By: Avetis Harutyunyan PhD of History, Professor at the ASPU Chair of Armenian History, avharutunyan@mail.ru

The article discusses the traditional statement of Turkish official historiography according to which the self-defense struggle of Western Armenians and especially the heroic battle of April 1915 in Van, as “rebellion”, i.e. a treason of Armenians, that was one of the main motives for the implementation of the Armenian Genocide. Based upon numerous primary sources, the author concludes that contrary to the Turkish government’s official self-justification attempt, the struggle of Van Armenians for existence started only when the Turks had already started their extermination policy and began to massacre all Armenians of Van province. Armenians resorted to arms only to defend themselves against the Turkish perception that any kind of organized rebellion against the ruling order was synonymous with rebellion against the state.

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By: Edgar Hovhannisyan Dean of the Faculty of History and Social Science of ASPU, PhD, Associate Professor, hovhannisyanedgar@yahoo.com

Nerses Ashtaraketsi has played an important role in the social, spiritual, cultural life of the Armenians of the first half of the 19th century. As a clergyman and Catholicos of All Armenians (1843-1857), he has focused on education issues. At the latter’s initiative and direct participation, in 1824, the famous Nersisyan School was founded in Tiflis. During the 100 years of its activities, it played a significant role in the life of Armenians. Every educational institution needs both qualified pedagogical staff and a favorable educational environment to carry out effective activities. Nerses Ashtaraketsi and later the representatives of the school’s trusteeship did everything in that direction, providing an educational environment that meets the requirements of the time. The school was located in three main buildings. The first building was built at the direct initiative of Nerses Ashtaraketsi and in 1824 school operated directly in that building. The building was one of the most beautiful ones in Tiflis and was not inferior to similar European educational institutions of the time. In 1854 a new building was bought for the Nersisyan School, the building of the post office near the Alexandrian Park in Tiflis. In 1859-1912 the school mainly operated in that building. Some classes were also held in buildings located in different districts of Tiflis. The last building of Nersisyan School was built in 1909-1912 with the funding, allocated by a philanthropist Alexander Mantashyan. Built in an exclusively Armenian architectural style, the building was unique in its kind. It completely corresponded to modern educational institutions providing quality education. The article discusses the history of the creation of Nersisyan school’s buildings and the conditions of education.

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By: Gegham Hovhannisyan Senior researcher at the Institute of History, NAS RA PhD in Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, gegham.hovhannisian@mail.ru

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, during the rise of the national liberation movement of the Armenian people, the restoration of national statehood became one of the priority issues of the Armenian social and political thought. There were fundamental conditions for this. During the First World War, the overthrow of the Russian autocracy and the collapse of the empire, the defeat of Ottoman Turkey and the creation of the First Republic of Armenia made possible to restore the lost Armenian statehood in the territory of historical Armenia and the solution of the Armenian Question more realistic. In that period, each of the Armenian national-political circles had its own point of view regarding the political orientation of the Armenian people, the structure, character, and territory of the national state.
The article presents the Hunchakyan party’s approach to the issue. The influence of the international-political events of the time on the fate of the Armenian people and the evolution of the Hunchakyans’ views on the issues of Armenian statehood are presented. The above-mentioned was most completely and consistently expressed in the “Young Armenia” periodical, the press organ of the American branch of the Social Democratic Hunchakyan Party (hereafter SDHP). In the context of the problem, the issues related to the mandate of Armenia, the policies adopted by Azerbaijan and Georgia towards the First Republic of Armenia, threats to Armenian statehood are discussed. Chronologically, the article covers the period between 1918 and 1921. In order to avoid the political mistakes made in the recent period of our history, to get rid of romantic delusions, and at the same time, in terms of developing the right strategy for the development of national statehood, the article can have a scientific-cognitive and guiding significance. The relevance of the topic lies in the fact that Armenian statehood faced challenges that have many similarities with the political problems of more than a century ago.

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By: Chake Menkechian (Mangassarian) PhD student in the Faculty of Armenian History Yerevan State University, Republic of Armenia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates, radioayk@gmail.com, ORCID 0009-0001-5663-2985

This article delves into the multifaceted challenges confronting the preservation of Armenian identity within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It investigates the pivotal role of community organizations and initiatives dedicated to safeguarding Armenian cultural heritage, while also addressing the complexities posed by the increasing prevalence of mixed marriages. Furthermore, the article scrutinizes the contributions of cultural, educational, and religious institutions in upholding Armenian identity, alongside the operational hurdles encountered by Armenian schools. Moreover, this research offers valuable insights into the formidable task of identity preservation and community cohesion confronting the Armenian diaspora in the UAE. By examining the extent to which Armenians in the UAE are assimilating, integrating, or experiencing segregation, this study aims to delineate potential areas for intervention and support to ensure the enduring vibrancy of the Armenian community.

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By: Styopa Petoyan Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of RA, Candidate of Historical Sciences st.petoyan@gmail.com

In March 4, 1882 in Shushi was opened the local branch of the Caucasian Armenian Charitable Society (henceforth, CACS) aimed at the development of educational and cultural activities of population. The productive functioning of the Society lasted until 1899-1900 when the library-reading room at Shushi was closed. The library-reading room played a significant role in the activities of the Shushi branch of the Caucasian Armenian Charitable Society, which made the Armenian society a communicator not only of Armenian but also of world literature. Owing to periodicals, the reading room was one of the main sources of information for the local society. The library-reading room, in the short period of its activity (March 10, 1889 - January 1, 1900) managed to become the most important educational and cultural center of Shushi.

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By: Ruben Sahakyan Doctor in History, Senior researcher at the Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, rubensahakyan58@gmail.com

The fact that Ottoman Empire was in a hostile group in the World War I raised hopes among almost all Armenians that the Entente powers would defeat the enemy and Western Armenia would eventually gain autonomy under Russian patronage. The issue of Armenian reforms reopened by the Russian government on the eve of the war inspired such hope. The Russian side promised to make reforms, even give autonomy to Western Armenia, if the Armenians organize volunteer militia units. That was the main reason why the Armenians quickly responded to the call of the Russian official authorities to organize volunteer groups. It is evident that there were people in the Armenian national parties, political, religious and social circles who were categorically against the Armenian volunteer movement.

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By: Vanik Virabyan Doctor in History, Professor Kh. Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University, vanik.virabyan@mail.ru
Hrant Virabyan Faculty of History and Social Sciences, Bachelor Kh. Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University, hrant-virabyan@bk.ru

Armenia has always been in the domain of the geopolitical interests of Turkey and Russia (Tsarist and Bolshevik). Both tried to make an influence on the geopolitical situation in the Republic of Armenia, being constantly informed about the ongoing processes through their secret services. The destructive espionage-conspiratorial activities of Turkish-Muslim spies, in general, Turkey, in the Republic of Armenia, mainly refer to the period between 1914 and 1920. A small part of far-sighted and moderate Bolsheviks soon realized that Turkey has not changed and there is nothing Bolshevik-revolutionary about them, that Kemalist Turkey is just the worthy heir of the Young Turks, which is engaged in the continuation of pan-Turkic plans. One of the best examples of this is the espionage activities carried out by Turkey in 1918-1920. And this time their goal was to destroy Soviet Armenia, continuing the destructive actions undertaken since the declaration of the First Republic, involving Azerbaijani spies as well. Most of the Armenian Bolsheviks did not understand this and believed that Kemalist Turkey was an ally of Soviet Russia and a stronghold for the spread of communism in the countries of the East, which had allegedly declared war on international imperialism, which had wrapped the Treaty of Sèvres around Turkey’s neck, against which allegedly “the Turkish worker had rebelled.” It was, of course, the greatest fraud and deception, which in practice benefited both Kemalist Turkey and Bolshevik Russia.

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By: Davit Gasparyan Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Institute of History, NAS of the RA, grakanagetgasparyan@mail.ru
Gurgen Vardanyan Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Institute of History, NAS of the RA, gugvard57@gmail.com

The article presents the literary life in the First Republic of Armenia. It was preceded by the Armenian Genocide carried out by Ottoman Turkey in 1915, as a result of which we lost the golden generation of Western Armenian literature: Grigor Zohrap, Ruben Zardaryan, Daniel Varuzhan, Siamanto, Ruben Sevak and others. Abroad, during this period, great Eastern Armenian writers continued to write: Hovh. Tumanyan, Av. Isahakyan, A. Shirvanzade, Nar-Dos, V. Teryan and others, who sought to contribute to the revival of the motherland. Literary figures in Armenia were taking steps to regulate the literary life of the republic. In turn, the leadership of the First Republic paid serious attention to the publication of works by Armenian authors.

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By: Arusyak Shirinyan PhD student and lecturer, Yerevan State University, arusyak.shirinyan@ysu.am

The article examines the relationships between the studies on time and eternity in ancient philosophy and some prayers of the liturgical texts of the Eucharistic Canon of the AAC. Liturgical texts, such as church hymns, prayers and mainly the texts of the anaphora, reflect not only theological but also philosophical views, especially in the issue of perception and development of understanding of historical time in the medieval era. The philosophy of postmodernism, tracing its genesis to antiquity, for a long time ignored liturgical texts as an object for philosophical research, thereby determining their place on the periphery. As a rule, these texts are studied within the framework of linguistics and archaeography, and are also partly used as a historical source.   The partial exclusion of liturgical prayers from Western philosophical discourse is associated with such historical phenomena as early Renaissance humanism, the Protestant Reformation and the history of early modern literature. Thus, the basis of the modern selective approach to philosophical texts is a stable position regarding the forms of knowledge traditionally considered philosophical.  Nevertheless, a philosophical analysis of a sacred text is possible, in particular in the systemically presented process of transformation of the perception of cyclical time into linear and in the formation of the concept of eschatological orientation.

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By: Nelli Zhamkochyan Postgraduate student, Yerevan State University, nelli.zhamkochyan.92@mail.ru

This study thoroughly discusses the relations between the State and the Church during the period of the ruler of Cilicia, Ruben III (1175-1187). The research highlights Armenian-Byzantine ecclesiastical relations, focusing on the recent efforts made by Byzantium in unifying the churches, as well as the circumstances of the famous Hromkla (modern Rumkale) Church Council. Different views on the date of convening the assembly are examined, as well as the established decisions. The article introduces the Armenian-Catholic church-political relations and procedure, and presents the demands of the Roman Catholic Church to the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. It focuses on the details of the cooperation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Armenian state of Cilicia on these important issues. In the framework of this study, the issues around the Armenian Churches in the Armenian Community of Egypt are presented. Are given details about the joint efforts of the Armenian Government and the Church of Cilicia in the process of preserving the Churches. In the article we have presented the circumstances of how the Ayyubid Sultan Salah ad-Din had tried to take the Armenian Churches of Egypt from the Armenians and give them to the Copts, but as a result of the joint efforts and discussions of the Armenian leadership and the Catholicosate of Rumkale, it was possible to return them to their rightful owner.

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By: Vahan Melikyan Doctor of History, Professor Leading researcher of the Institute of History of NAS RA, Doctor in History,  v_melikyan@mail.ru

In the conditions of the ongoing First World War and the realities of the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia, and especially in the wake of the Armenian Genocide, along with the difficult living conditions of the Armenian emigrants seeking refuge in Persia, the Armenians of Persia continued to remain faithful to the traditions of educational, enlightening and cultural life. Armenian schools, public organizations, libraries and reading rooms continued to operate in Armenian-populated cities and villages, and even theatrical tours were held.
This is evidenced by the small number of materials from the National Archives of Armenia and the periodical press of the time.

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By: Anushavan Zakaryan Doctor in Philology, Editor-in-Chief of the Historical and Philological Journal, patmhandes@rambler.ru

For the elucidation and evaluation of different aspects of the Armenian reality, revealing new facts and details of the second half of the 1910s are invaluable journalistic articles of Sergey Gorodetski (1884–1967), a prominent Russian poet, writer, public writer, translator, and public figure. Living and working in Transcaucasia, the Russian writer steadily watched the events in Armenia, internal and external situation of the country and steadily voiced the right to struggle and exist of the Armenian people.

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By: Anushavan Zakaryan Doctor in Philology, Editor-in-Chief of the Historical and Philological Journal, patmhandes@rambler.ru
Styopa Petoyan Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of RA, Candidate of Historical Sciences st.petoyan@gmail.com

Distinguished specialist in the field of Armenian Studies, head of the Department of Armenian Periodical Press and History of Socio-Political Thought of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, senior researcher, editor-in-chief of the International Scientific Journal “Bulletin of Armenian Studies” of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, doctor in history, professor, correspondent member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Albert A. Kharatyan is 85 years old.
A. Kharatyan was born in 1939 in Yerevan. In 1959-1964 he studied at the Faculty of Philology of Yerevan State University, specializing in the history of Western Armenian literature.

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By: Ruben Davtyan

Brepols, 2024, xxvi + 358 p., Ill.:333 b/w, 77 col., 3 tables b/w., 8 tables col., 6 maps color

The site of Lori Berd, located in northern Armenia, is home to an extraordinary necropolis that once housed the dead of the local elite during a period that spanned from 2200 to 400 BC. Influenced both by Urartian conquests from the south and by invasions from the Eurasian nomadic tribes from the north, the people of this region buried their dead with prestigious artefacts, complex customs, and a particular reverence shown during the later stages of the Early and Middle Iron Ages (1000–550 BC). This volume offers a detailed account of the archaeological significance of the site, providing detailed accounts of thirty-one tombs, the majority of which have never before been comprehensively published, and seeking to set Lori Berd in its broader historical and material context. Through this approach, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of the Iron Age in the South Caucasus, unravelling the interconnected themes of wealth, power, and cultural expressions.

By: Raffi Kortoshian

Yerevan, Research on Armenian Architecture Foundation 2024, 488 p.

The work presents the inscriptions of Armenian churches and cemeteries in the once Armenian-populated cities of India. It is addressed to specialists and the general public interested in the history and culture of the Armenian people, particularly the Armenian diaspora. The publication is dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of India, as well as the 30th anniversary of Armenia’s permanent diplomatic presence in India.

By: Oscar López Goldaracena

Antelias, The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia Printing House, 2024, 190 p.

This volume sheds light on the international legal frameworks that denounce cultural genocide and outlines the legal recourses available for addressing this matter. Recently, the discourse surrounding cultural genocide has garnered considerable attention, particularly in light of Azerbaijan’s persistent policy aimed at annihilating and distorting the spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh.

By: Hakem Amer Al-Rustom

New York, Columbia University Press, April 2025, 280 p.

During World War I, the Ottoman Armenian population was subjected to genocidal violence. The survivors largely fled Anatolia, forming diasporic communities around the world. Some Armenians, however, remained in what became the Republic of Turkey, and descendants of survivors still live there today as citizens of the state that once sought their annihilation. Despite their continued presence, Armenians in Turkey face ongoing exclusion and erasure from public life and collective memory. Enduring Erasures is a historical ethnography of survival in the aftermath of catastrophe, examining how the specter of genocide still looms over the lives of the survivors’ descendants and the social fabric of Turkey. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Istanbul and Paris, Hakem Amer Al-Rustom offers a nuanced account of the daily existence of Armenians in Turkey and the broader Armenian experience in the diaspora. He develops the concept of “denativization” to analyze how Armenians were rendered into foreigners in their ancestral lands before, during, and after the genocide, showing how the erasure of Armenian presence and identity continues to this day both in Turkey and among the diaspora in France. Interdisciplinary and meticulously researched, Enduring Erasures challenges deeply ingrained nationalist histories and provides a powerful testament to the indelible mark that dispossession has left on Armenian lives. Emphasizing the human stories and personal narratives that anchor its historical analysis, this book is an essential read for those interested in the intersections of memory, identity, and political violence.

By: Giustina Selvelli

Berlin, Peter Lang Verlag, 2024, 184 p.

This book examines the processes of symbolic cultivation of identity promoted by Armenian cultural elites in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, focusing on the transmission of positive language ideologies and emotional elements related to collective memory. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and a range of primary materials, this work sheds light on the role of the Armenian alphabet in legitimizing collective visions of ‘distinctiveness’ and of the Armenian Genocide remembrance in shaping non-exclusive, transnational patterns of belonging. While contributing to the study of the complex dynamics and challenges of ‘Armenian survival’ across space and time, it situates the issue in the unique context of Bulgaria, analyzing, moreover, the impact of proximity to Turkey.

By: Boris Adjemian

Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024, 304 p.

In 1924, the crown prince and future emperor of Ethiopia, Ras Täfäri, on a visit to Jerusalem, called on forty Armenian orphans who had survived the genocide of 1915-1916 to form his empire’s royal brass band. The conductor, who was also Armenian, composed the first official anthem of the Ethiopian state. Drawing on this highly symbolic event, and following the history of the small Armenian community in Ethiopia, in this book Boris Adjemian shows how it operated on the margins of political society, hiding in its interstices, preferring intimacy and discreet loyalty to the glitter of open politics. The astonishing role of the Armenians in their host country was embodied in the friendship that the kings and queens of Ethiopia extended to them, a theme that is echoed in the life stories collected from their descendants. Bringing to light the political and cultural importance of a community that has long been ignored and has almost vanished, this study draws on the collective memory of Armenian immigration and the centuries-long history of proximity between the Armenian and Ethiopian Churches. The author argues for a sedentary approach to the diaspora, for a socio-history of this collective rootedness, which dates back to the 19th century and builds on historical representations of otherness from the early modern period up to the colonial era. Highlighting stateless immigrants halfway between the national and the foreign, this history reveals the agency of stateless immigrants and their descendants, their ability to play with identities and undermine assigned belongings. The Brass Band of the King is an original exploration of the social making of nationhood and foreignness in Africa and elsewhere.

By: Lusine Sahakyan
Ani Voskanyan
Ani Sargsyan

The book for the first time provides a detailed description of the documents in the first box of the archive, which has been preserved since 1938 at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This archive, created under the patronage of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Zaven Ter-Yeghiyan, between 1919-1922, consists of 11 boxes in total. The book includes a description of 635 documents (2038 pages) in Armenian, Ottoman Turkish, French, English, German, and Russian, with corresponding annotations. This exceptional archive holds unique scholarly value and significance. It offers detailed insights into the development of the Armenian Question and the study of the Armenian Genocide between 1912 and 1922. The archive contains numerous reports, memoranda, letters, eyewitness testimonies, and diaries from both Armenian and foreign political, social, and religious figures, as well as diplomats. The materials include statistical lists of the Armenian population in Western Armenia, Cilicia, and other Armenian-inhabited areas of the Ottoman Empire, including orphans, forcibly Islamized or abducted Armenians, and their material losses both before and after World War I. The archive also contains letters sent from diocesan offices to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Ottoman decrees for the extermination of Armenians, lists of Young Turk criminals.

By: Gor Yeranyan

Yerevan, Matenadaran, 2024, 400 p.

The book explores the history of Kurdish-speaking Armenians in the provinces of Bitlis and Diyarbakir (Tigranakert) up until the Armenian Genocide. The history of Kurdish-speaking Armenians is examined within the context of both the Ottoman Empire and Western Armenian reality. For the first time, the areas of settlement of Kurdish-speaking Armenians are presented region by region. The book also addresses issues related to the identity of Kurdish-speaking Armenians, perceptions of them by Armenian-speaking communities and foreigners, the interplay of language and ethnicity, and the place of Kurdish-speaking Armenians within the framework of Armenian identity. A particular focus is given to initiatives aimed at teaching Armenian to Kurdish-speaking Armenians, exploring their motivations, achievements, and related historical issues. The final section of the monograph includes a bibliographic list of Armenian-script Kurdish books published for Kurdish-speaking Armenians.

By: Gevorg Ghukasyan

Yerevan, 2024, 200 p.

The purpose of the study is to uncover the transnational political role of ethnic lobbying in contemporary political processes, assess the structural-functional capacities and operational characteristics of the Armenian lobby in Europe, identify lobbying entities, and analyze their scope of influence and potential role in Armenia-EU relations. The study evaluates the role of the ethnic lobbying institution in the process of political modernization. Additionally, the research examines the potential of ethnic lobbying as a form of “soft power,” explores its manifestations in the context of multicultural value systems, and systematically analyzes the interaction and interdependence within the “homeland-diaspora-host state” triad. The study identifies Armenian diaspora lobbying structures in Europe, their main areas of activity, and toolkit, while revealing the EU’s political stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The analysis also addresses intra-European perceptions of ethnic lobbying and the institutional and legal opportunities for lobbying, including ethnic lobbying, within the EU. This monograph is intended for political scientists, historians, Armenologists, policymakers, lecturers and students of higher education institutions in Armenia, as well as the wider reading public.

By: Husik Melkonyan

Yerevan, Publishing House of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, 2024, 184 p.

This study presents the history and architectural monuments of Tsaghats Kar Monastic Complex, one of the prominent medieval spiritual and cultural centers. The book includes lapidary inscriptions, monumental artifacts, and archaeological findings uncovered during excavations in the monastery’s vicinity.

By: Gayane Hakobyan

Yerevan, Publishing House IAE, 2024, 232 p.

The monograph is dedicated to studying the key issues of the socio-cultural adaptation of Syrian Armenians who relocated to Armenia as a result of the war that began in Syria in 2011. The book addresses the formation and development of the Armenian community in Syria, as well as their repatriation to Soviet Armenia. Based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted by the author between 2012 and 2018, it analyzes the social, economic, and employment challenges faced by Syrian Armenians in Armenia. It identifies factors influencing migration behavior and explores the specifics of their civic participation and educational integration. The book delves into their cultural adaptation, including marital and wedding traditions, religious and festive practices, linguistic behavior transformations, communication culture, daily life, and recreational activities. This publication may interest specialists in the humanities and Armenian studies, policymakers involved in immigration and repatriation, and a broader readership.