OPENING of NEW WING New Possibilities”
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The Orontids of Armenia by Cyril Toumanoff
The Orontids of Armenia by Cyril Toumanoff This study appears as part III of Toumanoff's Studies in Christian Caucasian History (Georgetown, 1963), pp. 277-354. An earlier version appeared in the journal Le Muséon 72(1959), pp. 1-36 and 73(1960), pp. 73-106. The Orontids of Armenia Bibliography, pp. 501-523 Maps appear as an attachment to the present document. This material is presented solely for non-commercial educational/research purposes. I 1. The genesis of the Armenian nation has been examined in an earlier Study.1 Its nucleus, succeeding to the role of the Yannic nucleus ot Urartu, was the 'proto-Armenian,T Hayasa-Phrygian, people-state,2 which at first oc- cupied only a small section of the former Urartian, or subsequent Armenian, territory. And it was, precisely, of the expansion of this people-state over that territory, and of its blending with the remaining Urartians and other proto- Caucasians that the Armenian nation was born. That expansion proceeded from the earliest proto-Armenian settlement in the basin of the Arsanias (East- ern Euphrates) up the Euphrates, to the valley of the upper Tigris, and espe- cially to that of the Araxes, which is the central Armenian plain.3 This expand- ing proto-Armenian nucleus formed a separate satrapy in the Iranian empire, while the rest of the inhabitants of the Armenian Plateau, both the remaining Urartians and other proto-Caucasians, were included in several other satrapies.* Between Herodotus's day and the year 401, when the Ten Thousand passed through it, the land of the proto-Armenians had become so enlarged as to form, in addition to the Satrapy of Armenia, also the trans-Euphratensian vice-Sa- trapy of West Armenia.5 This division subsisted in the Hellenistic phase, as that between Greater Armenia and Lesser Armenia. -
The Image of the Cumans in Medieval Chronicles
Caroline Gurevich THE IMAGE OF THE CUMANS IN MEDIEVAL CHRONICLES: OLD RUSSIAN AND GEORGIAN SOURCES IN THE TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTH CENTURIES MA Thesis in Medieval Studies CEU eTD Collection Central European University Budapest May 2017 THE IMAGE OF THE CUMANS IN MEDIEVAL CHRONICLES: OLD RUSSIAN AND GEORGIAN SOURCES IN THE TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTH CENTURIES by Caroline Gurevich (Russia) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Medieval Studies. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ Chair, Examination Committee ____________________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________________ Examiner ____________________________________________ CEU eTD Collection Examiner Budapest May 2017 THE IMAGE OF THE CUMANS IN MEDIEVAL CHRONICLES: OLD RUSSIAN AND GEORGIAN SOURCES IN THE TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTH CENTURIES by Caroline Gurevich (Russia) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Medieval Studies. Accepted in conformance with the standards of the CEU. ____________________________________________ External Reader CEU eTD Collection Budapest May 2017 THE IMAGE OF THE CUMANS IN MEDIEVAL CHRONICLES: OLD RUSSIAN AND GEORGIAN SOURCES IN THE TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTH CENTURIES by Caroline Gurevich (Russia) Thesis -
Acceptance and Rejection of Foreign Influence in the Church Architecture of Eastern Georgia
The Churches of Mtskheta: Acceptance and Rejection of Foreign Influence in the Church Architecture of Eastern Georgia Samantha Johnson Senior Art History Thesis December 14, 2017 The small town of Mtskheta, located near Tbilisi, the capital of the Republic of Georgia, is the seat of the Georgian Orthodox Church and is the heart of Christianity in the country. This town, one of the oldest in the nation, was once the capital and has been a key player throughout Georgia’s tumultuous history, witnessing not only the nation’s conversion to Christianity, but also the devastation of foreign invasions. It also contains three churches that are national symbols and represent the two major waves of church building in the seventh and eleventh centuries. Georgia is, above all, a Christian nation and religion is central to its national identity. This paper examines the interaction between incoming foreign cultures and deeply-rooted local traditions that have shaped art and architecture in Transcaucasia.1 Nestled among the Caucasus Mountains, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, present-day Georgia contains fewer than four million people and has its own unique alphabet and language as well as a long, complex history. In fact, historians cannot agree on how Georgia got its English exonym, because in the native tongue, kartulad, the country is called Sakartvelo, or “land of the karvelians.”2 They know that the name “Sakartvelo” first appeared in texts around 800 AD as another name for the eastern kingdom of Kartli in Transcaucasia. It then evolved to signify the unified eastern and western kingdoms in 1008.3 Most scholars agree that the name “Georgia” did not stem from the nation’s patron saint, George, as is commonly thought, but actually comes 1 This research addresses the multitude of influences that have contributed to the development of Georgia’s ecclesiastical architecture. -
Buildings in Their Patrons' Hands? the Multiform Function of Small Size
Transkulturelle Perspektiven 3/2014 - 1 - و Maria Cristina Carile Buildings in their patrons’ hands? The multiform function of small size models between Byzantium and Transcaucasia The representation of the church model in the hands order to understand the value of these models after of the church's patron or founder finds its roots in the the twelfth century – following the chronological frame arts of Late Antiquity. Since the sixth century, this mo- of this volume – it is important to determine their im- tif adorned church apses, as an image of offering to portance in Caucasian visual culture, first tracing the Christ or the Virgin. 1 Later, it became a strong iconic evolution of the donation image. This will help us to image conveying the role of the patron/founder in the evaluate the meaning of architectural models in the construction and his devotion, which was embodied changed historical context of the Transcaucasian in the model as well as in the building itself. As such, principalities between the late twelfth and the thir- the theme had particular fortune in medieval Rome teenth centuries, when architectural models on and spread to the East as far as the Caucasus. After church walls were enriched with new meanings. the Latin conquest of Constantinople during the fourth crusade (1204 AD), the motif was widely adopted in The first appearance of the motif in the Transcaucasi- the Balkans and in the territories in close contact with an area probably dates back to the sixth century. This Byzantium. 2 This paper will focus on church models is testified by a now-lost sculpted relief with the im- as a motif, reflecting on their spread and role in the age of a woman holding a church model, which may decoration of the external façades of the churches in have decorated the outer walls of the cathedral com- the Caucasus and, specifically, in the area of Trans- plex at Agarak (region of Ayrarat), formed by a fifth- or caucasia. -
1 Tonoyan.Indd
Rising Armenian–Georgian Tensions and the Possibility of a New Ethnic Conflict in the South Caucasus Artyom Tonoyan Abstract: This article analyzes the recent geopolitical developments in Georgian and Armenian societies and the possibility of a new interstate conflict between the two nations. The article focuses on the role of internal and external political factors, such as the the integration of the Armenian minority in Georgia’s Javakheti region into the political processes and economic projects in that country; unresolved issues concerning the ownership of Armenian churches in Georgia; third-party geopolitical overtures in the region; and the role of new information technologies in social mobilization and political activism. The article finds that despite a centu- ries-old relationship between these two countries, the possibility of new con- flicts in the South Caucasus is, though small, not entirely out-of-the-question. Keywords: Armenia, Georgia, ethnic conflict, South Caucasus he South Caucasus region is in the news again, and not for good reasons. There have T been occasional bursts of headline-grabbing events in the Caucasus since the heyday of Gorbachev-era political reforms and following the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of them having to do with military confrontation between the region’s various ethnoreli- gious inhabitants. Considered the traditional domain of Russian economic, political and military influence, the South Caucasus has generally been absent from Western political and media analysis, but with the recent engagement of the United States and the Euro- Artyom Tonoyan is a doctoral candidate in Religion, Politics & Society in the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also lectures on nationalism, ethnic conflict, and international human rights. -
CAUCASIA and the FIRST BYZANTINE COMMONWEALTH: CHRISTIANIZATION in the CONTEXT of REGIONAL COHERENCE an NCEEER Working Paper by Stephen H
CAUCASIA AND THE FIRST BYZANTINE COMMONWEALTH: CHRISTIANIZATION IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL COHERENCE An NCEEER Working Paper by Stephen H. Rapp, Jr. Independent Scholar National Council for Eurasian and East European Research University of Washington Box 353650 Seattle, WA 98195 [email protected] http://www.nceeer.org/ TITLE VIII PROGRAM Project Information* Principal Investigator: Stephen H. Rapp, Jr. NCEEER Contract Number: 826-5g Date: January 19, 2012 Copyright Information Individual researchers retain the copyright on their work products derived from research funded through a contract or grant from the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research (NCEEER). However, the NCEEER and the United States Government have the right to duplicate and disseminate, in written and electronic form, reports submitted to NCEEER to fulfill Contract or Grant Agreements either (a) for NCEEER’s own internal use, or (b) for use by the United States Government, and as follows: (1) for further dissemination to domestic, international, and foreign governments, entities and/or individuals to serve official United States Government purposes or (2) for dissemination in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act or other law or policy of the United States Government granting the public access to documents held by the United States Government. Neither NCEEER nor the United States Government nor any recipient of this Report may use it for commercial sale. * The work leading to this report was supported in part by contract or grant funds provided by the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, funds which were made available by the U.S. Department of State under Title VIII (The Soviet-East European Research and Training Act of 1983, as amended). -
Georgia (Country)
Georgia (country) This article is about the country. For the U.S. state, brief Russo-Georgian War in August 2008. see Georgia (U.S. state). For other uses, see Georgia Georgia is a member of the United Nations, the Council (disambiguation). of Europe, and the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. It contains two de facto in- Coordinates: 42°00′N 43°30′E / 42.000°N 43.500°E dependent regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Georgia ( i/ˈdʒɔːrdʒə/; Georgian: საქართველო, tr. gained limited international recognition after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Georgia and a major part of the Sakartvelo, IPA: [sɑkʰɑrtʰvɛlɔ]) is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads international community consider the regions to be part of Georgia’s sovereign territory under Russian military of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to [7] the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the occupation. south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Geor- gia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres (26,911 1 Etymology sq mi), and its 2016 population is about 3.72 million. Georgia is a unitary, semi-presidential republic, with the Main article: Name of Georgia (country) government elected through a representative democracy. “Georgia” probably stems from the Persian designation During the classical era, several independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia. The king- doms of Colchis and Iberia adopted Christianity in the early 4th century. A unified Kingdom of Georgia reached the peak of its political and economic strength during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries. -
The Mamikonids and the Liparitids (Journal Article)
THE MAMIKONIDS AND THE LIPAR1TIDS Two important Caucasian princely houses, playing a decisive role in Armenian history, claimed imperial Chinese origin: the Mamikonids and the Lipa r itids. This legendary claim was, as we now realize, quite erroneous; and we, moreover, know how it originated. The Mamikonids were immemorial dynasts of the Armeno-Georgian march of Tayk or Tao, appearing for the first time in history with Man- caeus, one of the war-lords of Tigranes the Great, King of Armenia (95-56 B. C). They held the hereditary o f iice of High Constable of Ar- menia; reigned, in addition to Tayk, in a half of Taron (centred at Oia- kan); and acquired, through the marriage in the f ifth century with the heiress of the patriarchal Gregorids, the latter's principalities: the other half of Taron (centred at AJtiSat), Bagravandene, and Acilisene. The Mamikonids were among the greatest Armenian princes and their role in the history of Armenia and, also, of the Eastern Empire is too well known to require comment. The eighth century, as a result especially ushered of the unsuccessful insurrection against the Caliph in 771-772, in an era of decline for the dynasty. Most of their principalities were lost , chiefly to the rival house of the Bagratids, but they managed to retain the sovereignty of the south-western part of Taron until the end of the twelfth century '. The Liparitids made their appearance in southern Georgia (in Lower Ibe r ia) in the second half of the ninth century, as dynasts of Trialeti, with the stronghold of Klde-Kami, and then acquired a great number of ducal fiefs. -
The Five-Day Russia-Georgia War: Origins and Interpretations
The Five-Day Russia-Georgia War: Origins and Interpretations A thesis submitted to the Miami University Scholars Program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Scholars Certificate. by Andrew James Welbaum Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2009 ii ABSTRACT THE FIVE-DAY RUSSIA-GEORGIA WAR: ORIGINS AND INTERPRETATIONS by Andrew J. Welbaum The 2008 Russia-Georgia War was a significant geopolitical event that refocused the world‟s attention on an oft-forgotten region of the world. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Caucasus has become more important for security and economic reasons, leading to a growth of external involvement in the region. The competition for influence is especially intense between the West and a resurgent Russia. Ever since the early 2000s, Georgia has re-aligned itself away from its historical sponsor toward the United States and Europe. This new orientation, in particular Georgia‟s desire to become a full-fledged member of the NATO alliance, is very disconcerting to the Kremlin, which views the region as its traditional “backyard.” Thus, as the West has increased its presence in the Caucasus, Russian interference has intensified. The ensuing geopolitical jostle was a consequential factor in the August 2008 conflict between Russia, Georgia and the separatist enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. While the Five-Day War in early August 2008 gripped the world‟s attention, its origins are obscure. South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two restive regions that actively sought independence from Georgia after the Soviet Union‟s disintegration, have played a pivotal role in the deterioration of Russian-Georgian relations. -
Classical Literature and the Retroaction of Socialist Ideologyâ•Flthe Sovietization of a Medieval Georgian Epic Poem And
Diego Benning Wang, 1 Classical Literature and the Retroaction of Socialist Ideology—The Sovietization of a Medieval Georgian Epic Poem and Its Mysterious Author Diego Benning Wang O Georgia—who makest us shed tears, /Thou art the second cradle of the Russian muse. /One who carelessly forgets about Georgia, /Is not likely to be a poet in Russia. –Evgeny Evtushenko When you read Rustaveli, you would be thinking: could there be many writers who lived 700-odd years ago akin to this precious genius of the Georgian people? –Mikhail Kalinin Early-20th-century Russian poet Kontantin Balmont, the first person to fully translate the medieval Georgian epic poetry vepkhistqaosani (The Knight in Panther Skin) into Russian, said such about the work’s author Shota Rustaveli: “Like Homer to the Hellas, Dante to Italy, Shakespeare to England, Calderón and Cervantes to Spain, Rustaveli is Georgia… A people, if great, will compose a song and carry in their bosom their world- renowned poet. Such crown-bearer of the ages, still unbeknownst to the Russians to this day, was the chosen one of Georgia, Shota Rustaveli, who in the twelfth century endowed his homeland with a banner and an appeal—vepkhistqaosani […] This is the best poetry of love ever composed in Europe, a rainbow of love, a bridge of fire, which connects the heaven with the earth.”1 Long after Balmont’s Russian translation of vepkhistqaosani was completed, the work still remained unknown to most non-Georgians of the Soviet Union. Yet four decades later, Rustaveli had become a household name far beyond his native Georgia and throughout the Soviet Union. -
ABSTRACT Britain and Russia: a Historical Comparison of Two Great
ABSTRACT Britain and Russia: A Historical Comparison of Two Great Empires Sarah Cook Director: Julie deGraffenried, Ph.D. This work examines key elements of the British and Russian empires in order to present a new perspective on how much these two powers hold in common. Though radically different on the surface, Britain and Russia possess similar national characters and historical experiences. This work is not an attempt at a comprehensive record of the British and Russian empires and their similarities. Rather, it focuses on specific ideas – the two nations’ beginnings, their imperial ideologies, the Great Game in Central Asia, both nations’ modern identity crises – in order to prove greater similitude between Britain and Russia than has previously been discussed as part of the historical narrative. A variety of primary sources are used, though secondary sources make up a great deal of the evidence presented. This thesis is not chiefly a reinterpretation of sources, but a re- conceptualization of the information and interpretations already part of the historical narrative. APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: _______________________________________________ Dr. Julie deGraffenried, Department of History APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM: _______________________________________________ Dr. Andrew Wisely, Director DATE: ________________________ BRITAIN AND RUSSIA A HISTORICAL COMPARISON OF TWO GREAT EMPIRES A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program By Sarah Cook -
Iran's Ethnic Christians: the Assyrians and the Armenians
JETS 61.1 (2018): 137–52 IRAN’S ETHNIC CHRISTIANS: THE ASSYRIANS AND THE ARMENIANS PHILIP O. HOPKINS* Abstract: The idea that Christianity is foreign to Iran is a misconception. Christians have lived and often thrived in Iran. People from most every major Christian sect have made, or have tried to make, Iran their home. To a degree, these sects have cross-pollinated, but they have maintained their own identities. After mentioning Iran in the OT and early church histo- ry to provide an overview of the country’s connection with all of Christianity, this paper focuses on the Christianity of the Assyrians1 and Armenians of greater Iran, two ethnic Christian groups that left a marked impact on the country and the area in general. The account of Assyr- ian and Armenian Christianity 2 in greater Iran centers on their beginnings to the modern pe- riod when the Protestant Modern Missions Movement began. Key words: Christianity in Iran, Armenian Christians, Assyrian Christians, Iran and the Bible, Nestorianism, Monophysitism, Church of the East, Eastern Christianity, persecution, growth * Philip O. Hopkins is a professor of Christianity and Islam at Russian-Armenian University, 123 Hovsep Emin St., Yerevan, Armenia, 0051 and Research Associate for the Centre of World Christianity at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He can be contacted at [email protected]. 1 The Iranian Assyrians are not the same Assyrians mentioned in the Bible. Adam H. Becker, Revival and Awakening: American Evangelical Missionaries in Iran and the Rise of Assyrian Nationalism (Chicago: Univer- sity of Chicago Press, 2015), 231, 337, argues that the term “Assyrian” is used accurately for Assyrian Iranians soteriologically, dealing with “death, salvation, community, and tradition,” but not racially or ethnically.