The official name of Armenia. History of Armenia. Eurasia International University

Most of the iconic sights of Armenia can be divided into the following groups:

cultural objects;
monuments of ancient architecture;
natural objects (resorts, wildlife sanctuaries, picturesque places).

It is better to get acquainted with the past of the country and look for the roots of the national mentality in the capital's museums. For example, in the Museum of History on Argishti Street, where the most ancient archaeological finds of Armenia are collected. Only here you will find an ax that is 100,000 years old and, thanks to miniature models, get an idea of appearance ancient Yerevan.

On Mesrop Mashtots Avenue there is another interesting institution - Matenadaran. The funds of the repository of ancient manuscripts and early printed books include about 17,000 valuable manuscripts and more than 100,000 important historical documents.

If there is time left, you can drop by the Sergei Parajanov Museum on Dzogaryukh Street. By the way, the museum was opened by a close friend of the famous director. It is not a sin to look into the National Art Gallery, where, in addition to ancient frescoes, miniatures and samples of modern Armenian visual arts, you can see the canvases of the legendary marine painter Aivazovsky.

A tour of the Armenian Genocide Museum leaves a depressing impression. The interior of the object goes underground, symbolizing the entrance to the afterlife. It is never empty here, but the silence in the museum is piercing: it is not customary to speak loudly here so as not to offend the memory of brutally tortured compatriots.

A diametrically opposite atmosphere reigns in the Megeryan Museum, located on Madoyan Street. Once in this realm of carpets and tapestries, it is impossible to resist exclamations of admiration. Invest in a full tour that will walk you through the basic steps involved in making these beautiful pieces.

Armenia is a state that was one of the first to adopt Christianity, so if you are drawn to wandering around holy places, consider that you are in right place. In the vicinity of Alaverdi, there are two very interesting sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries. Built in the 10th century, these massive stone buildings have withstood more than one earthquake.

Be sure to visit the singing fountains in Republic Square. Transparent water jets rise and fall to mesmerizing classical, pop and rock compositions, forming whimsical cascades. Each performance is accompanied by a light installation (at night) and ends with the legendary hit of Charles Aznavour "Eternal Love".

There are only two outstanding monuments that can be considered symbols of the Armenian capital in Yerevan: the “Mother Armenia” monument, depicting a stern woman with a sword at the ready, and the sculpture of David Sasuntsi, the hero of the folk epic, the invincible hero. The latter enjoys universal love and for a long time was the official emblem of the "Armenfilm" film studio. If the traditional monuments seem too regular and boring, you can return to the Cascade and stare at the avant-garde creation of Jaume Plensa - "The Man of Letters". It is not difficult to visually determine the location of the monument: groups of tourists with photographic equipment always hang out near it. Right there, at the foot of the main staircase of Yerevan, there are other monuments full of expression. Some of them look a bit outrageous, and this attracts attention.

All sights of Armenia

Traditions and national flavor

The people in Armenia are impulsive, sociable and responsive. Despite the fact that the state language in the country is Armenian, Russian is perfectly understood here, so if you need to clarify the route, you can safely contact the locals. It is possible that not only will they show you a more convenient way, but they will also volunteer to guide you.

Smoking in public places in Armenia is not welcome. And although in most local catering points a lit cigarette is overlooked (as a rule, there are no non-smoking areas in city cafes), a tourist who smokes while driving runs the risk of being fined.

The feeling of national pride is not alien to Armenians. They know how to criticize other Caucasian peoples and stick out their own significance here. But the history of their nation in Armenia is revered sacredly.

And of course, what kind of Armenian would refuse the opportunity to slightly cheat an unlucky tourist. So, when going to local markets, do not hesitate to bargain: moreover, the more emotionally you do it, the more chances you have to win the favor of the seller.

But you should not abuse the sympathies of the locals: if in the capital some liberties are forgiven to a foreign guest, then in the provinces inappropriate actions can ignite an unpleasant conflict. You should be especially careful in church and monastery premises. They do not like idle talk about the Armenian genocide and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, so try not to delve into politics. And of course, in no case do not sunbathe topless on local beaches if you do not want to cause open condemnation of others: Armenia, although it looks towards Europe, continues to be a purely Caucasian state in its soul.

Armenian Cuisine

Nothing offends Armenians more than the identification of their national dishes with Georgian and Azerbaijani counterparts. Here, for example, they quite sincerely believe that dolma is a primordially Armenian invention, which other peoples of Transcaucasia shamelessly borrowed. What is interesting: in addition to the traditional dolma stuffed with meat, onions and spices, in Armenia there is its lean analogue, which is stuffed with peas, beans or lentils. They eat this dish on New Year's Eve.

Khorovats (barbecue) is served here at every step. The main feature of the local recipe is the daily pickling of meat before frying. For vegetarians, an excellent substitute for an animal product will be "summer khorovats" - grilled vegetables (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes). And do not try to arm yourself with a fork, be simpler: a real khorovats is eaten exclusively with the help of hands.

You can dilute the abundance of meat food in the stomach with a rescue - a soup based on the fermented milk product of yogurt with the addition of wheat grains, eggs and greens. Fans of strong and hearty broths should opt for khash, a soup made from beef or pork legs. The dish is symbolic, so if your Armenian acquaintances invited you to khash, you can consider the test for unconditional trust passed. Khash is eaten with crushed garlic, which is spread on crispy pita bread. By the way, about lavash: flat cakes are baked in the tandoor and completely replace bread for Armenians. You can wrap whatever your heart desires in pita bread: barbecue, seasonal vegetables, chopped herbs.

In autumn, the whole of Armenia gorges itself on ghapama, which is a pumpkin stuffed with rice, almonds and dried fruits. For sweets, you can take gata - a hybrid of a bun and a layer cake stuffed with sugar and butter. Each region of the country adheres to its own recipes, so do not be surprised that the Yerevan and Karaklis ghats can differ significantly in taste characteristics.

For the incorrigible sweet tooth, there is sujukh (sharots), which the ignorant often confuse with churchkhela. Sausages made from grape juice stuffed with nut kernels differ from the Georgian version of sweetness in a rich taste of spices and soft texture. Popular types of Armenian delicacies are traditionally nutty and fruity: peaches poured with honey and stuffed with nuts, dried apricots, candied almonds.

As for drinks, there are plenty to choose from. Even ordinary tap water in Armenia is cleaner and tastier than anywhere else. Connoisseurs of strong alcohol should not leave without trying Yerevan cognac, which has been produced here for more than 125 years. Excellent quality and local wine production. It is better to take it in stores, because it is incredibly difficult to run into a fake in them. On occasion, you can knock over a glass of apricot or mulberry vodka.

Tourists who do not like alcoholic drinks should turn their attention towards fermented milk products: tana and matsoni. Tea is not very popular in Armenia, it is everywhere replaced by fragrant strong coffee, which they know a lot about here.

Transport

You can move between regions of the country either by bus or by train. True, you should not claim a high level of comfort: vehicles in Armenia, as a rule, they are battered and not tied to such benefits of civilization as air conditioners. Most of the buses going to big cities(Vanadzor, Gyumri, Sevan), departs from Yerevan Central Station. From here you can also go on an exciting shopping tour in Georgia or Turkey. To get to Ararat, Yeraskhavan and Atashat, you must first get to the Sasuntsi David railway station, from where the above-mentioned routes depart.

The option of traveling by train usually turns out to be more comfortable just because the drivers strictly adhere to the schedule (unlike the drivers of Yerevan buses).

The traditional public transport of the capital is the metro, buses, minibuses and taxis. The first does not cover all areas of the city, so locals prefer to use land transport. By the way, instead of conductors and turnstiles, hand-to-hand payment is still in use here.

If you have arrived in Yerevan for the first time and do not know where to go first, take a taxi, not forgetting to hint to the driver about your own ignorance. In 99 cases out of 100, you will have a fascinating tour of the streets of the capital, interspersed with emotional stories from a taxi driver.

Renting a car in Armenia is not the cheapest pleasure, but if you desperately want to steer, a Russian license is quite suitable here. And do not forget that the notorious Caucasian hospitality does not work in situations on the road. They love to cut, overtake and break all existing rules here. By the way, parking in Yerevan is mostly paid.

Money

Shops in Yerevan accept the only currency, the Armenian dram (AMD). 1 dram is equal to 0.14 rubles.

There are a sufficient number of exchange points in the capital, but if desired, money can also be exchanged with private individuals (shop owners, street vendors). Usually they offer an exchange at a more pleasant rate than a bank. The most unprofitable option for exchanging money is the capital's airport. Large chain stores accept card payments, in addition, in any city in Armenia, you will definitely find an ATM for cashing out funds.

shopping

Tourists who love to bring purchases with an indispensable national flavor from their travels have places to roam in Armenia. Souvenirs and handicrafts are best looked for at Vernissage, an open market. Silver jewelry, folk musical instruments, pottery, stone and wood crafts, handmade carpets - the choice of national attributes here, as in the oriental bazaar from the fairy tales "1000 and one night". It is better to come to Vernissage on weekends, as all tents and stalls are open on these days.

Flea market "Vernissage" in Yerevan

Ladies should raid cosmetics stores in search of products from the local organic brand Nairian. Cosmetics are not cheap, but how can you resist the promising “natural product” labeling?

Be sure to stock up on local delicacies: cheese, honey, coffee (it's an order of magnitude here). better than that, which is sold in our coffee boutiques), sujukh, chocolates produced by the Yerevan Grand Candy confectionery factory. And of course, take a bag of spices and at least a bottle of Armenian cognac with you.

If your passion is national jewelry, feel free to look into the jewelry departments. Prices for jewelry in Armenia are quite reasonable. Leather is also well made here, so you can often find decent leather goods in the markets.

Information for tourists

After the collapse of the USSR, there were no hot water and heating, electricity was given an hour a day, bread was received on cards. People heated their houses with everything they could. Someone even burned clothes and shoes in potbelly stoves. The head of the Antares media holding, Armen Martirosyan, was lucky in this sense. The director of the jewelry factory where he worked rewarded him for good performance: he allowed me to take home old accounting archives.

“To heat one room in the apartment, it was necessary to burn 35–40 kg of paper a day,” he says. - I took two piles and went to the trolleybus stop. At that time, transport was rare. Trolleybuses from behind a large number passengers traveled with open doors. In order not to cause inconvenience to others, I usually hung with papers on the ladder behind the trolley bus. I remember this moment like now. It was the moment of truth. Winter. I hold on to the iron ladder with one hand, papers in the other hand. At that moment, it was all the same - to open one hand or the other, to fall off a trolley bus and die or drop a pile of papers ... The fate of the country has led you to such a dead end that warming the house has become tantamount to survival.

Republic Square, Yerevan, 2016.

25 years have passed since the collapse of the USSR. During this time, Armenia survived darkness, cold, the Karabakh war... The echoes of the 1988 earthquake still make themselves felt to this day - many people who have lost their homes live in makeshift barracks. High unemployment and mass labor migration to Russia, closed borders with neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan… It seems that what else needs to happen for people to lose faith in a brighter future? But the country is developing in spite of everything.

On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union officially collapsed and 15 republics gained independence. In the "" project, the TUT.BY portal will show the special path of each of the countries and tell how people live in the once native abroad.

Border guards check if there is an Azerbaijani stamp in the passport

A direct flight from Minsk to Yerevan was canceled this year. There are several ways to get to Yerevan. One of them is by car from Tbilisi. Distance - 276 km. For some Armenians, this is a kind of side job. A man in his car arrives in Tbilisi in the morning, at the exit from the city, from where minibuses usually leave for Yerevan, waiting for passengers. A ride for one costs just over $15. Almost the same price if you go by minibus.

Let's use this method. Our driver almost does not speak Russian, he does not know English either. But we find a common language and after a few minutes we are already listening to Armenian songs about love in the car. To please the Belarusians, he makes the sound louder and sings along.

At the entrance to the Georgian-Armenian border, a local business has been established on the roadside - they sell Turkish and Georgian washing powder. The driver goes out to buy a package and explains that it is cheaper in Georgia than in Armenia, and the quality is good.

There are no queues at the border. Armenian border guards in khaki-like Soviet uniforms smile and check for Azerbaijani stamps in their passports. What will happen if they are, it is difficult to guess. But their curiosity can be explained by the conflict between the peoples, which did not end after the Karabakh war.

On the way to Yerevan, the weather changes depending on the terrain: it is cold in the mountains, warmer in the lowlands. But everywhere is equally windy. If you get into the sun, you will burn.

Unlike Georgia, the abundance of signs on shops and cafes in Russian and the cleanliness of the streets are striking. Near the road, locals sell greens. Our driver buys several armfuls of "fluffy". He cannot explain what it is, but he says that such fluffy grass is added to the salad, and it is harvested in the fields. Every now and then we see how both women and men do it. And they collect anything: more than 400 types of edible herbs grow in Armenia.

Lavash and flat cakes are baked in a roadside cafe. The soldiers are smoking on the porch, each with a machine gun. Our driver communicates with them, unexpectedly for us it turns out that they are his acquaintances, and he himself is a volunteer. He will bring us to Yerevan and go to the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, where hostilities again took place in April of this year.

Mount Ararat is found in urban graffiti.
A pair of men's shoes in the Yerevan market costs 15,000 drams (slightly over $31).
Almost all buildings in Yerevan are made of tufa. This is a pink stone of volcanic origin.
Monument "Mother Armenia" in Yerevan in honor of the victory Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War.
Pedestrian boulevard in the center of Yerevan.

Yerevan itself is a typical South Caucasian city. There are mostly low-rise buildings, drinking fountains on the streets, the metro has ten stations and trains of only two cars run.

The pedestrian boulevard in the city center resembles the Moscow Arbat. Oddly enough, there are only a few cafes with national dishes in sight. You are more likely to be offered Caesar salad and grilled German sausages than dolma, lamajo with meat filling and shish kebab.

Globalization also comes here at its own pace: there are no McDonalds restaurants in the country. What can I say, cappuccino is not as popular here as strong black sweet Armenian coffee. But cakes and pies are sold at every step.

The first president of independent Armenia is now in opposition to the authorities

2 million 997 thousand people live in Armenia, while about 8-10 million more Armenians live in other countries. On this occasion, Armenians joke that their country is an office. But in recent years, Armenians began to return to their homeland. Since 2008, any ethnic Armenian has the right to obtain citizenship through a simplified procedure. Repatriates are given benefits for the transportation of personal property.

Vartan Marashlyan, co-founder and director of the Repat Armenia Foundation, returned to Yerevan from Moscow in 2010 after living there for nearly 30 years.

— There was a desire to live here. Since childhood, there was a craving: when I flew to Yerevan, these were the happiest days, and when I flew away, the most miserable, he says.

Now the fund helps Armenians to return, provides assistance in finding a job and in developing a business. Approximately 500 people visit them every year. For 3.5 years, the organization has employed more than 270 people from among the repatriates, another 70-80 business projects have started working or received support.

It seems that Vartan knows the secret of success, which can dramatically change the lives of Armenians:

“We survived for a very long time: we were divided by various empires, survived the genocide, after independence we went through a serious war. Now we need to move from the survival format to the development format.

Mount Ararat is such a valuable symbol for Armenians that everyone talks about it. And everyone we meet repeats the same thing:

— You wake up in the morning, you look at Ararat, and it is inaccessible. And this has been going on for 96 years.

Ararat passed from Armenia to Turkey under the Moscow and Kars treaties of 1920-1921. Armenians perceive this fact very painfully.

Armenia lived in the Soviet Union for 70 years. In August 1990, the Supreme Council adopted the "Declaration of Independence of Armenia". In March 1991, the republic refused to participate in a referendum on the preservation of the Union, and in September 1991, the majority of Armenians voted to secede from the USSR. Since that moment, there have been three presidents in Armenia: until 1998 - Levon Ter-Petrosyan, then until 2008 - Robert Kocharyan and now Serzh Sargsyan.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan stood at the origins of Armenia's independence. Now he is in opposition to the current government and, according to local journalists, rarely gives interviews. He also refused us, citing through his press secretary that he was busy.

There are not so many tourists in Yerevan due to the geopolitical issue. But they are. According to locals, guests come from Georgia, Iran, post-Soviet countries.

The border with Turkey is closed. The situation is tense because of the Armenian genocide in 1915-1923. Every year in April, Armenians commemorate this event with an evening procession with candles. The fact of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Empire recognized by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, countries such as France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Canada, Vatican, Australia, Russia, Uruguay, and 44 of the 50 US states.

There are also no contacts with Azerbaijan due to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia also borders on Georgia and Iran. Minibuses go to Iran, to Tbilisi - once every two days a night train, taxis and minibuses.

The Armenians themselves rest inside the country, for example, on Lake Sevan, or travel to Georgia, to Batumi.

Around 21.00, the building of the railway station in Yerevan is already closed. We are met by a security guard and recommends to come tomorrow. You cannot buy train tickets online.

A guy is lying on a bench near the station building. He is a tourist from Bolivia. Travels the world. I wanted to leave today for Tbilisi, but the train will not arrive until tomorrow. At the ticket office, they wrote to him on a piece of paper what time the departure was and how much tickets cost in the reserved seat (10 thousand drams - a little more than $ 21) and compartment (14,500 drams - a little more than 30 dollars).

It is difficult for Christian Armenia to be surrounded by Muslim countries

Life in the Armenian village is different from the city. There, people are more engaged in agriculture, catching fish and crayfish, making homemade wine, getting married earlier and having children. According to the stories of locals, the majority of society condemns divorces in Armenia. In the city, they are treated more liberally, but it cannot be said that they are accepted everywhere.

Sevada Azizyan, 25 years old, lives in the village of Semenovka, 83 km from Yerevan and 8 km from Lake Sevan. He is a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Geography at the university and plans to return to his native village and open a cheese factory after graduation.

— I don’t like the city, I don’t like the noise, but the countryside is calm and clean. Here people have a lot of cows, I will open a factory and make cheese. My brother is working in Russia, but I don’t want to go there,” he says.

Sevada's mother works as a primary school teacher in a rural school. Salary - 60 thousand drams (slightly more than 126 dollars).

- Parents said that it was good in the Soviet Union: people could go on vacation in Sochi, to a sanatorium ... Now we have no money for vacation. But I still would not want to live under the Union and work for the state,” Sevada argues.

Thin Armenian lavash is also eaten with cheese and herbs, such as tarragon.
Armenians are very hospitable people. They gladly invite strangers to the table and treat them with walnut jam, dried fruits, homemade cheese.
Sevada Azizyan, 25, lives in the village of Semenovka near Lake Sevan and Yerevan. He is sure that young families should live in the same house with their parents so that grandparents can raise their children. Only in this way, in his opinion, can a child grow up as a real person.

Religion has a strong influence on people's lives. In Armenia, 94% of the population are Christians of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Today, in contrast to Soviet times, the government supports the church, exempts from taxes.

According to the priest of Noravank church Ter-Saaka, there is no difference between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Armenian.

“The Armenian Church is not subordinate to anyone. This question has been standing since the 4th century. Either the Persians wanted to subdue, or the Greeks did not succeed. We have our own head, the Catholicos, he says. “I don’t know much about theology, and I like it. Those who talk a lot about it know nothing. I like to talk more about how churches are similar to each other. We have one mother - the church, and one father - the Lord God, one savior - Jesus. Dot. The rest for me is the physical education of the language, power, politics ... It depends on how someone interprets it.

Noravank Church was restored in 1999 with the money of an Armenian from Canada. Father Ter-Sahak has been serving here for 11 years.

He says that during the Soviet Union, the authorities treated the church negatively and tolerantly at the same time. Many churches were destroyed, closed, but in place of some they made warehouses for grain in order to save the temple. Children were baptized in secret. The church in Etchmiadzin (the seat of the throne of the Supreme Patriarch of the Catholicos of All Armenians) worked. But in the sermons there were statements against the cold war, wealth and imperialism.

Father Ter-Sahak notes that it is difficult for Christian Armenia to exist surrounded by Muslim Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran. But Armenians hope for the best.

“I have nothing against Islam and Buddhism. If someone has problems with another religion, then he misunderstands his religion, the priest is sure.

- And what did you understand not about religion, but about life?

- That she is beautiful ... and not very.

Most of the enterprises were privatized and closed

We are met at the Institute of Economics of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia by Doctor of Economics, Professor, Head of the Research Center "Alternative" Tatul Manaseryan. Knowing that we will talk about what is being produced in Armenia today, he demonstrates shoes.

“Here, I wear Armenian shoes, they are competitive,” the professor says proudly.

Tatul Manaseryan says that in the days of the USSR in Armenia, the production flagship was machine building, chemical and electronic industries, machine tool building, and even space research was carried out at the Computer Institute. Also in Armenia, as now, they made wine and cognac.

- At that time, the countries of the Soviet Union had an artificial dependence on each other. We produced a lot of unnecessary products,” he says.

After the collapse of the Union, the liberals who came to power carried out privatization. As a result, most of the purchased enterprises are now not working, and the mining industry has become the locomotive. There are no fully state-owned enterprises left in Armenia.

— The cognac factory was privatized by a Frenchman. There was a fear that he would force out local producers and try to push French rather than Armenian cognac in foreign markets. Now, as far as I know, Armenian cognac is exported mainly to post-Soviet countries,” he says.

One of the examples when a Soviet enterprise was modernized and it continues to produce goods is the Yerevan Kilikia Brewery. Its CEO Ashot Baghdasaryan came to the plant 35 years ago as a chief engineer and headed the enterprise back in the days of the Soviet Union.

- IN Soviet time Although there was competition, there was not enough beer, so there were no particular problems,” he recalls. - All permissions then had to be obtained and approved at the highest level, reaching the Central Committee of the party. The market conditions of the post-Soviet period opened up more opportunities, but it was a wild market when legal relations had not yet been formed.

In 1997, he and his partner privatized the plant: even then, part of the equipment was upgraded to German, the Kilikia brand was developed, and at the end of the year they made the first delivery to the United States. In 2005, the plant began to produce juices.

In Soviet times, 140 people worked here, now - 700. Today, the average salary at the enterprise is around $ 400. 20% of all products are exported, they are supplied to 12 countries. But the situation is overshadowed by closed borders.

- Turkish and Azerbaijani directions are closed. It is impossible to get from Georgia by rail to Russia. We are in a tight state and we are working with great difficulties. Your Belarusian kilometer in any direction is cheaper than ours,” he explains.

Last year, the company's net profit amounted to 400 thousand dollars. According to Ashot Baghdasaryan, such a plant in Russia or Belarus can earn at least five times more thanks to open borders.

How do experts see the Armenian economy in 25 years? According to economist Tatul Manaseryan, it can become the innovation center of the Eurasian Economic Union. Today, the IT sector is actively developing in the country, programmers are trained in universities, and there are not enough such specialists in the labor market. According to various estimates, the shortage of personnel reaches 750-3000 people. Salaries start at $1,000. If real borders with countries are partially closed, then virtual ones provide a lot of opportunities.

— It seems to me that Armenia should better use the intellectual potential, human resources, opportunities Agriculture, he is sure.

Unemployment benefits were canceled in 2014

In one of the markets in Yerevan, sellers of men's shoes are playing chess. They complain that there are no buyers, for two days of trading not a single pair was sold.

“We have not seen the Union, but personally I want our country to be with the Americans, not with the Russians,” says Rafael, 23, and offers to join him in the game.

We refuse and move to the meat rows. Salesman Aganes Mkhitoryan, 68 years old, willingly offers beef and agrees to exchange a few words. Behind him stands another man, sharpening a knife and not taking his brown eyes off us.

- Now I have a pension of 35 thousand drams (about $ 75), and in winter I pay more than 100 thousand drams (about $ 210) just for heating the house. If I had enough money, would I be working now? he asks rhetorically. - But in the Soviet Union it was good: there was meat, and there was a salary. Received a salary - rested. Now there is no work, young people are leaving: some for Europe, some for Russia.

According to economist Tatul Manaseryan, unemployment in Armenia is a threat to economic security:

- They leave us, but they don’t come to us in such numbers. They go where they pay well. Builders go to Russia, where they start families and stay. And mostly young people or middle-aged people leave, and this negatively affects the demographic situation.

Artak Mangasaryan

Artak Mangasaryan, the head of the Armenian State Employment Service agency, says that in the country in 2015, unemployment was more than 18%. These are real figures, taking into account hidden unemployment. Most of the unemployed are women aged 45-50. Until 2011, the unemployment rate reached 11-12%.

There are 63,500 vacancies open in the country today. The IT sector needs the most specialists. The average salary for the first quarter of 2016 was about $395.

Interestingly, unemployment benefits were canceled in 2014. Prior to this, the unemployed were paid $40 each for nine months.

Now, instead of benefits, they are offered to participate in 14 programs, which also provide funding.

“For example, if this is an agricultural program and a person works on his own land, he receives 4,000 drams every day (a little over $8) for 180 days. In 2015, we supported about 7,000 people in this way,” says Artak Mangasaryan.

They decided to abandon the allowance when it was calculated that only 6% of the unemployed found work during the period of payments. The government decided that it would be better to direct this money to programs after which people will have jobs.

“I am not a supporter of unemployment benefits,” says Mangasaryan. Better a small salary than an allowance. At the same time, we teach people how to work. Now this is our main principle.

In a city hit by an earthquake 27 years ago, people still live in barracks

In 1988, the Spitak earthquake occurred in Armenia. The strength of the shocks reached 9-10 points on a 12-point scale. 25 thousand people died, 514 thousand were left without a roof over their heads. The earthquake practically destroyed the city of Gyumri. Some of its residents still, that is, for 27 years, live in barracks.

Now there are about 85 thousand people in Gyumri, before the earthquake there were 240 thousand. After the collapse of the USSR, many factories closed. In recent years, people have been actively leaving the city. Many, according to Vahan Tumasyan, chairman of the Shirak Center, leave to work through Georgia to Turkey. They work in factories, gardeners, housekeepers. There is also a flow of emigration to Russia.

Robert Arakelyan 75 years old. The earthquake made him and his family homeless, losing their four-room apartment. She still lives in a temporary house with her son, daughter-in-law and three young grandchildren. They were in the queue for an apartment, but then for some reason they disappeared from the list.

- The government promised that in two years they would give a house. But the issue has not yet been resolved,” he says, lighting a cigarette in the kitchen of his barracks.

Robert is retired and receives about $75 a month in transfers. All my life I worked as a welder. His son is unemployed, but sometimes he repairs houses for money, his daughter-in-law is on maternity leave. Their combined monthly income, including pension and child support, is about $150.

The man shows the house, says that there are rats. A lot of them. And at night they are so noisy that they seem to be playing football.

There is no money to heat the house either. In order to have something to heat the stove, Robert cut down a white lilac in the yard.

“I want to die,” he says. And children and grandchildren need to live.

There are now about 12 thousand homeless people like Robert Arakelyan in Gyumri. But not all of them are in need, he believes. Vahan Tumasyan, chairman of the Shirak Center, which volunteers to help earthquake victims get new housing.

Gyumri has become a beggar's camp. Just poor people come here and live in such barracks,” he explains.

During the earthquake in Gyumri, 28,000 apartments were destroyed, and so many were built. But over the years the families have grown. And now other questions have arisen: people want to be given several apartments.

Volunteers of "Shirak Center" are looking for sponsors, including those abroad, who donate money to buy apartments for the victims of the earthquake. Housing is bought and donated to the homeless on the condition that they dismantle their barracks. Boards are chopped for firewood and given to other homeless people to heat their homes.

Destroyed house in Gyumri.
Central square in Gyumri.
Gayane Ajemyan, 55, lost her three-room apartment during the earthquake in Gyumri. Now she lives in a barracks with her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
There are ruins in Gyumri where they sell old things.
This is how the block with barracks in Gyumri looks like.

Over the past three years, "Shirak Center" donated about 50 apartments. In Gyumri, a one-room apartment costs $8,000, a two-room apartment costs $12,000, and a three-room apartment costs $15,000.

- Why was the problem with housing for the homeless after the earthquake not solved immediately?

- The USSR collapsed, the Karabakh war was going on, and there was no experience. The Democrats didn’t see the situation a bit, and corruption got in the way,” says Vaan.

Today, he regrets that he did not start such volunteer work 20 years ago. If it started, there would be fewer homeless people.

- Why do you need this?

“I think about it every day and decide to do something else. I work 20 hours a day, at night I write reports for sponsors about the donations listed. But I can't quit. People trust me. So many apartments were donated during this time, but no one called New Year and did not congratulate But, you know, I'm happy about it. I don't like it when you help people and make them dependent on you. I hate it when people are dependent and I don't want my son to depend on me. And I myself am independent, like our state.

Diaspora Armenians invest in youth and IT technologies

Armenia is a country of contrasts. This banal phrase is perfectly appropriate here. Seeing the social bottom in Gyumri, you will never believe that there is an absolutely unique center for creative technologies TUMO in Yerevan. Moreover, there are such centers in Gyumri, Dilijan and Stepanakert, the capital of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

In the centers, children from 12 to 18 years old are taught animation, web and gaming technologies, filmmaking or digital media. When you get here, it seems that the 22nd century has already begun in the yard. Everything is so tech and modern. The center was built with the money of an Armenian from the USA Sam Simonyan.

— Sam Simonyan had a dream — to invest in people and create a platform where any young person can choose educational direction within their interests. We thought about what areas to develop so that it would be useful for Armenia. We are in a blockade, we have enemies on the right and left, and we decided that we must jump over all these borders. Thanks to the Internet - with its help it became possible, - explains Aram Ghumishyan, deputy director of the center.

The education system at the center is based on self-study and workshops. The program takes two years. Grades are not given here: students are oriented to the result, not points. Most often, Armenians from foreign diasporas work as trainers.

— Our director believed that we could attract the coolest specialists as volunteer trainers and they would teach for at least two weeks. We thought it was impossible, especially for people with a post-Soviet mentality. But in the first year of work, we brought 35 specialists, mostly from the USA. They were people from the diaspora. Then we brought 70 specialists, and this year already 120 people. We pay them only arrival and accommodation. But each of us is responsible for ensuring that the visiting coach has an interesting entertainment on every day.

With the help of this experiment, the staff of the TUMO center discovered that it is cheaper, but more difficult, to bring a person from the Armenian diaspora to Russia than from the United States. This shows that people from countries former USSR less ready for social responsibility than people in the West. But over time, foreign coaches instill this culture in the Armenian youth who train at the center.

— We do not have a goal that all our graduates become animators or web designers. We want them to master rapidly developing technologies. These people will have their horizons open. Regardless of what they want to do next, they will be competitive.

The TUMO Center in Yerevan is located in a multi-storey building. It cost investors $45 million. On the upper floors, the premises are rented by IT companies. They pay the center, for this money they cover operating expenses.

An office in the building is also rented by the world-famous Armenian photo editing startup PicsArt. Today the company has two branches: one in Yerevan, the second in San Francisco.

We are returning with the publisher Armen Martirosyan to Yerevan. To the right are some water bodies. He says that they grow fish there and sell it to Russia. We talk about the Soviet lifestyle and involuntarily begin to discuss what is happening in neighboring Georgia.

- I call the Soviet disease cancer. So, Saakashvili cured Georgia of cancer, but infected with syphilis. Georgians criticize him for going too far. Businessmen said that the tax office was rampant in his time. If you adhered to other views, not pro-Saakashvili, then there could be problems. Armenia has not yet recovered from the Soviet disease.

In a roadside cafe, black strong sweet Armenian coffee is brewed for us. The cup is small. Such a tradition is to drink coffee from small cups. But it is quite enough to enjoy the view of the snowy Ararat, start the car and continue the journey.

How life has changed in Armenia in 25 years of independence
Index	1990	2015
Territory	29.8 thousand km²
Population	3 million 287 thousand people	2 million 997 thousand people
State structure	republic within the USSR	presidential republic (the president is elected for five years)
Currency	Soviet ruble (1 dollar = 1.8 rubles)
average salary		188 094 drams (about $395, as of Q1 2016)
Average pension	$6 (for 1996)	41 000 AMD (according to the current exchange rate for November 2015 - $ 87)
Unemployment	no data
Inflation
GDP per capita		$3873 (as of 2014)

Here's an interesting snippet from that interview:

"Alexander Prokhanov: How did official Russia react to the events in Baku, to your return to politics?

Heydar Aliyev: Not yet. Only Ruslan Khasbulatov congratulated me on my election to the post of Chairman of the Supreme Council. Official Moscow is silent. The Popular Front pursued an anti-Russian policy, did everything to prevent a rapprochement between Russia and Azerbaijan. It seems that this suited Moscow as well. You know my attitude towards Russia. Azerbaijan is connected with Russia economically, culturally, geopolitically. We are not just neighbors, we share the same story. I repeat: today's relations with Russia do not satisfy me, but I am convinced of their inevitable development" [ Interview of Heydar Aliyev, Acting President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan, with writer Alexander Prokhanov]. All sane people understand that Heydar Aliyev is lying like an Azeri Turk, but, unfortunately, the word "sane" has nothing to do with the editor-in-chief of The Day newspaper. To make the noodles on Prokhanov's ears more convincing, on September 24, 1993, the Azerbaijani parliament ratified the Agreement on the establishment of the CIS. That is, in the days of dual power in Russia, an open and unambiguous signal was sent from Baku to the deputies of the Supreme Council: we are ready to "restore the USSR" on the principles on which it was created, that is, on the ruins of Armenia, at the expense of Armenia and against Armenia. There is no doubt that if the Azeri Turks had agreed to "restore the USSR" in exchange for the annexation of Zangezur and Karabakh to Azerbaijan, the Russian communists, in the event of a victory over Yeltsin, would have accepted this proposal without any hesitation.

In addition to the communists, the most important participants in the anti-Yeltsin opposition were the Azeri-Turkish lobbyists, primarily Ruslan Imranovich Khasbulatov. Doctor of Economics, a brilliant speaker, a subtle psychologist, he very skillfully manipulated people with speeches like "The CIA ruined the USSR", interspersed with abstruse economic calculations. To some extent, he was like last leader The Soviet Union, with the only difference being that Khasbulatov was a puppet in the hands of the "iron lady" of Turkey, and Gorbachev was in the hands of the "iron lady" of England.

The well-known Alexander Dugin can be attributed to the Azerbaijani Turkish agents-leaders of the anti-Yeltsin rebellion in the autumn of 1993. True, his puppet essence became known much later. For example, in the above photograph, Dugin is captured under the portrait of "Turkish Lenin" and together with his friend Dogu Perincek. Dogu Perincek leads the Turkish Workers' Party and is considered the recognized ideologue of the Turkish ultra-nationalist organization Ergenekon. Another friend of Dugin is the Turkish retired General Veli Kyuchuk. In Ergenekon, Kuchuk led a secret punitive group, which, with the support of Pan-Turkist fanatics Abulfaz Elchibey, at the end of February 1992, near the city of Agdam, organized the shooting of Meskhetian Turks, better known as the "genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly." After in 2008 Ergenekon members were arrested on charges of attempting a coup d'etat in Turkey, Alexander Dugin was one of those who spoke in their defense. In his interview, he explained that "the people who are now on trial are our friends and associates, to whom we provided intellectual, organizational and informational assistance" [ Newstime, N°209-November 12, 2008]. There is no doubt that Azeri-Turkish lobbyists were also among the deputies of the Supreme Council who spoke out against the Yeltsin regime. However, this issue requires more thorough investigation.

In the summer of 1993, Armenian intelligence, apparently, received some information about a secret agreement between Chiller and Khasbulatov. Yerevan was forced to anxiously ask Moscow: is Russia going to "throw" the Armenians in the same way as the Serbs? To dispel these fears, the new commander of the border troops and Deputy Minister of Security of Russia, Andrei Nikolaev, was urgently sent to the Transcaucasus. In early September, he inspected the former Soviet border detachments and outposts located on the territory of Armenia and Georgia. At a meeting with Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Nikolaev assured that Russian troops will remain in the republic and will guard the border with Turkey together with the Armenian border guards. An aide to the Armenian president characterized this meeting as follows: "the interlocutors proceeded from the fact that Armenia is a reliable outpost of Russia on the southern borders" [Report from Transcaucasia. "We stand guard. But whose borders?"//Trud, September 14, 1993].

The crisis of dual power in Russia in September 1993 was used by the Turks to prepare for a military invasion of Armenia. For this purpose, tank, mechanized and other units were concentrated along the border with Armenia, and Turkish armed forces placed on high alert. At the same time, shooting from Turkey at the Russian and Armenian border outposts became more frequent. In case of Khasbulatov's victory, the Council national security Turkey allowed to enter two army brigades and a squadron of fifteen combat attack helicopters into the territory of Nakhichevan with a subsequent attack on Armenia. In the event of the withdrawal of the ten thousandth Russian contingent of border troops from the republic, the Armenian armed forces were fully mobilized to repel possible Turkish aggression. Even units of the Karabakh army were deployed to the Armenian-Turkish border. It was a very difficult time for Armenia, then the entire population of the republic was anxiously waiting: will a second front be opened from Turkey or not?

Sunday, October 3, 1993 was the climax of the Karabakh war. Although a truce was in effect that day, and relative calm reigned on the front line, interrupted by sporadic skirmishes. Moreover, presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan that day, and the Azeri Turks obediently went to the polls and almost unanimously voted for Heydar Aliyev. But on that day, absolutely everyone - the Azeri Turks, the Armenians, and the Russian border guards stationed on the Turkish border - were tensely looking to the north, waiting for how events would unfold after Khasbulatov's call to "take the Kremlin by storm!". In Yerevan and Stepanakert, they hoped for Yeltsin's victory. In Ankara, Baku and the Nakhichevan village of Keleki, they counted on Khasbulatov's victory. On the morning of October 4, when the tanks of the Taman division began to shoot at the building of the House of Soviets with direct fire, it became clear to the Azeri Turks that their card was beaten and there would be no opening of a second front. Therefore, when, in the last hours of the assault on the White House, Khasbulatov asked for political asylum on the territory of the Turkish embassy, he immediately received a categorical refusal. Later, Turkish diplomats strongly denied the fact of such a request from Khasbulatov. The agent who failed his mission, the Turks hastened to throw into the dustbin of history. In turn, the Armenians, making sure that there would be no stab in the back, began to gradually return their forces from the Turkish border to the Azerbaijani front. Three weeks after the suppression of the Khasbulat-Prokhanov rebellion, the Karabakh army launched a victorious offensive, capturing Horadiz and the Zangelan region. Thanks to this successful operation, the security of Zangezur, which suffered from barbaric air raids and artillery and mortar attacks for more than a year, was fully ensured, and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic itself received an external border along the Araks River with neutral-friendly Iran. The game of "Turkish gambit" ended in a complete defeat for the Azeri Turks.

What scenario would events have developed if the Khasbulatov-Prokhanov rebellion had been crowned with success? We can definitely say that this would have disastrous consequences for both Armenia and Russia. As mentioned above, after the fall of Kalbajar in April 1993. Turkey declared its "right" to intervene in the Karabakh conflict, referring to the "Cyprus precedent". But what was this "Cyprus precedent"? Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in July 1974, accompanied by brutal ethnic cleansing, initially caused a wave of indignation among the Western public. For example, on the front page of the English newspaper "The Sun" dated August 5, 1974. material was published under the characteristic heading "BARBARIANS". In it, a newspaper reporter on the island cited evidence of how the Turkish occupiers killed, raped, tortured, cut off hands and feet, shot, and so on. Realizing that such revelations needed something to counter, the Turks organized a monstrous provocation. On August 14, 1974, Turkish forces, entrenched in northern Cyprus, contrary to the UN ceasefire, launched the second stage of Operation Atilla and captured the cities of Famagusta, Morphou and the northern part of Nicosia. 160 thousand Greek Cypriots, fleeing the massacre, fled to the south of the island. Reporting on the refugees and their testimonies of Turkish atrocities caused even more outrage in the Western public. To divert attention from the ethnic cleansing of Northern Cyprus, between August 20 and September 2, 1974. in the Famagusta region, which is under the complete control of Turkish troops, mysterious "mass graves" were discovered, which, according to Turkish propaganda, belong to Turkish Cypriots from the villages of Murataga, Sandallar and Atlılar. Most likely, these were mass graves of Cypriots (Greeks and Turks) killed by the Turks themselves, but given the NATO occupation of Greece, she had to admit the American-Turkish version of events, that is, "the massacre of Turkish Cypriots by Greek terrorists." As a result, publications appeared in the Western press justifying the actions of the Turkish occupiers, who began to be portrayed as "victims" and "the injured party." Thanks to the promptly created and replicated myth of the "mass murder in Muratage, Sandallar and Atlilar," the tragedy of the Orthodox Greek Cypriots was hushed up and forgotten by the world community.

- a state in the Transcaucasian region of Western Asia. In the north it borders with Georgia, in the east and southwest - with Azerbaijan, in the west - with Turkey, in the south - with Iran.

The name comes, according to legend, from the name of Armenak - the ancestor of the Armenians.

Official name: Republic of Armenia

Capital:

The area of the land: 29.8 thousand sq. km

Total population: 3 million people

Administrative division: The country is divided into 11 regions (mazrov).

Form of government: Parliamentary republic.

Head of State: President elected for a term of 5 years.

Composition of the population: 93% - Armenians, 2% - Russians, 4% - Kurds, Ukrainians, Georgians, Greeks.

Official language: Armenian, also many speak Russian.

Religion: 94% - Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church, 4% - Russian Orthodox Church.

Internet domain: .am

Mains voltage: ~230 V, 50 Hz

Phone country code: +374

Country barcode: 485

Climate

Continental, mountainous. The weather, regardless of the time of year, often varies greatly even at nearby points, which is explained by the rather high altitude above sea level and the strong dissection of the landscape. In general, summers are hot and dry, and winters, although short, are quite severe.

In the foothills, the average summer temperatures are from +24 to +26 C, in winter - about +5 C. In mountainous areas, the average temperature in summer is from +10 to +22 C, in winter - from +2 to -14 C, depending on the height of the place. Even within the same city, the temperature difference between two neighboring regions can reach 2-3 C. In the autumn-spring period, severe frosts are frequent, while the temperature on the soil can drop to -28 C.

Precipitation falls from 200 to 800 mm. per year, depending on the height of the place. The maximum is observed in spring and early summer, the minimum is observed in the second half of summer and winter. Quite a lot (up to 100-150 mm) of snow falls in mountainous regions in winter, which remains on the slopes until March-April, and on the peaks - all year round.

Geography

A country in Transcaucasia, in the northeastern part of the ancient volcanic Armenian Highlands, framed by the spurs of the Lesser Caucasus Range. In the north it borders with Georgia, in the east - with Azerbaijan, in the west and south - with Turkey, in the south - with Iran.

Most of the territory of Armenia is located at altitudes from 1000 to 2500 m above sea level (average height is 1800 m, the highest point is the city of Aragats, 4090 m), on the territory of lava plateaus and low mountain ranges Pambak, Geghama, Vardenis and Zangezur ranges, dissected by a dense network of valleys and deep gorges. The south-west of the country is occupied by a relatively flat Ararat valley (average height 850-1000 m.), In which most of the large settlements countries. The total area is about 29.8 thousand square meters. km.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

The most common plant formations in Armenia are steppes and semi-deserts. At low altitudes, sagebrush semi-deserts are developed, in some places turning into saltwort and Achilles-dzhuzgun deserts. In the middle belt of mountains, grass and herb-cereal steppes dominate, which give way to meadow steppes and alpine meadows with height. Broad-leaved forests dominated by oak, beech and hornbeam occupy no more than 1/8 of the country's area and are confined to its northeastern regions. Poplar and walnut stand out in the composition of forest plantations. Significant areas on volcanic plateaus are occupied by stone placers practically devoid of vegetation.

Animal world

Of the mammals in Armenia, the wolf, bear, hare, fox, badger are ubiquitous, as well as the bezoar goat, mouflon, roe deer, lynx, leopard, forest and reed cat, wild boar, porcupine, squirrel, jackal, ground squirrel, marten. Numerous species of birds nest: crane, stork, partridge, quail, black grouse, eagle, vulture, snowcock. The crane (krunk in Armenian) is the national symbol of the country.

Among many reptiles, the poisonous Caucasian viper stands out. Scorpions are a big threat. Among the lake fish, the Sevan trout, ishkhan, khramulya and barbel are characteristic. Sika and red deer, as well as nutria are acclimatized in Armenia, and whitefish in Sevan.

Attractions

Armenia - ancient country, the first Christian state in the world and one of the earliest countries on Earth in general - already in the 9th-6th centuries. BC e. on the territory of Armenia there was a powerful state of Urartu. Since then, all the epochs that have swept over this ancient land have left their marks on it. Therefore, in terms of the number of historical and cultural monuments, this country can be considered one of the most interesting in the Old World. The main attractions are located in the vicinity of Yerevan - one of the oldest cities in the world, and are also scattered throughout the country, often even in the most "deaf corner" you can find a monument worthy of being considered the property of all mankind.

Banks and currency

The national currency of Armenia is Dram. The use of credit cards and traveler's checks is difficult, in the provinces it is impossible. In large hotels, private institutions and markets, it is possible to use US dollars and Russian rubles. Banks work from 9.00 to 16.00 on working days, on Saturday some banks accept clients from 10.00 to 14.00. Currency exchange is not difficult, it can be done at the airport, banks and exchange offices.

Banks work from 9.00 to 16.00 on working days, on Saturday some banks accept clients from 10.00 to 14.00. Currency exchange offices are usually open from 9.00 to 22.00-24.00, often work on weekends and holidays.

Useful information for tourists

In Armenia, the traditional norms of family and kindred mutual assistance, colorful family and calendar rituals are preserved. In July, the Vardavar holiday (Vard is the pagan god of water) is merrily celebrated: young people dance, pour water on each other, climb the flowering mountain meadows and springs. Characteristic modern way of life of the Armenian people - a deep and lively interest in their cultural and historical traditions, the desire to preserve the continuity of generations.

ARMENIA
1. historical area
historical region in Western Asia, located on the lands of Asia Minor and Transcaucasia. The boundaries of the area have changed over the centuries; its territorial core is the Republic of Armenia.
2.
state
(self-name Hayastan), the Republic of Armenia, a state in the west of Asia, in the Transcaucasus. Area 29.8 thousand square meters. km. It borders Georgia in the north, Azerbaijan in the east, Iran and Azerbaijan in the south, and Turkey in the west. The capital of Armenia is Yerevan.

Armenia. The capital is Yerevan. Population: 3.62 thousand people (1997). Density: 121 people per 1 sq. km. The ratio of urban and rural population: 68% and 32%. Area: 29.8 thousand square meters km. The highest point: Mount Aragats (4090 m above sea level). Lowest point: 350 m. Official language: Armenian. Main religion: Christianity (Armenian-Gregorian). Administrative-territorial division: 11 regions (marzes). Monetary unit: dram. National holiday: Independence Day - 28 May. National anthem: "Our Motherland".

different time

Independent States

NATURE

Surface structure.

Rivers and lakes.

long river

Climate.

cold winter

warm summer

Vegetation and fauna.

POPULATION

Ethnogenesis.

Language.

Indo-European languages

written language

Religion.

state religion

Cities.

Spitak earthquake

GOVERNMENT AND POLICY
On August 23, 1990, Armenia declared sovereignty, and on September 23, 1991, independence. The reorganization of the state power structure was completed in 1992.
Political system. The head of state is the president, who is elected for a five-year term. The highest legislative body is the National Assembly, elected for a term of five years. The highest executive and administrative body is the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The first president was elected in October 1991.
Local government. Since 1995, according to the Law on the new administrative division, Armenia consists of 11 regions (marzes) governed by governors. However, the adoption of all important decisions is in the competence of the government of the country.
political organizations. The Communist Party of Armenia (CPA), founded in 1920, was the only party in power during the Soviet period. At the Congress of the CPA in September 1991, it was decided to dissolve itself. The Democratic Party of Armenia (DPA) was created on the basis of the CPA. In 1989, the Armenian National Movement (ANM) became the successor to the Karabakh Committee, which was organized in 1988 by a group of Yerevan intelligentsia demanding the reunification with Armenia of Nagorno-Karabakh (an autonomous region of Azerbaijan populated mainly by Armenians; formerly part of Armenia, but was transferred to Azerbaijan in 1923 ). In 1990, in the elections to the Armenian parliament, the ANM received 36% of the vote. One of its leaders, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, was elected president of the country in 1991 and re-elected in 1996, but due to disagreements with the parliament on the Karabakh issue, he resigned a year later. In the presidential elections of 1998, Robert Kocharyan received the majority of votes. Immediately after the declaration of independence of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian political parties that existed before the establishment of Soviet power. One such party, the Dashnaktsutyun (Armenian Revolutionary Union), founded in 1890, was in power in independent Armenia from 1918-1920. In Soviet times, it was outlawed, but continued its activities in the Armenian diaspora abroad and reinstated in 1991. In the same year, the Liberal Democratic (Armenian Democratic League) and Social Democratic parties were legalized. In addition, in 1990-1991, new parties were created in Armenia itself, including the National Democratic Union, the Party of Democratic Freedom and the National Self-Determination Union. The organization of Karabakh war veterans turned into a powerful political movement, closely connected in 1997-1998 with the Ministry of Defense. In 1998 former leader The CPA Karen Demirchyan, aspiring to the presidency, has formed a new political party.
Armed Forces and Police. The police of Armenia is the successor of the Soviet militia. Some volunteer and paramilitary formations emerged after 1988 and acquired equipment military units USSR stationed on the territory of the republic. They were replaced by regular units of the Armenian national armed forces, who took the oath of allegiance to the republic in the fall of 1991.
Foreign policy. Under President Ter-Petrosyan, the Republic of Armenia has established close ties with Russia, as well as with the United States and France, where there are large prosperous Armenian communities. At first, Ter-Petrosyan made attempts to establish good neighborly relations with Turkey, but she was not successful because of the Karabakh conflict. Although the Ter-Petrosyan government refused to recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and demand its annexation to Armenia, the very support provided by Armenia to this republic gave rise to deep enmity between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which escalated in 1991-1993. Armenia joined the CIS in 1991 and was admitted to the UN on March 2, 1992. In recent years, Russia has become Armenia's closest ally, and relations with Iran have also improved.
ECONOMY
At the beginning of the 20th century Armenia was an agrarian country, the basis of its economy was animal husbandry and crop production. The industry was poorly developed, there were only small mines and cognac factories. Industrialization began immediately after the establishment of Soviet power. After the collapse of the USSR, most of the industry of Armenia, connected with the maintenance of the military-industrial complex, ceased to function. There are many unemployed people in the country (about 120 thousand people, or 10.8% of the able-bodied population). The main industrial center of Armenia is Yerevan, followed by Gyumri and Vanadzor. The economy of Armenia has always been the most vulnerable in comparison with other republics of the former USSR. There is no oil (unlike Azerbaijan), there are no fertile lands and access to the sea (unlike Georgia). As a result of the economic blockade, Armenia was cut off from Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as temporarily from Georgia, when Civil War. 90% of Armenian freight traffic was previously sent by rail through Abkhazia, but this route is still closed, and Armenia has the only outlet to the world market through Iran. The current state and prospects for the development of the country's economy are closely related to the solution of the Karabakh problem. Currently, most of the aid coming from abroad goes to Nagorno-Karabakh. After the conclusion of a truce on the Karabakh front (in May 1994) and the receipt of funds from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the country's economy stabilized. Immediately after the declaration of independence, the process of privatization began. The national currency is now quite stable, inflation has decreased from 5000% to 8-10%, there has been an increase in gross domestic product by 5-7% (according to official data). In 1997, exports were valued at $300 million and imports at $800 million.
Energy. In 1962, the construction of the Sevan-Hrazdan irrigation complex and the cascade of hydroelectric power stations, begun in 1937, was completed. Sevan in order to replenish its water reserves. As a result, part of the electricity generated in the republic was exported to Georgia and Azerbaijan in exchange for natural gas. Gas-fired power plants were built in Yerevan, Hrazdan and Vanadzor. In 1970 they provided more energy than hydroelectric power plants. In 1977-1979, a powerful nuclear power plant with two power units was put into operation in Metsamor near Yerevan, which fully met the needs of the republic in electricity. In particular, the requests of an aluminum plant and a large plant for the production of synthetic rubber and car tires were met. The Armenian nuclear power plant was shut down shortly after the Spitak earthquake for fear that aftershocks would lead to catastrophic consequences in Armenia itself and adjacent regions of Turkey. In connection with the energy crisis, the nuclear power plant was put back into operation in 1996.
Transport. The transport network consists of electrified railway 830 km long, leading to Iran, and many highways with a total length of 9500 km, crossing the borders of the republic at 12 points. The main highways connect the Araks valley and the Ararat valley through Agstev with the Kura valley (Georgia), Yerevan and Zangezur through southern Armenia, Yerevan, Gyumri and Akhalkalaki (Georgia). Yerevan Zvartnots Airport serves flights to Moscow, Beirut, Paris, Tbilisi and other cities.
Agriculture. 1340 thousand hectares of land are used in Armenian agriculture. However, there are large tracts of arable land only in three regions: on the Ararat plain, where two or three crops are usually harvested a year, in the valley of the Araks river and on the plains around the lake. Sevan. Soil erosion is one of the serious obstacles to the development of agriculture. Only 1/3 of agricultural land is suitable for cultivation. The main crops are vegetables, melons, potatoes, wheat, grapes, fruit trees. Animal husbandry specializes in dairy and beef cattle breeding and especially sheep breeding, which is common in mountainous regions. In 1987 there were 280 collective farms and 513 state farms in Armenia. After 1991, almost 80% of the land was transferred to the peasants. However, in 1992-1997, the area under crops decreased by 25%, and the volume of sales of agricultural products in 1997 amounted to 40% of the 1990 level. About half of the agricultural products are consumed by the peasant farms themselves. Minerals and mining industry. Armenia is rich in ore deposits, especially copper. Known deposits of manganese, molybdenum, copper, iron, zinc, lead, tin, silver, gold. There are huge reserves of building stone, especially the easily worked volcanic tuff. The country has many mineral springs. Some of them, such as Arzni and Jermuk, are of great balneological importance. In Armenia, mining and processing of building materials is carried out on a large scale: basalt, perlite, limestone, pumice, marble, etc. A lot of cement is produced. Copper ore mined in Kapan, Kajaran, Agarak and Akhtala is sent to the metallurgical plant in Alaverdi, which smelts copper. Non-ferrous metallurgy of Armenia also produces aluminum and molybdenum.
Manufacturing industry. After 1953, the central planning bodies of the USSR oriented Armenia towards the development of the chemical industry, non-ferrous metallurgy, metalworking, mechanical engineering, the textile industry, the production of building materials, as well as viticulture, fruit growing, the production of wines, brandy and cognacs. Later, precision instrumentation, the production of synthetic rubber and plastics, chemical fibers and electrical appliances were added to this list. In terms of the volume of electrical products produced, Armenia ranked third among the Union Republics of the USSR, and in terms of the volume of machine tool production, it ranked fifth. However, the most important role was played by the chemical industry, which produced mineral fertilizers, synthetic stones for the production of tools and watches, and fiberglass (based on the processing of local tuffs and basalts).
Finance. In November 1993, a new monetary unit, the dram, was introduced. At first, it was extremely unstable, which gave rise to significant inflation, but foreign assistance contributed to a rapid improvement in the financial situation. In 1993 alone, Armenia received millions of dollars in loans from Western countries. The World Bank provided a loan of 12 million dollars, the United States allocated 1 million dollars for the purchase of seed wheat, Russia provided a loan of 20 billion rubles. (approx. 5 million dollars) for the purchase of Russian oil and agricultural products. The dram gradually stabilized and became the basis of monetary circulation in the republic. In 1994, 52 local and 8 foreign banks operated in Armenia. The United Nations, the United States, Japan and other countries continue to provide financial assistance to Armenia.
CULTURE

From the 7th c. AD Armenia was an outpost of Christianity in the Muslim world. The Armenian (Monophysite) church preserved the traditions of Eastern Christianity, which opposed both its Western and Eastern branches, from which it was isolated. After the loss of independence by Armenia (1375), it was the church that contributed to the survival of the Armenian people. Starting from the 17th century. contacts are established with Italy, then with France and somewhat later with Russia (from where Western ideas penetrated indirectly). For example, the famous Armenian writer and public figure Mikael Nalbandian was an ally of such Russian "Westerners" as Herzen and Ogaryov. Later, cultural ties between Armenia and the United States began.
Education. Conductors of education until the middle of the 19th century. remained Christian monasteries. The creation of Armenian schools in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian Catholic monks from the Mkhitarist order (established in 1717 in Venice by Mkhitar, a native of Sebastia, Turkey) and the activities of American Congregationalist missionaries in the 1830s contributed greatly to the enlightenment of the people and the development of culture. In addition, the organization of Armenian schools in areas densely populated by Armenians was assisted by the Armenian church, as well as many Armenians who were educated at universities. Western Europe and USA. Numerous representatives of the Armenian people in the 19-20 centuries. received education in Russia, especially after the creation by Ioakim Lazaryan in 1815 in Moscow of an Armenian school, transformed in 1827 into the Lazarevsky Institute of Oriental Languages. Many outstanding Armenian poets and writers, as well as the famous Russian military and statesman, Minister of the Interior in 1880-1881 Count M. Loris-Melikov. The famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky was educated at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. important role in the cultural life of Armenians Russian Empire The Nersesyan school in Tiflis (Tbilisi), founded in 1824, schools in Yerevan (1830s), in Etchmiadzin, as well as "schools for girls" in Yerevan, Tiflis and Alexandropol (now Gyumri) also played. Mention should also be made of the Armenian schools in Venice and Constantinople. During the Soviet period, an extensive education system was created in Armenia. At present, in addition to numerous primary and secondary schools, there are Yerevan State University, State engineering university, Institute National economy, Agricultural Academy, Institute foreign languages, Medical Academy. The most promising undertaking since independence in 1991 was the founding of the American University of Armenia in Yerevan with the support of the University of California at Los Angeles. A Russian-Armenian University was opened in Yerevan. The leading scientific center is the Academy of Sciences of Armenia with an extensive network of research institutes. The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is world famous.
Literature and art. Since the adoption of Christianity, the Armenians have created significant literary monuments, primarily in the historical genre (Movses Khorenai, Yeznik Koghbatsi, the founder of the original Armenian literature of Koryun; they also translated the main religious and theological works into Armenian). In the early Middle Ages, Grigor the Magister worked, creating philosophical and theological Letters, as well as translating Euclid's Geometry into Armenian. Vahram Rabuni (13th century), Hovnan Vorotnetsi (1315-1386) and Grigor Tatevatsi (1346-1408) interpreted the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Porfiry and Philo of Alexandria in their works. At the beginning of the 16th century the so-called. "Greekophile school" in Armenia, which contributed huge contribution into philosophy. The most famous representatives of this school are Yeznik Kokhbai and David Anakht ("Invincible"). The latter wrote a treatise Definitions of Philosophy and comments on the works of Plato, Aristotle and Porphyry. Historical works were created by Ioannes Draskhanakertsi (9th-10th centuries), the author of the History of Armenia, Tovma Artsruni (960-1030), Stefanos Orbelyan (13th century) and other historians. In the field of mathematics, geography and other natural sciences, Anania Shirakatsi (7th century) made a great contribution, whose works were widely known in the country. In the 8th-9th centuries. the national epic Sasuntsi Davit (David of Sasun) arose, depicting the struggle of the Armenian people for liberation. A high degree of development of lyrical, moralizing and philosophical poetry early period we see in the work Grigor Narekatsi(945-1003), Nerses Shnorali ("Blessed") (1102-1172), Konstantin Yerzynkatsi (13th century), Ioannes Tlkurantsi (d. 1213), Frik (13th-14th centuries) and others. In the 13th century . the great Armenian fabulists Mkhitar Gosh and Vartan Aigektsi worked. Theatrical art originated in Armenia a very long time ago. It is known that the Armenian king Tigran II the Great (1st century BC) built an amphitheater in the capital Tigranakert (ruins have been preserved), where Greek artists invited by him staged Greek tragedies and comedies. According to Plutarch, the Armenian king Artavazd II composed tragedies that were staged in Artashat, the second capital of Armenia (1st century AD). The Bacchantes of Euripides were also shown there. In the future, after the adoption of Christianity, there were only wandering troupes of artists with entertainment or satirical programs. On the active spiritual life of Armenians in the 9th-10th centuries. testifies to the movement of the Paulicians, who preached a return to the original attitudes and moral values of Christianity; they rejected ecclesiastical hierarchy and ecclesiastical land ownership. More radical was the heretical movement of the Tondrakians (the name comes from the village of Tondrak, where it originated). They did not recognize the immortality of the soul, denied the afterlife, the church liturgy, the church right to land, preached the equality of men and women, as well as legal and property equality. This movement soon penetrated into Byzantium, but was forcibly suppressed. Architecture and church music were developed in medieval Armenia. The books were often illustrated with miniature drawings, which in themselves were of great artistic value. In the 19th century Armenian literature and art developed in new ways, influenced by Russian Western European culture. At this time, historical narratives appeared (authors - Mikael Chamchyan, Ghevond Alishan, Nikolai Adonts, Leo), novels (authors Khachatur Abovyan, Raffi, Muratsan, Alexander Shirvanzade), poems and poems (Demrchibashyan, Petros Duryan, Siamanto, Daniel Varuzhan, Vahan Teryan, Hovhannes Tumanyan, Vahan Mirakyan), dramas (Gabriel Sundukyan, Alexander Shirvanzade, Hakob Paronyan). Armenian composers and folklorists (Komitas and Grigor Suny) collected folk songs and used them for concert performances. Armenians have created such Western-style classical music as the operas of Tigran Chukhadzhyan, Alexander Spendiaryan and Armen Tiranyan. The works of Western classics and Armenian playwrights - Sundukyan, Shirvanzade and Paronyan - were staged on the Armenian stage. In Soviet Armenia, despite the dominance of communist ideology, certain successes were achieved in the development of national culture. At that time, such prominent poets as Avetik Isahakyan, Yeghishe Charents and Nairi Zaryan, outstanding composers Aram Khachaturyan, Mikayel Tariverdiev and Arno Babajanyan, wonderful painters Vardges Surenyan, Martiros Saryan and Hakob Kojoyan worked. The most famous Armenian actor Vahram Papazyan created the image of Shakespeare's Othello on many stages of the world. Outside of Armenia, writers of Armenian origin Michael Arlen in Great Britain, Georges Amado and Henri Troyat in France and William Saroyan in the USA, singer, actor and film actor Charles Aznavour in France won fame. In Yerevan in 1921, the largest Armenian Drama Theater was created. G. Sundukyan, and in 1933 - the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater, on the stage of which the famous Armenian singers Pavel Lisitsian, Zara Dolukhanova, Gohar Gasparyan performed.
Museums and libraries. Yerevan is home to the State historical Museum, Yerevan History Museum, State Art Gallery and Museum of Children's Art, Museum of Ethnography and Folklore in Sardarabad, Museum of Religious Art in Etchmiadzin. Of the major libraries, mention should be made of the State Library. Myasnikyan, the Library of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the Library of Yerevan State University. Matenadaran them. Mesrop Mashtots is the largest repository of ancient and medieval books and manuscripts, numbering approx. 20 thousand units (more than half of them are in Armenian). History of printing and mass media. In 1512, the first printed book in Armenian, Explanatory Calendar (Parzatumar), was published in Venice. In 1513, the Prayer Book (Akhtark), the Missal (Pataragamatuyts) and the Saints (Parzatumar), and then the Psalter (Sagmosaran) were published there. Subsequently, Armenian printing houses appeared in Constantinople (1567), Rome (1584), Paris (1633), Leipzig (1680), Amsterdam, New Julfa (Iran), Lvov, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan, Moscow, Tbilisi, Baku. In 1794, the first Armenian weekly newspaper, Azdarar (translated from Armenian as Vestnik), was published in Madras (India), and somewhat later, the journal Azgaser (Patriot) appeared in Calcutta. In the first half of the 19th century published in different countries of the world approx. 30 magazines and newspapers in Armenian, of which 6 - in Constantinople, 5 - in Venice, 3 (including the newspapers "Kavkaz" and "Ararat") - in Tiflis. The magazine "Yusisapail" ("Northern Lights") was published in Moscow, which played a huge role in the spiritual life of Armenians. In Soviet Armenia, numerous newspapers and magazines were under strict censorship by the Communist Party. From 1988, new periodicals began to appear, reflecting a wide variety of points of view. Published in Armenia approx. 250 newspapers and 50 magazines. The largest newspapers: "Ekir" (30 thousand copies in Armenian), "Azg" (20 thousand in Armenian), "Respublika Armenia" (10 thousand copies in Russian and Armenian). Outside the republic, the Armenian press has become a significant factor uniting the Armenian communities of different countries of the world. Armenia has its own film studio "Armenfilm". In 1926, the first radio station began operating in Yerevan, and in 1956, a television center. During the Soviet period, a wide radio and television network was created.
customs and holidays. Armenia has preserved many traditional folk customs, including several pagan ones, such as the blessing of the first harvest in August or the sacrifice of lambs during some religious holidays. A traditional holiday for Armenians is Vardanank (St. Vardan's Day), celebrated on February 15 in memory of the defeat of the Armenian troops led by Vardan Mamikonyan in the battle with the Persian army in the Avarayr field. In this war, the Persians intended to convert the Armenians to paganism by force, but after their victory, having suffered huge losses, they abandoned their intention. Thus, the Armenians preserved the Christian faith, defending it with weapons in their hands. In the 20th century Armenians also have a day of mourning: April 24 is the day of the Armenian genocide in Turkey in 1915. May 28 is the national holiday Republic Day, the anniversary of the establishment of the first Republic of Armenia in 1918, and September 23 marks the independence day of the second Republic of Armenia.
STORY
Origin and ancient history. The first information about the Armenian Highlands dates back to the 14th century. BC. There existed the states of Nairi in the basin of the lake. Van and the states of Hayasa and Alzi in the nearby mountains. In the 9th century BC. here a certain alliance arose with the self-name Biaynili, or Biaynele (the Assyrians called it Urartu, and the ancient Jews - Ararat). Although the origin of the Armenians themselves is still unclear, it can be said that the first Armenian state arose as a result of the collapse of the union of states of Urartu immediately after the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 612 BC. Being first under the domination of Media, in 550 BC. Armenia is part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire After the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, Armenia recognized his supreme power, and representatives of the Orontid dynasty (Armenian Yervanduni) began to rule the country. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC. Armenia became a vassal of the Syrian Seleucids. When the latter were defeated by the Romans in the battle of Magnesia (189 BC), three Armenian states arose - Lesser Armenia west of the Euphrates, Sophene - east of this river and Greater Armenia with a center in the Ararat plain. Under the rule of the Artashid (Artashesyan) dynasty, one of the branches of the Yervandids, Greater Armenia expanded its territory up to the Caspian Sea. Later, Tigran II the Great (95-56 BC) conquered Sophena and, taking advantage of the protracted war between Rome and Parthia, created a vast but short-lived empire that stretched from the Lesser Caucasus to the borders of Palestine. The sudden expansion of Armenia under Tigran the Great clearly showed how great strategic importance Armenian highlands. Possession of it allowed to dominate the entire Middle East. It is for this reason that Armenia later becomes a bone of contention in the struggle between neighboring states and empires - Rome and Parthia, Rome and Persia, Byzantium and Persia, Byzantium and Arabs, Byzantium and the Seljuk Turks, Ayubids and Georgia, the Ottoman Empire and Persia, Persia and Russia, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In 387 AD Rome and Persia divided Armenia, which at the same time, although on a much smaller scale, was preserved. Byzantine Empire and Persia carried out a new division of Armenia in 591 AD. The Arabs who appeared here in 640 defeated the Persian Empire and turned Armenia into a vassal kingdom headed by an Arab governor.
Medieval Armenia. With the weakening of Arab domination in Armenia, several local kingdoms arose, which flourished in the 9th-11th centuries. The largest of them was the kingdom of the Bagratids (Bagratuni) with its capital in Ani (884-1045), but soon it fell apart and two more kingdoms were formed on its lands: one, with its center in Kars (west of Mount Ararat), existed from 962 to 1064 , and another - in Lori, in the north of Armenia (982-1090). At the same time, an independent Vaspurakan kingdom arose in the lake basin. Van. The Syunids formed a kingdom in Syunik (now Zangezur) south of the lake. Sevan (970-1166). At the same time, several principalities arose. Despite numerous wars, it was a period of economic and cultural upsurge. However, the invasions of the Byzantines, and then the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century. put an end to it. A new, original "Armenia in exile" was formed in the valleys of Cilicia in the northeastern Mediterranean (earlier, many Armenians, especially farmers, moved here - not without the consent of Byzantium). At first it was a principality, and later (since 1090) a kingdom was formed with the Ruben and Lusinyan dynasties. It existed until it was conquered by the Egyptian Mamelukes in 1375. Armenia's own territory was partly under the control of Georgia, and partly under the control of the Mongols (13th century). In the 14th century Armenia was conquered and ravaged by the hordes of Tamerlane. In the next two centuries, it became the object of a fierce struggle, first between the Turkmen tribes, and later between the Ottoman Empire and Persia.
Modern Armenia. National revival. Divided between the Ottoman Empire and Persia in 1639, Armenia remained relatively stable until the fall of the Safavid dynasty in 1722. Around this time, Russian expansion into the region begins. Russia annexed Persian Armenia in 1813-1827 and part of Turkish Armenia in 1828 and 1878. In the 1870s, an Armenian national movement was born, the leaders of which tried to profit from the rivalry of the great powers of that time, who tried to subjugate the Ottoman Empire. Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the Turks set about solving the "Armenian question" by forcibly expelling all Armenians from Asia Minor. The Armenian soldiers who served in the Turkish army were demobilized and shot, women, children and the elderly were forcibly expelled into the deserts of Syria. Estimates of the death toll vary widely, ranging from 600,000 to 1 million people. Some Armenians managed to survive thanks to help from the Turks and Kurds, and most of them fled to Russian Armenia or other countries in the Middle East. Russian Armenia was proclaimed an independent republic on May 28, 1918. Despite the famine, the massive influx of refugees and conflicts with neighboring countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, the republic bravely fought for its existence. In 1920, units of the Red Army entered Armenia, and on December 2, 1920, a Soviet republic was proclaimed there.
Soviet Armenia. Since then, Armenia, officially considered independent, was ruled by instructions from Moscow. The rigid implementation of the Soviet order, accompanied by violent requisitions of the property of wealthy citizens, led to an anti-Soviet uprising on February 8 - July 13, 1921. After the suppression of this uprising, a more moderate rule was introduced, headed by Alexander Myasnikyan, who was guided by the instructions of V.I. Lenin to avoid excesses. On December 13, 1922, Armenia united with Georgia and Azerbaijan, forming the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR). At the end of December, this federation became part of the USSR as an independent entity. During the years of the NEP, Armenia, a predominantly agricultural country, began to slowly heal its wounds. The foundations for the development of the most important branches of cultural life were laid, a system school education, work has begun on the systematization of archaeological and other historical materials. In 1922-1936, 40,000 refugees from the former Ottoman Empire repatriated to Armenia. Many Armenian artists, writers and other intellectuals came to Armenia from Tiflis (the center of Armenian culture in the Russian Empire) as well as from abroad. The republic in its economic program relied on industrialization, although it had to reckon with the almost complete absence of energy resources and the limited water resources. Therefore, Armenia was forced to build hydroelectric power plants on shallow but fast rivers. At the same time, irrigation canals were laid: in 1922, a canal named after A. Lenin, and two years later the Shirak Canal was put into operation in the north of the republic. The first hydroelectric power station was built in 1926 on the Hrazdan River near Yerevan. However, the widespread use of water resources for the production of electricity, the needs of industry and agriculture began in 1929, after the adoption of the first five-year plan.
The era of Stalinism. Under Stalin, a dictatorship was established in the country, accompanied by the forced collectivization of agriculture and industrialization (with an emphasis on heavy industry and the military industry), rapid urbanization, the brutal persecution of religion and the establishment of an official "party line" in all areas of Soviet society - from literature to plant genetics. Strict censorship was introduced, all dissidents were persecuted and subjected to repression. In 1936, approx. 25 thousand Armenians opposed the policy of collectivization. During the Stalinist purges, the first secretary of the Armenian Communist Party Aghasi Khanjyan, Catholicos Khoren Muradbekyan, a number of government ministers, prominent Armenian writers and poets (Yegishe Charents, Aksel Bakunts and others) were killed. In 1936, the TSFSR was liquidated, and Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, which were part of it, were proclaimed independent union republics within the USSR. Although Armenia was not the scene of hostilities during the Second World War, approx. 450 thousand Armenians. Of these, 60 became generals of various branches of the armed forces; three were promoted to admirals, Hovhannes (Ivan) Bagramyan became Marshal of the Soviet Union, and Sergei Khudyakov (Armenak Khanperyan) became Air Marshal. More than a hundred Armenians became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and one of them - Nelson Stepanyan (pilot) - was twice a hero. Despite heavy losses during the war, Armenia's population growth continued, averaging 18.3 per 1,000 inhabitants. After the end of the war, Stalin, realizing that the Armenian diaspora abroad had large funds and highly qualified specialists, made some concessions to the Armenian Church (in particular, provided it with land plots for creating collective farms in order to provide economic support to the Etchmiadzin Patriarchate) and suggested that the Catholicos turn to foreign Armenians with a call for repatriation to Soviet Armenia. From 1945 to 1948, approx. 150 thousand Armenians, mainly from the countries of the Middle East and relatively few from the countries of the West. Subsequently, many of them were repressed. In July 1949, the mass deportation of the Armenian intelligentsia with their families to Central Asia was carried out, where most of them died.
Post-Stalin period. After Stalin's death in 1953, a slow but steady rise in the well-being of the people began, accompanied by a gradual liberalization of certain spheres of public life. In the 1960s, Armenia turned from a predominantly agricultural country into an industrialized country with a high level of urbanization. Thanks to state support, culture, education, science and art have reached high level development. When M. S. Gorbachev (1985-1991) became the leader of the USSR, proclaiming a program of radical reforms, the population of Armenia openly expressed a desire to reunite their country with the area densely populated by Armenians - Nagorno-Karabakh, which, at the behest of Stalin, was transferred to Azerbaijan in 1923. In February 1988 mass demonstrations broke out in the republic. The critical situation has worsened strong earthquake in December 1988, which claimed 25 thousand lives and left approx. 100 thousand people. The cities of Spitak, Leninakan and Kirovakan were destroyed. Shortly thereafter, approx. 200 thousand Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan.
Republic. On August 23, 1990, the legislative body of Armenia (then the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR) proclaimed the sovereignty of the republic, voted for a new official name - the Republic of Armenia - and the restoration of the previously banned "erekguyn" (a tricolor consisting of red, blue and orange stripes) as a national flag. On September 23, 1991, the Republic of Armenia declared its independence, and on December 21 of the same year, it joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). By the end of 1991 ca. 80% of cultivated land was given to those who cultivated it. On December 25, 1991, the Republic of Armenia was recognized by the United States, and on March 22, 1992, it was admitted to the UN. In the spring of 1992, paramilitary units of Armenia established control over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1993, the armed forces of the Karabakh Armenians attacked the positions of the Azerbaijanis, from which the latter fired at Karabakh and villages located in the east of Armenia. Civil war broke out in Azerbaijan itself, and the armed forces of Karabakh captured a significant part of the Azerbaijani territory north and south of the Karabakh enclave, clearing the Lachin corridor that separated Karabakh from Armenia. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis left their homes and became refugees. In May 1994, with the mediation of Russia, an agreement was concluded on the cessation of hostilities. Meanwhile, the Armenian economy was paralyzed, partly due to the collapse of the USSR, but mainly due to the blockade of the republic imposed by Azerbaijan. In 1993, the production of meat, eggs and other necessary food products decreased, imports exceeded exports by 50%, and the budget deficit increased sharply. Factories and schools were closed, traffic in the cities was suspended. The standard of living began to fall sharply, food rationing had to be introduced. Corruption flourished under these conditions, and organized local criminal groups took control of some sectors of the economy. During these years, approx. 10% of the population (300 thousand people). In 1994, after two winters without heating and almost no electricity, the government began to consider the possibility of launching the Metsamor nuclear power plant, which was mothballed after Chernobyl disaster 1986. In the mid-1990s, negotiations were held with Turkmenistan and Iran on the import of natural gas to Armenia and a trilateral agreement was signed on cooperation in the areas of trade, energy, banking and transport. Construction began in 1994 modern bridge through the Araks River, which connects Armenia with Iran near the city of Meghri, which was completed in 1996. Two-way traffic is open along it. In the summer of 1996, a trade agreement was concluded with the United States, the implementation of which, however, was linked to the cessation of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1994, dissatisfaction with President Ter-Petrosyan and his ANM party began to grow against the backdrop of an aggravated economic crisis and widespread corruption within the government itself. Armenia gained a reputation as a state in which the process of democratization was successfully developing, but in late 1994 the government banned the activities of the Dashnaktsutyun party and the publication of several opposition newspapers. The following year, the results of a referendum on a new constitution and parliamentary elections were rigged. For this constitution, 68% of the votes were cast (against - 28%), and for the parliamentary elections - only 37% (against - 16%). The constitution provided for strengthening the power of the president by reducing the powers of parliament. Numerous violations were committed in the parliamentary elections, and foreign observers assessed these elections as free, but flawed. The Republican bloc, led by the Armenian National Movement, the successor to the Karabakh movement, won a landslide victory. Even more striking was the result of the presidential elections held on September 22, 1996. Ter-Petrosyan won 52% of the vote (according to government estimates), and the main opposition candidate Vazgen Manukyan - 41%. Ter-Petrosyan won by a margin of 21,981 votes, but a difference of 22,013 votes was found between the total number of voters and the number of officially registered ballots. In September 1996, the army and police were thrown against the street demonstrators. President Ter-Petrosyan became especially unpopular when he proposed a bold compromise solution to the Karabakh conflict and adopted the international community's plan for Nagorno-Karabakh to formally remain part of Azerbaijan, but be given full autonomy and self-government. Even the closest political associates turned away from Ter-Petrosyan, and he had to resign in February 1998. After the new elections, Robert Kocharyan became the president of Armenia, former leader Nagorno-Karabakh. Kocharyan's policy on the Karabakh issue turned out to be less flexible, but the government resolutely undertook to eradicate corruption and improve relations with the opposition (the Dashnaktsutyun party was again legalized).
LITERATURE
Armenian SSR. M., 1955 Tokarsky N.M. Architecture of Armenia IV-XIV centuries. Yerevan., 1961 Chaloyan V.K. Armenian Renaissance. M., 1963 Decorative art of medieval Armenia. M., 1971 Khalpakhchyan O.Kh. Civil architecture in Armenia (residential and public buildings). M., 1971 The Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan, 1982 Bakshi K. Fate and stone. M., 1983