I prefer to be alone, but next to someone… These are the words that first caught my attention while I was browsing for new, must-read books in a Yerevan bookstore. They were the words of the celebrated Soviet writer, Sergey Dovlatov. I briefly looked through some of his books and definitely decided to buy them.…
One of the most fascinating cities in Armenia is the town of Meghri. Situated on the Iranian frontier 230 miles away from Yerevan, in the southern extremity of Armenia’s historic Syunik province, Meghri is a town of 4,600 people. It can take several hours to reach Meghri, at least six if traveling by taxi and…
Many of you know the all-too-famous statue of Lenin that used to adorn Republic Square (previously Lenin Square) in Yerevan. It stood ad locutio in the southwestern corner of the square from 1940 to 1991, when it was ceremoniously removed from its pedestal and deposited, along with its era, in the History Museum of Armenia. Legend has…
…here are two articles from the New York Times archives on architecture in Georgia. In one, written in 2013, the author asks whether Tbilisi’s new skyline (along with the modern marvels cropping up in Kutaisi and beyond) are “slapdash commercialism ruining the culture’s authentic history or a step toward a more progressive society.” In his…
by Sergey Sargsyan There is theory that the nations that have gone through relatively harder times like genocide and exile have shaped a deeper sense of humor in response to their tragedy. This is often applied to Jews and Armenians as the two nations with a history of much pain. I think that this theory…
– How did you find out that you are a good man? – Good man? Others told me and I quickly agreed! The 29th of April is the birthday of Valentin Podpomogov, an art director, painter, actor, operator and honored artist of the Armenian SSR. Recently there was a memorable evening devoted to Podpomogov’s 90th…
The culture of Soviet Armenia and the Soviet Caucasus was more than just a culture of film, literature, posters, and agitprop. It was also a culture of sound and music. The renown Aram Khachaturyan was Soviet Armenia’s most famous composer, sharing the position as one of the USSR’s top composers alongside Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri…
From all of us here at the Abovyan Group, merry Christmas and happy holidays! It should be noted that Armenian Christmas is typically celebrated on January 6, though New Year’s is generally a bigger deal in Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and much of the former USSR. An annual viewing of the 1976 Soviet comedy film Ирония…
During Soviet times, the cinema industries of Georgia and Armenia proved to be veritable powerhouses not only within the USSR but internationally as well. Great filmmakers such as Tengiz Abuladze, Sergei Parajanov, Artavazd Peleshyan, and Otar Iosseliani and performers like Sofiko Chiaureli and Frunzik Mkrtchyan effectively put the Caucasus on the map as a major…
The Hoover Institution at Stanford University, founded in 1959 on Herbert Hoover’s ideas on American government and enterprise, is a remarkable resource for giddy scholars everywhere. Besides enabling research in the social sciences, the Institution also has a rich archive, the gem of which (to me!) is a collection of more than one hundred thousand…
The Abovyan Group (Աբովյան խումբ) 