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EVN Report
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- EVN Report
ARTINERARY: August 2025
It's been over a year since we launched Artinerary at EVN Report and it's time to make some fixes. Starting this August, in an effort to become more consistent, we'll be switching to monthly editions that will appear in the first week of each month. Of course, since news of cultural events in Armenia is released just days before openings, these editions will be regularly updated to include new entries. That said, it's pretty difficult to pitch anything 'cultured' these days when you're faced with the garish spectacle of our Real-Politik landscape. In a development that would make the Game of Thrones writers jealous, recent episodes of Armenian Power Games have pushed government officials, the clergy and the sundry mess that calls itself the opposition, toward unprecedented levels of ignominy in MMA-style skirmishes on and off the social media. While the long-brewing 'existential' confrontation between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Government was only a matter of time, its timing, and more so, its form, has left everyone gasping in disbelief at the crude machoism of it all—from 'priestly' terrorist plots and masked FBI-style raids on the Mother See to jaw-dropping penis semantics. What's most disturbing, I think, is not so much the open display of the profound rift between the Church and the State, but the face-to-face encounter with the nefarious essence of our society's toxic machoism—the beloved linchpin of Armenian patriarchy. Well, this is what you get for not allowing people any means of collective cultural release – something that the Catholics, Protestants and the Buddhists have regulated so well with their carnivals and fetes that let people mock all forms of authority and morality for a day or two and then go back to more civil forms of obedience or disobedience. Could someone please send these men in suits an annotated copy of Mikhail Bakhtin? JANSEM: THE MASTER OF VIVID LINE Art and entertainment can be an unholy mix, as evidenced by the work of so many post-modern masters like Damien Hurst and Yayoi Kusama, whose quite tacky, but often spectacular installations still confound us with the question as to whether it's all some ingenious ruse or not. But up until the height of modernism in the 1910s, art has always meant to entertain or, at the least, titillate the public to some degree, without necessarily sacrificing its intellectual credentials. lsn't it the thrill of complex visual storytelling that still attracts us to so much Renaissance and Baroque art? The famous French-Armenian painter and graphic artist Jean Jansem (Hovhannes Semerdjian) chose to follow this more traditional trope of visual art when he entered the war-ridden Parisian art scene in the mid-1940s. Though not exactly diverting in their morose dissection of post-war nihilism and angst, Jansem's figurative, social-realist paintings spoke to a public that was tired of all the elitist and obtuse abstract and conceptual art that was being promoted by the art establishment. Branded a 'miserabilist'—a major movement in French and European art of the 1940s-1960s—this first generation descendant of the Armenian Genocide wanted nothing more than to speak directly and clearly about the core human values he deemed to be threatened by unmitigated progress and modernization. As his popularity rose from the mid-1960s onwards, Jansem's work mellowed, becoming more allegorical and palatable for a broad international audience that lined up to buy his distinctively ethereal images of melancholic female models and dancers, still-lifes and urban landscapes. This commercial popularity—bolstered by the artist's uptake of color lithography—has considerably dampened Jansem's credentials, casting him as something of a peddler of misery chic for the bourgeoisie. But this is a wholly undeserved perception, as the new retrospective of Jansem's lithographic work at the National Gallery of Armenia shows . Composed of over 120 lithographic works from the 1960s up to 1990s the artist donated to the Gallery, this first, large-scale survey of his oeuvre in Armenia provides a revealing insight into the highly methodical way Jansem explored the social, aesthetic and philosophical aspects of the subjects he considered to be of urgent and timeless resonance. In a way, his profoundly humanist vision has gained relevance in our troubling reality, coming as a reminder of the elemental empathy and social bonds that we're losing with every bomb in Gaza and every scroll on social media. ABBAS KIAROSTAMI: DESTINATION UNKNOWN When the first Armenian-operated photography studio opened in Constantinople in 1858, few could have predicted the degree to which the Armenians would come to populate this field throughout the next century, or the degree to which the medium would be disregarded by the Armenian cultural establishment thereafter. It was only last month that the National Gallery of Armenia (NGA) finally launched a permanent exhibition space dedicated to photography and new media—the first ever institutional platform of its kind in the country's history. While modest in size, this room marks a momentous shift in the reassessment of the medium as both an art form and a key conduit of visual culture. While the Gallery's own photography collection is still being formed, the inaugural exhibition of the dedicated hall hints at a distinctive direction. Organized in collaboration with the Golden Apricot Film Festival, the show presents a single series of 28 black and white photographs by the legendary master of Iranian cinema, Abbas Kiarostami. Renowned for his hauntingly languid, brilliantly structured films, Kiarostami was also an obsessive photographer, whose long-gestating series on deceptively simple subjects like roads, trees and rain, parallel his cinematic investigations into the essence of nature, human connection and belonging. ' Abbas Kiarostami: Destination Unknown ' presents only the filmmaker's photographs depicting various roads, which he shot while scouring film locations in Iran's provinces. Strikingly beautiful in their graphical sharpness and asceticism, the photographs work best as a sequence of tonal and metaphorical shifts that gradually expands beyond its prosaic subject matter into a transcendental meditation on the sublime power of nature and the infinity of time. The decision to begin the Gallery's photo-exhibition program with a show dedicated to a non-Armenian master from Iran, who was best known for his work in a different art form, suggests a trans-disciplinary, regionally-focused and internationally-orientated strategy. This is essential if the NGA's objective is to position Armenia as an important base for rethinking and reframing the global histories of photography. Exhibition: ' Abbas Kiarostami: Destination Unknown ' Where: National Gallery of Armenia Republic Square, Yerevan Dates: July 15-September 15 MASK: IMAGE AND CONCEPT In a welcome development, transdisciplinary (and transcultural) approaches have also been flickering in the thematic shows organized by the Museum of Russian Art. Their latest show dedicated to the Mask brings the colorful ethnographic still-lifes by sister-painters Mariam and Yeranuhi Aslamazyan together with African ceremonial masks from the collection of the Ethnography Museum of Armenia. The exhibition theme presents a fascinating opportunity to explore the way the 'primitive' mask has been perceived in Armenian visual art—a symbolic device popularized way back in the 1910s by Martiros Saryan—and how it has come to embody our cultural ideas of otherness (especially since Armenians themselves do not have a significant tradition of making or wearing masks). Using the Aslamazyan sisters for this purpose is more than apt: the sisters travelled extensively in Africa and South-East Asia, eventually painting dozens of exuberantly colorful and unabashedly ethno-exotic still-lives that are aesthetically complex echoes of the Soviet imperial ambitions towards the Global South. Judging from the exhibition's promo text, however, the curator and the organizers have no intention in taking a critical or, God forbid, decolonial stance at these issues, focusing instead on the mask as a 'symbol of faith, memory, morality and family values…' This non-committal attitude aside, the show is a rare chance to see these stunning examples of African folk art in Armenia. Exhibition: 'Mask: Image and Concept' Where: Museum of Russian Art 38 Isahakyan St., Yerevan Dates: August 1-September 24 HAO KEPING: MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS OF CHINA Exhibitions focused on distant cultures are a rarity in Armenia. So when not one, but three events simultaneously spotlight contexts far beyond our immediate region, it feels like a subtle shift in the cultural tide—even if some arrive neatly packaged as instruments of soft power from authoritarian states like China. One such exhibition, hosted by the Yerevan History Museum, comes courtesy of the Ningbo Museum—one of the more recent behemoths born of China's museum-building boom. Titled ' Mountains and Rivers of China ', the show is dedicated to the celebrated printmaker Shao Keping and delivers precisely what its name suggests: graceful woodblock prints of China's awe-inspiring natural landscapes, rendered by one of the foremost figures of Chinese socialist-realist art. Born in Ningbo in 1916, Shao Keping rose to prominence soon after the founding of the People's Republic, becoming a key figure in both color printmaking and propaganda poster design. While this exhibition steers clear of the usual imagery of jubilant tractor drivers and heroic coal miners, Keping's idyllic vistas—merging traditional Chinese aesthetics with European realism and Soviet-style neo-classicism—are no less ideologically driven. Rooted in nationalist sentiment and the utopian vision of early Communism, these bucolic landscapes construct a vision of China as a harmonious promised land—conspicuously scrubbed of poverty, labor exploitation, repression, or looming ecological disasters. That absence is precisely what makes the exhibition so compelling: it serves as telling evidence of the nefarious outcomes from the forced union between the arts and the state. Exhibition: ' Mountains and Rivers of China ' Where: Yerevan History Museum 1/1 Argishti St., Yerevan Dates: July 31-September 24 TRADITIONAL HEBEI PAINTING We're going to pretend that this year's surge of Chinese-themed events in Armenia stem purely from a mutual desire to deepen cultural ties. Regardless of the motives, it's a pleasure to encounter the utterly charming art of nianhua (New Year pictures) and nèihuà (inside-painted) bottles from China's historic Hebei province. These forms of traditional folk art remain hugely popular in contemporary China, but visitors to the Martiros Saryan Museum now have the rare opportunity to view precious historical examples on loan from the Hebei Province Museum. The nianhua —essentially early precursors to postcards—are woodblock prints typically depicting deities, symbolic motifs, or zodiac figures associated with the Chinese New Year. Ranging from simple, almost naïve imagery to intricately composed narrative scenes with political and satirical subtexts, these ephemeral prints offer a vivid window into the richness of everyday visual culture in China. Equally captivating are the scented glass bottles painted from the inside with astonishingly fine landscape scenes. Too refined to be dismissed as mere souvenirs, these objects embody the remarkable craftsmanship and attentiveness that reveal much about the specifically Chinese attitudes toward the symbolic importance of objects of material culture and the role of art as a vital means of communication. The choice of the Martiros Saryan Museum as host is particularly fitting. Saryan, the master of Armenian modernist painting, had an enduring fascination with traditional Chinese art, which he also collected. This exhibition may well prompt a long-overdue reassessment of that largely overlooked cultural connection. PERSONAL SPACE: A COLLECTOR'S VIEW Closer to the home front, the Nikoghosyan Foundation is presenting an exhibition featuring works by the so-called 'Bielutin' group of painters from Russia—a loose network of underground artists who challenged the official Soviet art establishment with a scandalous 1962 exhibition at Manezh in Moscow. The group's figurehead, Ely Bielutin founded an independent school and a movement that he termed as 'New Reality'– a conceptually and stylistically hybrid framework inspired by early Soviet avant-garde and the European expressionists. The more talented exponents of the group, like Irina Zakharova, Vladimir Tryamkin and Vera Preobrazhenskaya, were instrumental in cementing the non-conformist scene as the most intellectually and creatively dynamic part of Soviet art. Drawn from the massive collection of late, Moscow-based collector Samvel Hovhannisyan and his wife Karina Kazanjian, the show provides a tantalizing glimpse into the exuberantly experimental milieu of these dissident artists. The exhibition has no scholarly ambitions as it also mixes-in an eclectic range of works by Armenian artists—from famous names like Yervand Kochar and Rudolf Khachatryan to a number of forgotten figures from the 1980s and 1990s. The result is a strange, but captivating potpourri that, first of all, reflects the obsessive drive and broadly-inclusive tastes behind one of the greatest Armenian private art collections ever assembled. THE MANUSCRIPT MYSTERY OF NATURE CREATIVITY Matenadaran's current show presents yet another slice of medieval ecclesiastical visual culture, this time focusing on creationist representations of nature in Armenian manuscripts, complemented by examples of Arabic and Persian illuminated art. That's all well and good, but beyond this broad thematic framework, the exhibition lacks a clear conceptual or critical anchor. It's difficult to gauge, for instance, whether medieval Armenian artists developed distinctly local iconographic, symbolic, or aesthetic modes for depicting the six days of creation and natural phenomena, or whether they simply followed existing regional traditions of ornamentation and illustration. Still, the inclusion of several rarely exhibited manuscripts, intricate silver bindings, and other book-related artifacts showcasing a variety of stylistic approaches offers plenty of visual delight—despite the Institute's unfortunate persistence with musty, cabinet-of-curiosities-style displays. Exhibition: 'The Manuscript Mystery of Nature Creativity' Where: Matenadaran 53 Mashtots Ave., Yerevan Dates: Open from July 2 REFLECTIONS FROM THE MARGINS What's so fun about graduate art exhibitions? Trying to guess who'll be the next big thing, of course—or who most likely won't. Since 2007, the team at Focus NGO's Medialab Centre has been quietly nurturing a new generation of young art practitioners. It's a small but essential alternative education platform where students receive informal training in analogue photography, film and media studies, contemporary art, and—perhaps most crucially—critical thinking. This month, the center presents its latest group of graduates, whose works are organized around the theme of socio-political margins as spaces of resistance. With just seven participants, the exhibition is modest in scale and ambition. Yet the range of critical issues tackled—spanning unchecked urban development to the social stigma surrounding mental illness—offers a sharp and hopeful contrast to the kind of soul-crushing banality too often seen at state art school shows. And that alone is reason enough to support these emerging voices and keep an eye on their future paths. Exhibition: 'Reflections from the Margins' Where: NPAK 1/3 Buzand St., Yerevan Dates: August 8-August 15 PARUYR DAVTYAN. DAVTYAN PARUYR Chances are the name Paruyr Davtyan won't ring a bell for most people in Armenia. But among those in the know, it's linked to one of the most compelling mid-career contemporary artists to emerge from the post-Soviet space. Debuting on the Russian art scene in the early 2010s, the Gyumri-born, transdisciplinary artist quickly established himself as a leading figure within the tradition of Moscow Conceptualism—a politically charged, theory-driven avant-garde movement rooted in early 20th-century Dadaism. Now a fixture on major contemporary art platforms and biennales in Moscow, Davtyan is making his belated debut in his homeland , courtesy of the Cafesjian Centre for the Arts and curator Armen Yesayants. His ironically self-titled solo exhibition offers a clear entry point into his conceptually dense yet surprisingly palatable practice. While the founding figures of Moscow Conceptualism focused on dismantling ideological structures in the late Soviet era, Davtyan is more concerned with interrogating the nature of art itself. Does art possess an innate, immutable identity, or is it a shifting illusion shaped—and reshaped—by socio-historical forces? In exploring these questions, Davtyan's work becomes entirely intertextual and self-reflexive, drawing from and mischievously remixing a vast reservoir of art history that he seems to both gently parody and passionately revere. Although the methods of deconstructive pastiche he employs have become so institutionalized that he appears at times like a classicists of sorts, there's a genuine boldness and vitality in his witty, yet strangely poetic, subversions of canonical works like Monet's Water Lilies or Duchamp's Fountain . Compact but beautifully curated, the exhibition offers a strong overview of Davtyan's practice over the past decade—and is a must-see for anyone interested in the current intellectual trajectories of contemporary visual art. GYUMRI ART WEEK Now in its fourth edition, Gyumri Art Week has firmly established itself as the rightful successor to the short-lived but influential Gyumri Biennale. This month, it returns in full force with an eclectic program that includes contemporary art exhibitions, outdoor installations, performances, music, theater and film screenings. This year's edition centers on ecological and environmental themes, bringing together an intriguing mix of local artists alongside emerging voices from abroad. Special focus is given to Hamlet Hovsepyan and Marcos Grigoryan—two towering figures of Armenian conceptual and land art, whose work called for a more evolved and conscious relationship between nature and artistic practice. Their legacy provides a vital historical anchor, helping to contextualize the depth and ambition of the current generation of artists, many of whom are now confronting the kind of ecological breakdown that even Hovsepyan and Grigoryan could hardly have imagined. Weighty themes aside, Gyumri Art Week also offers a refreshing opportunity to engage with contemporary art outside of the usual Yerevan bubble. Because, the spaces and people through which we typically experience art deeply shape our perception of its meaning and relevance. Attending an event like this in a regional center such as Gyumri can expand—or even transform—your understanding of how art sustains and feeds the social fabric of everyday life. Festival: 'Gyumri Art Week- 4th Edition: Ecology & Environment' Where: Gyumri, Armenia Dates: August 8-August 17 See program DRIVE The summer blockbuster train is in full swing with the expected reboots and franchises like the latest 'Superman', 'Fantastic Four', 'Freaky Friday' and so on. Somewhere in between there will also be a movie with either Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt riding something fast and furious. It's a seemingly endless loop of tautological inanity that wears any semblance of meaning to naught with each, progressively more absurd cycle. So it's a real reprieve to find in the cracks of this grotesque hall of simulacra an authentic piece of film art, even if it was made some 15 years ago. Starring Ryan Gosling—one of the poster-boys of 21st century melancholia for all things analogue—Nicholas Winding Refn's incandescent 2011 thriller ' Drive ' (winner of best director prize at Cannes Film Festival) stands as one of the cinematic high points of the past two decades. A story about an enigmatic stunt driver who gets into a crime job that takes a disastrous turn, 'Drive' is a tense, almost mathematically designed narrative about an aloof loner who temporarily allows emotions to slip through his steely facade. Winding Refn's neon-soaked vision is steeped in nostalgia for the 1970s and 1980s, with multiple references to films like 'Taxi Driver', 'The Conversation', 'Diva' and 'Blue Velvet'. But the Dutch director's cinephile obsessions do not prevent him from crafting a universe that is entirely his own—a neo-noir territory where every surface and glance is permeated by a haunting mixture of strangeness, ravishing beauty and lurid violence. It's the kind of flawlessly engineered mechanism that only gets better with age—like the iconic Chevy Impala that Gosling stylishly wheels into cinematic eternity. So, do yourself a favor, buy a ticket and unbuckle your seatbelt for this transcendent experience.
EVN Report
28-07-2025
- General
- EVN Report
Dry People Wanted: Vardavar in Yerevan
For many, it's a day of endless joy, fun and turning the impermissible into the permissible. For others, it's a day to stay home, shut the blinds, and ignore knocks on the door. That day is Vardavar, one of the most beloved and eagerly anticipated traditional Armenian summer holidays. Vardavar, also known as the Transfiguration of Christ, is one of the five major feast days of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to the church calendar, it is celebrated on the Sunday 98 days after Easter. This year, the celebration took place on July 27. Starting early in the morning, the city prepares for the water festival. Water trucks appear everywhere, pools and fountains are cleaned, and people search for the nearest sources of water. Despite their mothers' pleas to wait a few more hours until the sun warms the air, the children begin their water games early in the morning. First come the water 'guns,' but soon their spray is no longer enough, and the 'heavy artillery' is brought out—buckets of water or large yogurt or butter containers carefully washed the day before by moms. And where does all that water come from? From every possible source—household faucets, public fountains, and the basins of decorative fountains. In the center of Yerevan, neatly arranged buckets appear, sold for 1,000 AMD each. Later, they begin to be sold pre-filled with water. To be fair, the price of the bucket doesn't change because of that. Another hour will pass before men pull rubber hoses out of their garages or deep storage spaces, connect them to fountains, and secure the most uninterrupted supply of water. It's time to hold on to the most valuable things—phones and money. People who have started water games in their courtyards gradually gather in nearby parks or squares. The groups soon grow larger. The shout 'Dry person!' rings out, and everyone runs toward a passerby in the distance. Usually, it's a young and attractive woman. And, of course, get a worthy response. The most intense part of the day, of course, takes place in Republic Square, where not only Yerevan residents—who have already settled scores with all the 'victims' in their neighborhoods and streets—gather to celebrate, but also visitors to the city. The water fight continues until the evening, with periodic breaks for drying off or resting. At the end of the day, you can often hear, 'Only in Armenia could there be a celebration like this.' Some say it with admiration throughout the day, while others say it as they finally open their blinds and breathe a sigh of relief.
LeMonde
28-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Armenian prime minister and church leader clash over opposing visions for country's future
Worshippers knelt before the altar and kissed the silver cross placed in a velvet case beside the Bible. A priest warned visitors: Photography had been forbidden for the past week. Outside the church, families dressed up for a baptism posed for pictures in the sweltering heat. Meanwhile, priests in black robes moved briskly back and forth. Their faces were tense. An unusual nervousness pervaded Etchmiadzin, the spiritual seat of the powerful Armenian Apostolic Church, which is now locked in an unprecedented confrontation with the government. On June 10, the head of government, Nikol Pashinyan, called on the faithful to overthrow the highest religious leader, Karekin II. Pashinyan has accused Karekin II of having a child, a poorly kept secret in Armenia. The Catholicos called for the prime minister's resignation after Armenia's defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. On July 20, Pashinyan demanded the prelate's ouster again. "Karekin II has not yet left the patriarchate, thereby desecrating the sanctuary of our holiness," he wrote on Facebook. In his message, the prime minister called on his supporters to stage a mass demonstration outside the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, where the Catholicos resides, on the outskirts of Yerevan, to "liberate the patriarchate from him. We will do it together. Be ready," he said, without specifying a date. Since then, speculation has been rife about when he would act. Alleged coup d'état At the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the prime minister's threats deeply angered worshipers, who were shocked to see him attack the church. Armenian identity and history are closely intertwined with this religion, which accounts for over 80% of the country's population and more than six million adherents worldwide. "The Catholicos is neither a saint nor a true believer, I admit," said Andranik Machourian, 35, who came to attend a baptism. "But Pashinyan has no right to interfere in church affairs." "He is destroying our values and our identity," said his neighbor. The prime minister was branded a "traitor" and a "figure of evil." Astvatsatur Amiryan, 55, was categorical: "The priority is to protect our homeland and our land. If he doesn't love this country, we have to get rid of him."
JAMnews
24-07-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
Pashinyan's plan to remove Catholicos
Pashinyan's plan to remove Catholicos Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared his plan to remove Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II from the throne, publishing the proposal on social media. He suggests appointing a locum tenens – an acting head of the Church – adopting a new ecclesiastical charter, and holding elections for a new patriarch. Pashinyan has long argued that the country needs a new spiritual leader. He justifies this by claiming that Garegin II broke his vow of celibacy and has a child. At the same time, the prime minister insists that his actions are not aimed against the Church. According to him, they stem from the need for the 'renewal of the Church, the state and society'. He stresses that he is pursuing this agenda first and foremost as a believer and a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church – and only then as prime minister. 'Our goal cannot be to replace Ktrich Nersisyan [the Catholicos's secular name] with another clergyman who has violated the vow of celibacy. That would be political fraud, not a spiritual renewal agenda,' he wrote. Political analyst Robert Ghevondyan notes that the standoff between the ruling authorities and the Church leadership is not dying down – on the contrary, tensions are rising. The demand to remove the Catholicos has moved beyond a personal dispute and has become 'the epicentre of a political conflict.' Gevondyan shared his views on how events might unfold and what kind of outcome can be expected. Pashinyan proposes appointing a 'married, upstanding priest' as acting Catholicos According to the prime minister, a locum tenens (acting head of the Church) should not be eligible to stand for the position of Catholicos. In addition, before the election of a new patriarch, the Church's charter must be updated. He emphasises that the revised version should be written in modern Armenian so that every citizen can understand the legal code: 'After the charter is approved, the election of the Catholicos of All Armenians must take place. And during the election, the moral integrity of all candidates must be verified.' Pashinyan did not specify how candidates' moral integrity would be assessed. He only noted that both the vetting process and the election procedures should be set out clearly in the new charter: 'And it must be adopted by the National Ecclesiastical Council or an equivalent body.' The National Ecclesiastical Council is the Church's highest governing body. It is convened by the Catholicos of All Armenians. The National Ecclesiastical Council is the Church's highest governing body. It is convened by the Catholicos of all Armenians. 'The renewal agenda does not imply theocracy in any way' Prime Minister Pashinyan confirmed that he will personally lead the movement titled 'Sanctuary for the Holiest!'. He reminded the public that he had previously outlined the criteria a leader of the movement must meet and assured that he himself fulfils them, stating that he is 'baptised, prays daily, believes in Jesus, and has read the Bible from beginning to end.' 'The renewal agenda does not in any way imply a theocracy. It will not and cannot restrict the rights or freedoms of any citizen. But through it, society must send a clear message that it has the right to demand full accountability from its state, church, and political leaders — both in their personal and public lives. Anyone uncertain about this should not aspire to spiritual or political leadership,' the prime minister declared. When the appointment of a locum tenens is permitted According to the current Church charter, a married priest cannot be appointed as locum tenens (acting Catholicos). Furthermore, the charter only allows such an appointment under two circumstances: if the Catholicos voluntarily abdicates, or in the event of the Catholicos's death. Notably, the clergy had already expressed their support for the Catholicos before Pashinyan made his plan public. 'We express our filial support to Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II in these troubled times, so that, as a kind and courageous shepherd, with God-given wisdom, composure, and a vigilant spirit, he may continue to lead the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and all our faithful people towards peaceful and secure havens,' the statement reads. 'Great spiritual gathering in Etchmiadzin': date and time unknown A few days ago, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on citizens to prepare for a 'great spiritual gathering on the central square of Etchmiadzin.' While the location of the event is known, no official date has been announced. There is speculation that it may be planned for Sunday, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ. Former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan has urged Pashinyan to cancel the event, warning that the prime minister will bear 'responsibility for any potential clashes or bloodshed.' The clergy, in turn, have appealed to the country's competent authorities to 'halt Pashinyan's announced encroachment on the Church,' and called on citizens 'not to fall for the authorities' provocations': 'Holy Etchmiadzin condemns this attempt to provoke violence and assault. It is a blatant interference in the life and self-governance of the Armenian Church. We call on the ruling political force to end its anti-Church, unlawful campaign and to focus instead on overcoming the serious challenges facing the country,' the statement reads. Commentary by political analyst Robert Ghevondyan 'It is evident that both sides have passed the point where a mutually acceptable solution could be reached by fully maintaining their positions. Victory for one will now mean defeat for the other. The Armenian authorities hold the stronger position, as they are legitimate and possess the legal instruments of force. Therefore, the removal of the Catholicos and new elections within the Church appear more likely than the removal of the prime minister ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. However, scenarios for removing the Catholicos vary, and each could lead to more or less problematic consequences. The history of the Armenian Apostolic Church contains precedents for the removal of a sitting Catholicos. For example, Catholicos Vahan I Syuni, ordained in 968, was deposed just one year later in 969 and replaced by Catholicos Stepanos III of Sevan. A few decades later, Catholicos Sargis I of Sevan, ordained in 992, voluntarily abdicated in 1019 and himself ordained his successor, Catholicos Petros I Getadardz. In 1418, Catholicos Grigor VIII Khndzoghat, who held the throne in Sis, was deposed and replaced by Catholicos Poghos II of Garni. Catholicos Grigor IX Musabekyants, ordained in Sis in 1439, refused to travel to Vagharshapat to assume the throne, leading to the ordination of Catholicos Kirakos I of Virap, who was later deposed in 1443 and succeeded by Grigor X Jalalbegyants. As we can see, there have been cases in the Armenian Apostolic Church when a new Catholicos was ordained while the previous one was still alive. Given this, one way to resolve the current tensions could be the voluntary abdication of the Catholicos or his removal by the clergy. It could be argued that this would be the most constructive outcome. However, for such a development to take place, the Church leadership — including Garegin II — must recognise the fundamental importance of Armenia's statehood. The worst-case scenario would be the use of force by the authorities if sufficient grounds emerge to suspect the Catholicos of illegal activity. In such a case, the societal split could lead to unpredictable consequences. Another possible scenario is a public expression of discontent with Garegin II's leadership by the faithful. This could take the form of a large protest in Etchmiadzin. However, such a demonstration may prove ineffective in resolving the issue, as the clergy might simply ignore the demands of the crowd. Furthermore, as tensions escalate, some opposition figures — seeking to benefit politically — may attempt to rally citizens with opposing views and organise counter-protests.' 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OC Media
22-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Pashinyan remains most trusted politician in Armenia — at only 13% approval
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Amidst the crisis between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, a new survey commissioned by the International Republican Institute (IRI) has found that Armenians are largely satisfied with the church. In addition, while Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was the most trusted politician in Armenia, his popularity, as well as that of his Civil Contract party, has declined. The data was collected via telephone administered interviews with 1,505 Armenian residents and Nagorno-Karabakh refugees from 16–26 June. The results of the survey were published on Monday. According to the results, Pashinyan was the most trusted politician in Armenia, with 13% of respondents expressing confidence in him. He was followed by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, with 5%, and opposition leader and former President Robert Kocharyan with 4%. Notably, 61% of respondents said they did not trust any political figure. Support for Pashinyan and his Civil Contract party declined to 17%, down from 20% in both 2023 and 2024. In contrast, the rating of Kocharyan's Armenia Alliance faction doubled, rising from 2% to 4%. Amidst the crisis between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has escalated since late May, survey data showed that the church was the institution with the second-most level of approval in Armenia, with 58% of respondents expressing satisfaction with its work. Respondents were most satisfied with the Armenian Armed Forces, which received an approval of 72%. Meanwhile, only 38% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the Prime Minister's office, a continued decline from over 80% in the aftermath of the 2018 Velvet Revolution. Advertisement The courts were the only public institution where the public have consistently been dissatisfied since August 2018 — according to the latest data, 52% of respondents were dissatisfied, while only 31% were satisfied. Despite criticism and protests against the government's handling of social assistance, 55% of respondents said they were satisfied with the Armenian government's support programmes for displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, while 36% expressed dissatisfaction. In addition, the IRI survey noted that they 'found signs of increasing political disengagement among young Armenians, with 37% of youth (age 18 to 35) responding that they would not vote if national parliamentary elections were held next Sunday'. The report quoted Stephen Nix, Senior Director for Europe and Eurasia at IRI, as saying that the Armenian government 'should undertake serious efforts to involve Armenian youth in the political and electoral processes'. Russia is still seen as a political threat Despite the apparent favourable turn in Armenia–Russia relations, following a freefall that started after lack of support in light of the Azerbaijani attack towards Armenia in 2021 and 2022, Armenians still view Russia as a political threat, behind just Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel. When asked about the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, 47% of respondents supported such a move while 40% opposed it. Those against the signing of a peace deal mentioned security issues, risks of war, the cession of territories to Azerbaijan, a lack of trust, and that the terms of the agreement are dictated only by Azerbaijan as the main disadvantages to such an agreement. Separately, Armenia's prospective membership in the EU enjoys broad support, with 49% of respondents saying they would vote in favour and only 15% opposed. Among those who expressed support for Armenia's accession to the EU, the main perceived benefits were strengthening the country's security, stability, and economy, and developing the country. In contrast, opponents of EU membership cited several concerns, including the deterioration of traditional Armenian family values, problems related to preserving national identity, the emergence of security problems, a negative impact on the economy, and risks of 'angering' Russia. Indeed, national security and border issues were considered to be the main problem that Armenia currently faces, with 44% expressing such a standpoint. Unemployment was the next biggest issue, receiving 14%, while political instability — 12% — was the third largest problem.
