Hranoush Dermoyan

Armenia

Assistant Editor at EVN Report

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Articles

Putting an End to “Celestial Armenia”

1 week ago | evnreport.com | Gaïdz Minassian |Hranoush Dermoyan

Thus, the prime minister launched the debate between “real Armenia” and “historical Armenia”. The image is pertinent, the comparison a bit less so, because the word “historical” poses a problem—history being a social reality, a human science that falls within the realm of the real. What if instead of “historical Armenia”, Nikol Pashinyan had used the expression “celestial Armenia”? Wouldn’t that be even more apt? But what exactly are we talking about here?
ARTINERARY: May 5-14

1 week ago | evnreport.com | Vigen Galstyan |Hranoush Dermoyan

As I watch almost everybody around me fall in thrall of the seemingly “infinite” possibilities of AI and how “easy” it makes to do, well, practically anything, I wait (with diminishing hope) that this latest technological wonder is going to magically trigger a new era in human creativity—an ontological turn-around akin to the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, or the Industrial Revolution. It has happened before, of course.
From Tradition to the Modern Table: Lent in Armenia

1 week ago | evnreport.com | Hranoush Dermoyan

Beans, Feathers and an Onion Named AklatizBefore smartphones and Google calendars, keeping track of the days of Great Lent wasn’t always straightforward. One old story captures just how easy it was to lose count. According to the tale, on the first day of Great Lent, a village priest placed 49 beans in his pocket—one for each day of the fast—discarding one daily to mark the passage of time. A practical, if rustic, solution. But one day, while doing laundry, his wife noticed the pocket full of beans.
Subversion and Electoral Interference: Russia and Armenia's 2026 Elections

1 week ago | evnreport.com | Nerses Kopalyan |Hranoush Dermoyan

In the aftermath of the 2020 Karabakh War, successive shocks to Armenia’s security environment have fostered a more complex and multifaceted societal understanding of the various levels of threats confronting the country. While physical security dominated thinking from 2020 to 2023, congruent hybrid attacks, information warfare, and kinetic diplomacy have exposed Armenian society to a conceptualization of security that goes over and beyond physical security.
The Armenian Genocide: Between Diplomatic Pragmatism and Moral Obligation

3 weeks ago | evnreport.com | Hovhannes Nazaretyan |Hranoush Dermoyan

The Armenian Genocide, deeply embedded in the national psyche and collective identity, has naturally shaped Armenian political discourse. The country’s foreign policy regarding the issue of the genocide, especially its international recognition, has varied from one administration to the other, reflecting the complexity of balancing historical justice with geopolitical pragmatism.
The Seven-Year Restoration of the Mother See

3 weeks ago | evnreport.com | Gayane Mkrtchyan |Hranoush Dermoyan

After almost seven years of intensive restoration, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, considered to be the oldest cathedral in the world, was reconsecrated and finally opened its doors to the faithful last September. The seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church is considered one of the exceptional monuments of universal significance, and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Power and Politics of Yerevan’s Statues

3 weeks 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.
Deja Vu in Gyumri: Controversial Former Mayor Returns

4 weeks 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.
Humanitarian Aid to Artsakh Armenians: Who Stepped Up?

1 month 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.
Municipal Elections: Opposition Wins in Parakar, Uncertainty in Gyumri

1 month 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.