A 13th century architectural marvel, Saghmosavank Monastery.
Photo credit: Suren Manvelyan
The monastery of Saghmosavank is located in the village of Saghmosavan, located in the Ashtarak region of the Republic of Armenia. It is some 40 minutes northwest of Yerevan and lies atop precipitous gorge carved by the Kazakh River. It’s silhouette dominates the adjacent villages and rise sharp against the background of the mountains crowned by Mount Aragats.
Prince Vache Vachutyan
The monastery of Saghmosavank (Monastery of Psalms) was built in the 12th – 13th centuries by the order of Prince Vache Vachutyan. Thus the Surb Sion Church also known as the Church of Zion in Saghmosavank was erected in 1213 AD.
Type of building
The monastery can be classified as a cross-winged domed structure with two-floor annexes in all the corners of the building. It also holds a book repository and the St. Astvatsatsin church that were built in 1255 by the order of Prince Kurd Vachutyan.
Sources:
Architectural Ensembles of Armenia" O. Khalpakhchian, published in Moscow by Iskusstvo Publishers in 1980.
Land and Culture Organization. Saghmosavan.
Parsegian, V.L.. Armenian Architecture. Zug, Switzerland; IDC, 1980.
The duduk, the Armenian oboe, is a double-reed wind instrument characterized by a warm, soft, slightly nasal timbre. It belongs to the category of aerophones, which also includes the balaban played in Azerbaijan and Iran, the duduki common in Georgia and the ney in Turkey.
The origins
The soft wood of the apricot tree is the ideal material for the body of the instrument. The reed, called ghamish or yegheg, is a local plant growing alongside the Arax River. The roots of Armenian duduk music go back to the times of the Armenian king Tigran the Great (95-55 BC). It accompanies popular Armenian traditional songs and dances of the various regions and is played at events, such as weddings and funerals. Although there are also famous duduk soloists, among them Gevorg Dabaghyan and Vache Sharafyan, the duduk is usually played by two musicians. One player creates the musical environment for the lead melody by playing a continual drone held by circular breathing, while the other player develops complex melodies and improvisations.
Types of duduk
There are four major types of duduk, varying in length from 28 to 40 cm. This variety allows the sound of the duduk to express various moods depending on the content of the piece and the playing context. The 40-cm long duduk, for example, is regarded as most appropriate for love songs, whereas the smaller one usually accompanies dances. Today, duduk craftsmen continue to create and experiment with different forms of duduks. Many Armenians consider the duduk as the instrument that most eloquently expresses warmth, joy and their history. Over the last few decades, the popularity of Armenian duduk music has faded, in particular in the rural areas where it originated. The duduk instrument is played less and less in popular festivities, but more often as a staged performance by professionals, risking to threaten the music’s viability and traditional character.
In 2008, UNESCO inscribed the duduk on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Source:
Duduk and its music, Armenia. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Ancient Armenian spirit – Grogh or also known as Tir.
Grogh translates from Armenian as “writer” or “scribe” (sometimes identified with Armenian deity of literature Tir) was a spirit in ancient Armenian mythology. Grogh was the most punctual writer. As soon as a human was born, Grogh would write the newborn into the book of life, and on the forehead he imprinted the newborn’s faith – chakatagir, predetermining the given lifespan. He keenly observed everyone and entered all the sins and good deeds into his special folio, to read them during the final judgment.
If the agony of dying lasted a long time and the soul could not part with the body easily, it was common to take the pillow from beneath the head of the dying person and open wide all the windows and doors, so Grogh could enter freely into the home and take the soul into his bosom and leave.
Just as the Russians curse ‘k chorty’ meaning ‘to the devil’ and English ‘to hell with you’, Armenians curse by sending to Grogh: “Grogh kez tani!” (meaning “scribe take you!”) or “Groghu tsots” (“in embrace of the scribe”). Many centuries past and the word “Grogh” became to simply mean ‘writer’ in Armenian.
Soghomon Tehlirian (1896-1960), Talaat’s assassin, pictured in 1921.
March 15 1921, Berlin–The day after Turkey left the war, much of the Young Turk leadership, including Talaat, Djemal, and Enver Pasha, fled Constantinople with German help. In 1919, courts-martial established under Allied pressure in Constantinople sentenced them to death in absentia. Djemal had thence gone to Afghanistan and Enver to Moscow, but Talaat had remained in Berlin, and German authorities had no plans to extradite him to Turkey.
The Armenian nationalist Dashnaks decided to carry out justice for the Armenian Genocide themselves, and ordered assassinations of the leading Young Turks and other major figures deemed responsible for the genocide. On March 15, Soghomon Tehlirian shot Talaat as he exited his house in Charlottenburg. He did not attempt to flee the scene, and was promptly arrested.
At his trial, which included such witnesses as Liman von Sanders, Tehlirian testified:
I do not consider myself guilty because my conscience is clear…I have killed a man. But I am not a murderer.
After an hour’s deliberation, the jury acquitted him.
Sources include: Raymond Kévorkian, The Armenian Genocide.
February 25 1921, Tblisi–With both AzerbaijanandArmenia now under Soviet control, the the Soviets quickly turned their attention to Georgia, which was still under control of a Menshevik-dominated government. On February 12, local Bolsheviks began attacking the Georgian military. Two days later, Lenin agreed that the Red Army should intervene, after repeated urging from Stalin, himself a Georgian. On February 16, the Red Army crossed into Georgia, and after an intense nine days of fighting, Soviet tanks (captured from the Whites and their British allies earlier in the Civil War) and armored trains broke through the defenses in the heights above Tblisi.
On February 25, the Soviets entered the city and the local Bolsheviks declared the establishment of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. The fall of Tblisi did not mark a complete Soviet victory in the Caucasus, however. Georgian forces, although quickly losing cohesion, were falling back towards the coast and Batum [Batumi]. Simultaneously, the Turks had taken advantage of the situation by seizing some disputed border areas, and they had their eyes on Batum as well. Meanwhile, in Armenia, nationalists had revolted against the Soviets and seized control of Yerevan.
December 2 1920, Yerevan–Since the Turkish invasion in September, the Armenians had repeatedly suffered defeats. By the time a ceasefire was concluded in mid-November, they had lost most of their territory and faced a choice between a humiliating peace reducing them to a rump state around Yerevan, or complete annihilation. A few days later, the Soviets decided to take advantage of the situation and invaded the country. Ultimately hoping that Soviet backing might improve their position against the Turks, the Armenian government resigned in favor of local Bolsheviks on December 2; Soviet troops entered the city two days later; they would not leave until 1991.
Pope Francis and Catholicos KarekinII release dovesat the Khor Virap monastery towards Mount Ararat in Armenia.
and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. - Genesis 8:11
So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dovefrom the ark. The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noahknew that the water was abated from the earth. Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again. - Genesis 8:11
Manuscript of the Mystery Book or Divine Liturgy, 1714. Copied by the scribe Eghiay Marzvantsi in Marzvan, a small village in historical Armenia Minor. Frontispiece depicting ‘Communion of the Apostles’, The Last Supper, and title page with text in letters in the shape of birds 'Oh Jesus Christ our Lord who art clothed’
Thefirst saint In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Virgin Sandukht, who was martyred for her faith, she was the daughter of the Armenian King Sanatruk in the first century AD.
The Armenian Church observes the Feast of St. Thaddeus the Apostle and St. Sandukht the Virgin. This Story sheds light on the early days of Christianity in Armenia.
St. Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew, two of the twelve holy apostles of Jesus Christ, were charged by Saint Peter, leader of the disciples, to spread Christianity in Armenia in the 1st century A.D. St. Thaddeus converted King Abgar V the Black, the first Christian king and a historical Armenian ruler of the kingdom of Osroene, holding his capital at Edessa. A vassal of the kingdom of Armenia. The king along with Thaddeus baptised and converted of all the people of Edessa. Here St. Thaddeus built a church and ordained priests and deacons.
After leaving Edessa, the apostle traveled to northern Armenia, bearing the spear of christ given him by Peter and a letter from King Abgar. He finally arrived at the town of Shavarshan, where King of Armenia Sanatruk lived. Thaddeus preached in people’s homes, in hidden underground chambers, in marketplaces, and in the streets.
Sandukht learned about Christ, when her nurse confessed her commitment to the Christian faith, the princess sparked by curiosity, disguised herself as an ordinary woman and followed her nurse to a Christian gathering. Intrigued, Sandukht continued attending the Christian gatherings. The Christian faith made such an impact on Sandukht’s life that she decided to convert. She declared her belief in Christ and was baptized, But when the king’s spies reported the news to her father, Sanatrouk was enraged. In an attempt to discourage his daughter, he promised to allow her to marry the man she loved, an exceptional horseman named Zareh, and to enjoy life in a comfortable palace, surrounded by endless riches.
Sandukht declined his offer of this extravagant life, infuriated by his daughter, the king sentenced the princess to jail. Zareh visited her in prison, begging her to return to him and to her old Armenian faith, but nothing could sway Sandukht. Meanwhile, the news of Sandukht’s imprisonment spread throughout Armenia. Increasingly, people began to accept the Christian faith, and they prayed for Sandukht’s release. Even some of the king’s soldiers became believers and converted. Further enraged, yet mostly moved by the love for his daughter, the King summoned Sandukht from prison to give her a last chance to renounce her new faith and to claim allegiance to her father and his pagan gods. He asked his daughter to choose between the crown and the sword,either she would renounce Christianity and serve as a pagan princess or face death.
Sandukht chose the sword, knowing that Christianity would soon blossom in Armenia. The young princess was ordered to be executed. During this difficult time, she drew strength from St. Thaddeus, who encouraged her to be firm, reminding her that she would soon be with her Saviour. Thaddeus was also executed by the king. Zareh was among the many Armenians who were moved by Sandukht’s faith, and who also converted to Christianity. King Sanatruk continued the orders for the executions of Christians, including Zareh. Their sacrifice planted the seeds of the Christian faith in Armenia
Legends say that immediately after one of the soldiers thrust his sword into the holy virgin’s heart “a sweet fragrance filled the air and a light shone from heaven in the form of a fiery pillar that hovered over Santoukhd’s body for three days and three nights.” More than two thousand people that witnessed these events, it is said, all converted and were baptized that night. St. Sandukht’s body was buried and entombed by St. Thaddeus at the same site. St. Sandukht was martyred on the 15th of December.
On 28 May 1919, on the first anniversary of the Republic of Armenia, the government of the newly founded country symbolically declared the union of EasternandWesternArmenia, the latter of which was still under the full control of the Turks. Alexander Khatisian, the Armenian Prime Minister, read the declaration:
”To restore the integrity of Armenia and to secure the complete freedom and prosperity of its people, the Government of Armenia, abiding by the solid will and desire of the entire Armenian people, declares that from this day forward the separated parts of Armenia are everlastingly combined as an independent political entity.
Now in promulgating this act of unification and independence of the ancestral Armenian lands located in Transcaucasia and the Ottoman Empire, the Government of Armenia declares that the political system of United Armenia is a democratic republic and that it has become the Government of the United Republic of Armenia.
Thus, the people of Armenia are henceforth the supreme lord and master of their consolidated fatherland, and the Parliament and Government of Armenia stand as the supreme legislative and executive authority conjoining the free people of United Armenia”.
Namus meaning “honor” is a 1925 silent film by Hamo Beknazarian which denounces the harsh rites and customs of Caucasian families. It is widely recognized as the first Armenian feature film.
Based on the 1885 novel of the same name by the Armenian playwright and novelist Alexander Shirvanzade. Namus was first premiered in Yerevan’s Nairi Theatre on April 13, 1926. A few months later it was presented in Moscow. A poster in Leningrad called Namus the “biggest blockbuster of the season” The film had incredible success and brought Beknazarian to fame in the Soviet Union, which helped him in his later works, making him the founder of Armenian cinematography.
The story is set in the Caucasian city of Shemakh, which was a provincial town in pre-revolutionary Russia. The love story involves Seyran, a son of a potter, who secretly meets with Susan, to whom he is engaged. The Armenian customs didn’t tolerate this and strictly prohibited such behavior. When asked about the film, Hamo Beknazarian said
“I wanted to set the power of custom in the pillory, that stupid force of the concept of father’s honour”
We are few, but we are called Armenians. We do not put ourselves above anyone. Simply our fortune has just been so different. Simply we have just shed too much blood. Simply in our lives of centuries long. When we were many and when we were strong. Even then we did not oppress any nation. See, centuries have come and centuries have passed, yet over no one have we become tyrants. If we have enslaved, only with our eyes. And if we have ruled, only with our books. If we have prevailed, only with our talents. And if we have ever oppressed, it has only been with our wounds.
Մենք քիչ ենք‚ սակայն մեզ հայ են ասում by Paruyr SevakpartII
Armenian girl with identification scaring on chest and face, 1919.
Credit: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis
In the 1920’s thousands of Armenian girls and women managed to escape the Armenian Genocide by fleeing to Syria. Armenian girls were kept in slavery and forced into prostitution. In order to identify them and prevent their escape, their Turkish pimps tattooed their face, arms and chest.
The girl in the photo had just been rescued from a Turkish house and was cared for by the Y.W.C.A workers at Aleppo.
Faces of political demonstration Portraits made at one of the Armenian electional meetings of opposition.
Political corruption in Armenia is a widespread and growing problem in Armenian society. Armenia is facing problems by being bullied into decisions by the Russian federation. Armenia is often described as the country in exile as its borders are one of the most closed in the world. Turkey and Azerbaijan lead an aggressive genocidal policy towards Armenia backed by our northern neighboring country Georgia as their ally. Armenia has also faced in the past hundred years Genocide, Invasion by Soviet, Multiple massacres by the Azeri and Soviet regime. Economic, cultural and political abuse by Soviet, Collapse of the Soviet Union, earthquake, war with neighboring Azerbaijan, a decreasing population and an inability to maintain a democratic society. This only the past hundred years, beforehand Armenia and Armenians were heavily abused, neglected, raped, mistreated and persecuted by Ottomans, Seljuk’s, Turks, Kurds, Arabs and have had from less to none freedom both in a political and cultural, spiritual and individual sense in the one thousand years
Photographs taken by the very talented Suren Manvelyan
Book Illustrations From The Daredevils Of Sassoun: Part II
TheArmenian epic Daredevils of Sassoun recounts the story of David of Sassoun, a defiant and self-reliant youth, who by the grace of God defends his homeland in an unequal duel against the evil. The epic falls within the tradition of heroic folktales that dramatize and voice the deepest sentiments and aspirations of a nation. The epic is told in a lyrical voice with rhythmic enunciation, while separate cantos are sung in a rhyming poetic style. It is performed annually on the first Saturday of October (Epic Day holiday in some villages), during weddings, birthdays, christenings and major national cultural events. Usually the epos teller sits, wearing national costume and is accompanied on the duduk, a woodwind instrument. The epic-telling art has no gender, age or professional limitations. It is transmitted through families as a vocation, most strongly in rural communities with close links to folklore culture. There are 160 variants. Performances nowadays last up to two hours with the epic narrated in parts. It is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Armenian folklore, functioning as an encyclopaedia and repository of the entire range of knowledge about the heritage of Armenian people, their religion, mythology, philosophy, cosmology, customs and ethics.
We are few but we are called Armenians, we do not put ourselves above anyone Simply we also admit that we, only we have Mount Ararat, and that it is right here on the clear Sevan that the sky could make it’s exact duplicate Simply David has indeed fought right here. Simply the Narek was written right here. Simply we know how to build from the rock, a monastery. How to make fish from stone, how to make man from clay. To learn to become the student of the beautiful, the kind, the noble, and the good.
Մենք քիչ ենք‚ սակայն մեզ հայ են ասում by Paruyr SevakpartI
Baldwin of Boulogne entering Edessa in February 1098. He is shown being welcomed by the Armenian clergy, who welcomed the end of tutelage to Constantinople.
Painting by J.Robert-Fleury, 1840, “Les Croisades, origines et consequences”
Erdogan is facist scum for outright supporting Azerbaijan, but are we going to just ignore that no other country is benefiting from this conflict more than Russia? Not only did they create the issue by first colonising the Caucasus and then declaring Artsakh part of Azerbaijan during the soviet period, but now conveniently have a military base within Armenia (right next to its border with Georgia) while also providing 40% percent of Azerbaijan’s military equipment
The Rossiya Cinema was the largest cinema in Armenia, accommodating 2500 visitors. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cinema was abandoned, and then in the 1990s, became a commercial and shopping centre. Nevertheless, it is one of the few brutalist gems that still exists.
Spartak Khachikyan / Hrachik Poghosyan / Artur Tarkhanyan: Cinema Rossiya, Yerevan, Armenia, 1968–1975
Almost 200 people were murdered in Armenia in 3 days and y'all are still ignoring us.
This is not a war, this is a massacre Azerbaijan and Turkey are committing against the Armenian people.
Turkey’s president literally admitted that he wants to finish what his ancestors started. He wants to commit another genocide, and this time he wants to kill us all.
Silence is violence
Update: it’s been over a month. 2 thousand people were murdered so far. Please, I’m so scared, just reblog this. I’m not asking for a lot, if you can’t donate that’s fine, just share this.
I’m sure everyone is sick of seeing political posts, this isn’t political, it’s a humanitarian crisis! And it’s not only happening “somewhere else” anymore!
Armenians are being attacked in the streets of my country!!Why is there not national outrage, or a movement rising up?? Where is anyone outside of the Armenian population screaming for equality? A genocide is literally taking place RIGHT NOW but you all would rather get upset and put your energy into candidates who are literally doing nothing of substance to help this situation while schools, hospitals and civilian homes are destroyed.
In 1915 no one cared about Armenia either, they watched as these same instigators marched women, children and elderly out into the desert with the sole intention of none of them making it back home, this is after murdering the men and those strong enough to fight back in front of their families. The term genocide was coined solely because of this tragedy! An entire culture almost wiped from the planet, and people still say we are overreacting!
Don’t allow this to happen again, don’t be someone who sits back as an entire country and culture are facing the threat of a SECOND GENOCIDE!!!! Please, wake up, do something, spread the news, because it could be me or my family being targeted tomorrow.
the term genocide was coined after the mass ethnic cleansing of armenians by the ottoman empire in 1915. think about that for a second.
i say this as the descendant of two holocaust survivors: it is vital to remember now that hitler rationalized the holocaust because no one cared about the armenian genocide, either. for once in history, pay collective attention before a mass tragedy occurs. (again. and again and again.)
