WAR AND MEMORY: THE PROBLEM OF MEMORIALIZATION OF THE 44-DAY WAR
IAE Publication, Yerevan, 2024, 168 p.
This research analyzes the processes of official and public remembrance of the 44-day war, by observing memorialization and commemoration practices initiated by state and other mnemonic actors. The research is based on fieldwork over a three-year period (2022–2024), primarily in the borderland regions of Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayots dzor, Ararat and Syunik.
The book illustrates official war commemoration practices that are reproducing ceremonial practices of post-Soviet period, while at the same time exposing some unique characteristics of informal commemoration practices formed around individual memorials. Being placed in public areas, war memorials have become an important part of the daily life of the community, around which new customs, community traditions and rituals continue to be formed. The highlight of this research is the study of virtual commemorating practices of the war, which distinguishes the commemoration of the 44-day war from previous Artsakh wars and illustrates new mourning practices, rituals and public perception. Social media platforms have changed the landscape of grief by encouraging mourners to create online shrines and share information about the fallen soldiers, and make their memorials more accessible to the general public.
