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6 days ago | 
evnreport.com | Hovhannes Nazaretyan |Hranoush Dermoyan
The statues and monuments a city, especially a capital, puts in its public spaces are not just works of art, but reflect the taste and politics of those periods when they were placed. Yerevan’s numerous statues serve as a living historical archive, chronicling its political transformation from a small provincial town to a large national capital.
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1 week ago | 
evnreport.com | Hranoush Dermoyan
Vardan Ghukasyan, a former mayor and candidate from the Communist Party of Armenia, has been elected mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. Although Ghukasyan secured second place with 20% of the vote, trailing behind the ruling Civil Contract party, he received 18 out of 33 city council votes with the backing of all opposition factions. His inauguration will take place on April 19. The ruling Civil Contract party did not participate in the first session of the city council.
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3 weeks ago | 
evnreport.com | Hranoush Dermoyan
On March 29, more than 9,000 Artsakh Armenians gathered in Yerevan’s Freedom Square to raise concerns about ongoing issues and uncertainty surrounding their future. Among their key demands was the continuation of housing allowances for displaced families. Two days later, on March 31, they protested outside the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, urging the government to maintain both the amount and scope of rent assistance while criticizing the inefficiency of housing and employment programs.
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3 weeks ago | 
evnreport.com | Hranoush Dermoyan
On March 30, residents of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city and the small town of Parakar, just outside the capital Yerevan, headed to the polls in snap municipal elections. To secure council seats, parties needed at least 4% of the vote, while alliances required 6%. Based on preliminary results, the ruling Civil Contract Party did not secure enough votes to elect mayors in either town.
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1 month ago | 
evnreport.com | Hranoush Dermoyan
In Armenia, the sluggish pace of reforms is frustratingly slow. Delays pile up, and with poor communication from the authorities, the public is left wondering: are these setbacks unavoidable, or is something else at play? Following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, the new administration promised sweeping institutional reforms.
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1 month ago | 
evnreport.com | Sossi Tatikyan |Hranoush Dermoyan
Part I of this article summarized and analyzed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s escalating preconditions, accusations and threats against Armenia as expressed in his December 2024 and January 2025 interviews. These narratives underpin Baku’s coercion tactics against Armenia, aiming to justify its obstruction of the peace agreement, legitimize potential military offensives, and support its ambitions to become a regional hegemon.
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1 month ago | 
evnreport.com | Vigen Galstyan |Hranoush Dermoyan
2024 was a full-throttle cultural tsunami for Armenia with an unprecedented number of major exhibitions, festivals, concerts and other events that dispelled any doubts about the country’s cultural vitality both locally and internationally. No surprise then that January was something of a “morning after” daze. However, if early signs are any indication, 2025 is only going to build on last year’s momentum with (hopefully) bolder, smarter and more innovative projects.
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1 month ago | 
evnreport.com | Hovhannes Nazaretyan |Hranoush Dermoyan
In its 2025 Annual Geopolitical Forecast, the American security analysis firm Stratfor suggested that “Armenia’s efforts to secure strong support from the United States will be thwarted as the Trump administration prioritizes strong relations with Baku as a regional counterbalance to Russian, Iranian and Chinese regional influence.” This is despite Baku’s increasingly closer ties with Russia and China, with which it has signed allied and strategic partnership agreements in 2022 and 2024,...
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1 month ago | 
evnreport.com | Hranoush Dermoyan
Military reforms initiated in Armenia after the 2020 Artsakh War have continued to gain momentum, driven by the broader need to modernize and professionalize the Armed Forces to meet the country’s security challenges. While 2024 saw no border incidents or escalations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s continued threats against Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty highlight the importance of these reforms.
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1 month ago | 
evnreport.com | Sheila Paylan |Hranoush Dermoyan
I can hardly believe that Unleashed is a year old already. This milestone feels probably as close to having a child as I’ll ever get. When I committed to this column, I didn’t truly feel ready—but then again, who is ever really prepared to start something entirely new? I nurtured each article, every word, with the care of a first-time mother. I met my deadlines with the resolve and dedication of a parent attending recitals and soccer games, come rain or shine.
