbaijan and my husband Nigel and his family in the UK, as well as friends Khatira, Naila and Natig in Azerbaijan and Daniela, Nino, Victoria and Katharina in the UK for their moral support during my stay in a foreign country. Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... i List of Maps ................................................................................................................................ ii Transliteration ............................................................................................................................ iv Abbreviations and Key Terms ................................................................................................... vi Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Part 1 ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1: Overview of the Historiography ............................................................................... 7 1.1 The Armenian ‘ethnic homeland’ ..................................................................................... 7 1.2 The Armenian national movement ................................................................................. 14 1.3 Emergence of the Armenian Republic............................................................................ 18 1.4 Conflicts of the first Armenian Republic with Azerbaijan over Garabagh and Nakhchyvan .......................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives ......................................................................................... 27 2.1 Nations and Nationalism ................................................................................................ 28 2.2 Formation of state and territorial issues ......................................................................... 36 2.3 The Armenian case ......................................................................................................... 45 Part 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 3: Construction of an ‘Armenian Homeland’ in the Ottoman Empire before the First World War ................................................................................................................................ 48 3.1 Construction of the notion of an ‘Armenian homeland’................................................. 48 3.2 Armenian diaspora nationalism ...................................................................................... 55 3.3 Armenian political aspirations in the projected homeland ............................................. 59 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 84 Chapter 4: Construction of the Ethnic Armenian Identity ........................................................ 87 4.1 Reconstruction of the notion of the ‘Armenian homeland’ ............................................ 87 4.2 Identity construction: The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian cases ....................... 111 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 117 Chapter 5: The First World War and the Armenian Homeland Project ................................. 119 5.1 The First World War and relocation of Armenians ...................................................... 119 5.2 Statistics on the deaths resulting from the Armenian relocations ................................ 126 5.3 Legal implications of the relocation ............................................................................. 129 5.4 Failure of the ‘Armenian homeland’ project in 1914-1916 .......................................... 138 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 141 Chapter 6: The ‘Armenian Homeland’ Project: From the February Revolution to the Ottoman- Transcaucasian War ................................................................................................................ 144 6.1 The February Revolution and the ‘Armenian homeland’ project ................................. 144 6.2 The October Revolution and the ‘Armenian homeland’ project .................................. 151 6.3 The de facto Transcaucasian government and peace negotiations with the Ottoman Empire in Trabzon .............................................................................................................. 156 6.4 Discussions in the Transcaucasian
Recommended publications
  • Doing Business Guide in EMEIA: Payroll Operations
    Payroll Operations in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa — essential compliance and reporting considerations Introduction This booklet contains market-by-market newly established, stand-alone guidance1 on key HR payroll matters to operations. Where the EMEIA operation be considered as you expand your is a regional headquarters or a holding operations across EMEIA. company for foreign subsidiaries, or if In our experience, careful consideration there are existing operations in EMEIA, of these matters at the outset is the other considerations must be taken into most effective way of avoiding any account. issues and ensuring an optimal setup In all situations, we recommend that you structure of your business and seek specific professional advice from employees in new EMEIA markets. the contacts listed in each chapter. They This booklet is general in nature and not will take into consideration your specific to be relied on as professional advice. circumstances and objectives. Furthermore, the chapters focus on NB: This guide will work best with Adobe Acrobat Pro. 1 This information was compiled in July 2019. 2 Payroll Operations in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa — essential compliance and reporting considerations EY contacts Payroll Operate Services Sheri Sullivan Michael Van Den Brand EY Global Payroll Operate Leader EY EMEIA Payroll Operate Leader T: +17168435050 T: +34 933 666 340 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Country Payroll leader Email address Armenia Kamo Karapetyan [email protected]
    [Show full text]
  • Cabinet of Armenia, 1920
    Cabinet of Armenia, 1920 MUNUC 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS ______________________________________________________ Letter from the Crisis Director…………………………………………………3 Letter from the Chair………………………………………….………………..4 The History of Armenia…………………………………………………………6 The Geography of Armenia…………………………………………………14 Current Situation………………………………………………………………17 Character Biographies……………………………………………………....27 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...37 2 Cabinet of Armenia, 1920 | MUNUC 32 LETTER FROM THE CRISIS DIRECTOR ______________________________________________________ Dear Delegates, We’re very happy to welcome you to MUNUC XXXII! My name is Andre Altherr and I’ll be your Crisis Director for the Cabinet of Armenia: 1920 committee. I’m from New York City and am currently a Second Year at the University of Chicago majoring in History and Political Science. Despite once having a social life, I now spend my free-time on much tamer activities like reading 800-page books on Armenian history, reading 900-page books on Central European history, and relaxing with the best of Stephen King and 20th century sci-fi anthologies. When not reading, I enjoy hiking, watching Frasier, and trying to catch up on much needed sleep. I’ve helped run and participated in numerous Model UN conferences in both college and high school, and I believe that this activity has the potential to hone public speaking, develop your creativity and critical thinking, and ignite interest in new fields. Devin and I care very deeply about making this committee an inclusive space in which all of you feel safe, comfortable, and motivated to challenge yourself to grow as a delegate, statesperson, and human. We trust that you will conduct yourselves with maturity and tact when discussing sensitive subjects.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Benedict XVI on Christian Love Represents The
    Caritas Armenia Benevolent Non-Govermental Organization of the Armenian Catholic Church & its 9 CENTERS §When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me¦ (Mt. 25:40) Gyumri 2016 The following passage from the Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate ( §Charity in Truth¦) of Benedict XVI on Christian love represents the basis of the Mission of Armenian Caritas, which states: §Serve different vulnerable groups with love and compassion, respecting 1995-2015 the dignity of each individual.¦ 20 YEARS IN ARMENIA §Love- caritas- will always prove necessary. Love is therefore A SHIELD FROM THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES AN ANNUAL JOURNEY WITH 3,000 BENEFICIARIES THROUGH ITS the service that the Church carries out in order to attend constantly 9 CENTERS to man°s sufferings and his material needs. We contribute to a better GYUMRI DAY CARE CENTER FOR THE OLDER PEOPLE world by personally doing the good with full commitment. We are an immense service of charity towards neighbor. Love is the light that can “EMILI AREGAK” DAY CARE CENTER FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to GYUMRI “LITTLE PRINCE” SOCIAL CENTER FOR CHILDREN keep living and working.¦ GYUMRI PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER GYUMRI HANDICRAFT WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN VANADZOR “LITTLE PRINCE” SOCIAL CENTER FOR CHILDREN ENCYCLICAL LETTER CARITAS IN VERITATE TASHIR DAY CARE CENTER FOR THE OLDER PEOPLE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI ON INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHARITY AND TRUTH TASHIR “LITTLE PRINCE” SOCIAL CENTER FOR CHILDREN GAVAR “LITTLE PRINCE” SOCIAL CENTER FOR CHILDREN FROM CARITAS ARMENIA WITH WISDOM, LOVE AND COMPASSION Dear Faithful Sisters and Brothers: God called us, and we said YES.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief Overview on Karabakh History from Past to Today
    Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Year: 2011 A Brief Overview on Karabakh History from Past to Today Ercan Karakoç Abstract After initiation of the glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) policies in the USSR by Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union started to crumble, and old, forgotten, suppressed problems especially regarding territorial claims between Azerbaijanis and Armenians reemerged. Although Mountainous (Nagorno) Karabakh is officially part of Azerbaijan Republic, after fierce and bloody clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, the entire Nagorno Karabakh region and seven additional surrounding districts of Lachin, Kelbajar, Agdam, Jabrail, Fizuli, Khubadly and Zengilan, it means over 20 per cent of Azerbaijan, were occupied by Armenians, and because of serious war situations, many Azerbaijanis living in these areas had to migrate from their homeland to Azerbaijan and they have been living under miserable conditions since the early 1990s. Keywords: Karabakh, Caucasia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ottoman Empire, Safavid Empire, Russia and Soviet Union Assistant Professor of Modern Turkish History, Yıldız Technical University, [email protected] 1003 Karakoç, E. (2011). A Brief Overview on Karabakh History from Past to Today. International Journal of Human Sciences [Online]. 8:2. Available: http://www.insanbilimleri.com/en Geçmişten günümüze Karabağ tarihi üzerine bir değerlendirme Ercan Karakoç Özet Mihail Gorbaçov tarafından başlatılan glasnost (açıklık) ve perestroyka (yeniden inşa) politikalarından sonra Sovyetler Birliği parçalanma sürecine girdi ve birlik coğrafyasındaki unutulmuş ve bastırılmış olan eski problemler, özellikle Azerbaycan Türkleri ve Ermeniler arasındaki sınır sorunları yeniden gün yüzüne çıktı. Bu bağlamda, hukuken Azerbaycan devletinin bir parçası olan Dağlık Karabağ bölgesi ve çevresindeki Laçin, Kelbecer, Cebrail, Agdam, Fizuli, Zengilan ve Kubatlı gibi yedi semt, yani yaklaşık olarak Azerbaycan‟ın yüzde yirmiye yakın toprağı, her iki toplum arasındaki şiddetli ve kanlı çarpışmalardan sonra Ermeniler tarafından işgal edildi.
    [Show full text]
  • Armenia by Alexander Iskandaryan
    Armenia by Alexander Iskandaryan Capital: Yerevan Population: 3.0 million GNI/capita, PPP: US$8,140 Source: The data above are drawn from the World Bank’sWorld Development Indicators 2014. Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Electoral Process 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 Civil Society 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 Independent Media 5.50 5.50 5.75 5.75 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 5.75 5.75 National Democratic Governance 5.00 5.00 5.25 5.25 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 Local Democratic Governance 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 Judicial Framework and Independence 5.25 5.00 5.00 5.25 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 Corruption 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.25 5.25 5.25 Democracy Score 5.18 5.14 5.21 5.21 5.39 5.39 5.43 5.39 5.36 5.36 NOTE: The ratings reflect the consensus of Freedom House, its academic advisers, and the author(s) of this report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s). The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest.
    [Show full text]
  • Preparatory Survey for Yeghvard Irrigation System Improvement Project
    STATE COMMITTEE OF WATER ECONOMY MINISTRY OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURES AND NATURAL RESOURCES THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA PREPARATORY SURVEY FOR YEGHVARD IRRIGATION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FINAL REPORT (FR) APPENDIXES NOVEMBER 2016 JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY (JICA) SANYU CONSULTANTS INC. (SCI) ORIENTAL CONSULTANTS GLOBAL CO., LTD. (OCG) 3R CR 16-033 CONTENTS OF APPENDIXES Appendix A: Current Conditions of Irrigation Facilities ................................. APP A-1 Appendix B: Agriculture ............................................................................... APP B-1 Appendix-C: Results of Surveys Carried out and WUA Workshops ...........APP C-1 Appendix-D: Meteorology, Hydrology and Water Resource .........................APP D-1 Appendix-E: Irrigation Planning .................................................................... APP E-1 Appendix-F: Geological and Hydro-geological Conditions ........................... APP F-1 Appendix-G: Reservoir Planning ................................................................. APP G-1 Appendix-H: Estimation of Leakage Rate ....................................................APP H-1 Appendix-I: Laboratory Test ........................................................................ APP I-1 Appendix-J: Conditions and Results of Dam Stability Analysis ................... APP J-1 Appendix-K: Environmental and Social Considerations ............................... APP K-1 Appendix-L: Project Cost ............................................................................. APP L-1
    [Show full text]
  • About U.S. Figure Skating Figure Skating by the Numbers
    ABOUT U.S. FIGURE SKATING FIGURE SKATING BY THE NUMBERS U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport 5 The ranking of figure skating in terms of the size of its fan of figure skating in the United States. U.S. Figure Skating is base. Figure skating’s No. 5 ranking is behind only college a member of the International Skating Union (ISU), the inter- sports, NFL, MLB and NBA in 2009. (Source: US Census and national federation for figure skating, and the U.S. Olympic ESPN Sports Poll) Committee (USOC). 12 Age of the youngest athlete on the 2011–12 U.S. Team — U.S. Figure Skating is composed of member clubs, collegiate men’s skater Nathan Chen (born May 5, 1999) clubs, school-affiliated clubs, individual members, Friends of Consecutive Olympic Winter Games at which at least one U.S. Figure Skating and Basic Skills programs. 17 figure skater has won a medal, dating back to 1948, when Dick Button won his first Olympic gold The charter member clubs numbered seven in 1921 when the association was formed and first became a member of the ISU. 18 International gold medals won by the United States during the To date, U.S. Figure Skating has more than 680 member clubs. 2010–11 season 44 U.S. qualifying and international competitions available on a subscription basis on icenetwork.com U.S. Figure Skating is one of the strongest 52 World titles won by U.S. skaters all-time and largest governing bodies within the winter Olympic movement with more than 180,000 58 International medals won by U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS and BUSINESS SYNERGIES BETWEEN TURKEY and ARMENIA Towards a Roadmap for Confidence Building Through Economic Cooperation
    tepav The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey November2014 R201410 EPORT R STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS AND BUSINESS SYNERGIES BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA Towards a Roadmap for Confidence Building Through Economic Cooperation This document has been prepared by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), a team consisting of Esen Çağlar1, Ussal Şahbaz2, Ali Sökmen, Feride İnan3, İpek Beril Benli and İrem Kızılca4. TEPAV conducted a fact-finding mission to Yerevan between November 11 and November 14, 2013. Twenty-five meetings were held with a variety of non-governmental organizations, think- tanks and research institutes, multilateral institutions and business people—including the VIP Tourism & Narekavank Tourism Agency—the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia (UMBA), Noyan Natural Juice Factory, Union of Information Technology Enterprises, Apaven Co. LTD, EV Consulting, the World Bank Group, International Center for Human Development, TOSP Knitting Factory, Caucasus Research Resource Center Armenia (CRRC), Armenia Institute of Tourism, Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation, Public Journalism Club, National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia (NCFA) and USAID. We would like to extend a special thanks to the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia for its contributions throughout TEPAV’s field study in Armenia and all other parties who shared their valuable insights and offered their generous support in the preparation of this report. 1 http://www.tepav.org.tr/en/ekibimiz/s/1025/Esen+Caglar 2 http://www.tepav.org.tr/en/ekibimiz/s/1190/Ussal+Sahbaz 3 http://www.tepav.org.tr/en/ekibimiz/s/1298/Feride+Inan 4 http://www.tepav.org.tr/en/ekibimiz/s/1300/Irem+Kizilca www.tepav.org.tr 1 STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS AND BUSINESS SYNERGIES BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA Towards a Roadmap for Confidence Building Through Economic Cooperation Executive Summary In the past two decades, relations between Armenia and Turkey have been left in diplomatic limbo.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Modern Politicization of the Persian Poet Nezami Ganjavi
    Official Digitized Version by Victoria Arakelova; with errata fixed from the print edition ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI YEREVAN SERIES FOR ORIENTAL STUDIES Edited by Garnik S. Asatrian Vol.1 SIAVASH LORNEJAD ALI DOOSTZADEH ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies Yerevan 2012 Siavash Lornejad, Ali Doostzadeh On the Modern Politicization of the Persian Poet Nezami Ganjavi Guest Editor of the Volume Victoria Arakelova The monograph examines several anachronisms, misinterpretations and outright distortions related to the great Persian poet Nezami Ganjavi, that have been introduced since the USSR campaign for Nezami‖s 800th anniversary in the 1930s and 1940s. The authors of the monograph provide a critical analysis of both the arguments and terms put forward primarily by Soviet Oriental school, and those introduced in modern nationalistic writings, which misrepresent the background and cultural heritage of Nezami. Outright forgeries, including those about an alleged Turkish Divan by Nezami Ganjavi and falsified verses first published in Azerbaijan SSR, which have found their way into Persian publications, are also in the focus of the authors‖ attention. An important contribution of the book is that it highlights three rare and previously neglected historical sources with regards to the population of Arran and Azerbaijan, which provide information on the social conditions and ethnography of the urban Iranian Muslim population of the area and are indispensable for serious study of the Persian literature and Iranian culture of the period. ISBN 978-99930-69-74-4 The first print of the book was published by the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies in 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • Patient Satisfaction Survey Baseline Evaluation in Aragatsotn
    PATIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY BASELINE EVALUATION IN ARAGATSOTN, ARMAVIR, AND ARARAT MARZES 2008 DISCLAIMER This publication is made possible by the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by the Primary Health Care Reform (PHCR) Project, Armenia. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the USAID or the United States Government. Preface The Primary Healthcare Reform (PHCR) project is a nationwide five-year (2005-2010) program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under a contract awarded to Emerging Markets Group, Ltd. (EMG) in September 2005. The project’s primary objective is the increased utilization of sustainable, high-quality primary healthcare services leading to the improved health of Armenian families. This objective is operationalized by supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to implement a package of six interventions that links policy reform with service delivery so that each informs the other generating synergistic effects. These six interventions address healthcare reforms and policy support (including renovation and equipping of facilities); open enrollment; family medicine; quality of care; healthcare finance; and public education, health promotion and disease prevention. “What impact are these interventions having?” is a question frequently asked but less frequently funded. Fortunately, provision was made in the PHCR project to address the “impact” question. PHCR developed a set of six tools to monitor progress and evaluate results. Three of these tools are facility-based and are designed to assess changes through a pre-test and post-test methodology at 164 primary healthcare facilities and their referral facilities.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ARMENIAN Mirrorc SPECTATOR Since 1932
    THE ARMENIAN MIRRORc SPECTATOR Since 1932 Volume LXXXXI, NO. 42, Issue 4684 MAY 8, 2021 $2.00 Rep. Kazarian Is Artsakh Toun Proposes Housing Solution Passionate about For 2020 Artsakh War Refugees Public Service By Harry Kezelian By Aram Arkun Mirror-Spectator Staff Mirror-Spectator Staff EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — BRUSSELS — One of the major results Katherine Kazarian was elected of the Artsakh War of 2020, along with the Majority Whip of the Rhode Island loss of territory in Artsakh, is the dislocation State House in January, but she’s no of tens of thousands of Armenians who have stranger to politics. The 30-year-old lost their homes. Their ability to remain in Rhode Island native was first elected Artsakh is in question and the time remain- to the legislative body 8 years ago ing to solve this problem is limited. Artsakh straight out of college at age 22. Toun is a project which offers a solution. Kazarian is a fighter for her home- The approach was developed by four peo- town of East Providence and her Ar- ple, architects and menian community in Rhode Island urban planners and around the world. And despite Movses Der Kev- the partisan rancor of the last several orkian and Sevag years, she still loves politics. Asryan, project “It’s awesome, it’s a lot of work, manager and co- but I do love the job. And we have ordinator Grego- a great new leadership team at the ry Guerguerian, in urban planning, architecture, renovation Khanumyan estimated that there are State House.” and businessman and construction site management in Arme- around 40,000 displaced people willing to Kazarian was unanimously elect- and philanthropist nia, Belgium and Lebanon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cost of Memorializing: Analyzing Armenian Genocide Memorials and Commemorations in the Republic of Armenia and in the Diaspora
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR HISTORY, CULTURE AND MODERNITY www.history-culture-modernity.org Published by: Uopen Journals Copyright: © The Author(s). Content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence eISSN: 2213-0624 The Cost of Memorializing: Analyzing Armenian Genocide Memorials and Commemorations in the Republic of Armenia and in the Diaspora Sabrina Papazian HCM 7: 55–86 DOI: 10.18352/hcm.534 Abstract In April of 1965 thousands of Armenians gathered in Yerevan and Los Angeles, demanding global recognition of and remembrance for the Armenian Genocide after fifty years of silence. Since then, over 200 memorials have been built around the world commemorating the vic- tims of the Genocide and have been the centre of hundreds of marches, vigils and commemorative events. This article analyzes the visual forms and semiotic natures of three Armenian Genocide memorials in Armenia, France and the United States and the commemoration prac- tices that surround them to compare and contrast how the Genocide is being memorialized in different Armenian communities. In doing so, this article questions the long-term effects commemorations have on an overall transnational Armenian community. Ultimately, it appears that calls for Armenian Genocide recognition unwittingly categorize the global Armenian community as eternal victims, impeding the develop- ment of both the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. Keywords: Armenian Genocide, commemoration, cultural heritage, diaspora, identity, memorials HCM 2019, VOL. 7 Downloaded from Brill.com10/05/202155 12:33:22PM via free access PAPAZIAN Introduction On 24 April 2015, the hundredth anniversary of the commencement of the Armenian Genocide, Armenians around the world collectively mourned for and remembered their ancestors who had lost their lives in the massacres and deportations of 1915.1 These commemorations took place in many forms, including marches, candlelight vigils, ceremo- nial speeches and cultural performances.
    [Show full text]