Siranush Sargsyan

Stepanakert

Freelance journalist from Nagorno-Karabakh/ Artsakh: Stories in @BBC @NewLines @Newsweek @OpenDemocracy; @TheArmenianweekly @IWPR

Articles

Artsakh women weave new beginnings with diasporan support

3 weeks ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

Last year, while studying in the United States, I found myself drawn beyond the classroom to the heart of the Armenian diaspora community. Amid the usual bustle of academic life, I attended numerous meetings with committed local activists. These gatherings revealed a complex tapestry of opinions and emotions.
Zadik Zadikian’s RETURN has a monumental homecoming at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts

1 month ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts, perched atop Yerevan’s iconic Cascade, has recently become the site of a significant artistic homecoming. On May 5, 2025, the Center unveiled RETURN, a major solo exhibition by Armenian-American sculptor Zadik Zadikian, marking the artist’s first major show in his homeland in nearly six decades. The exhibition is anchored by “The Strangers,” a monumental installation that commands both attention and reflection.
Demir Sönmez and Nora Sahakyan: A story of survival and reunion

1 month ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

A mother’s gaze, etched with the scars of four wars, meets the lens of a son she never bore. In a quiet nursing home in Yerevan, nearly five years after their first encounter in a bomb-shaken church basement, Nora Sahakyan and Swiss-Armenian photojournalist and documentarian Demir Sönmez are reunited. Their story began on October 30, 2020, in the cold, uncertain hours of the second Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Artsakh advocates shift strategy after rally, secure key gains for displaced Armenians

1 month ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

YEREVAN—After a large rally dedicated to the rights of the Artsakh people, the tent that had stood for nearly a month in Yerevan’s Freedom Square was dismantled, following a decision by the Council for the Protection of the Rights of Artsakh Armenians. The Council announced that it would relocate its activities to the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Artsakh in Yerevan. This move followed what the Council described as “certain positive developments” after the March 29 rally.
Artsakh Armenians face discrimination and hate speech in Armenia

2 months ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

“End this Artsakh-phobic propaganda, or it may lead to fratricide.” This warning came from Tatevik Khachatryan, a member of the Council for the Protection of Rights of Artsakh Armenians, who stood firm among protesters outside the office of Armenia’s Prosecutor General on April 14. Khachatryan held a thick dossier: a compilation of hate speech targeting Armenians who fled Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s 2023 military attack and consequent ethnic cleansing.
CeramaZart: Reshaping heritage, home and healing for Artsakh Armenians

2 months ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

More than a year after the blockade of Artsakh—followed by war and ethnic cleansing—forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians continue to grapple with immense challenges in Armenia. Having lost their homes, property and homeland, their primary struggles now revolve around securing shelter and employment. Amid these hardships, efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and create healing spaces have emerged as vital initiatives.
Motherhood Day in Armenia: A celebration amid grief

2 months ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

Throughout history, mothers have held a sacred place in Armenian culture and society. They are revered as the embodiment of love, sacrifice and the enduring spirit of the motherland and mother tongue. From ancient times, when mothers were worshipped, to the Christian era, with the adoration of the Virgin Mary, Armenian mothers have been celebrated in songs, poems and prayers.
Rallies in Yerevan demand rights and dignity for Artsakh’s displaced Armenians

2 months ago | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

YEREVAN—On March 29, Yerevan’s Freedom Square was the epicenter of a significant demonstration, as over 10,000 people rallied under the banner “Together for Our Rights.” Organized by the Council for the Protection of the Rights of Artsakh Armenians, the protest aimed to amplify the voices of Artsakh’s displaced population and shed light on their ongoing struggles.
The Plight of Artsakh's Artists in Exile

Mar 16, 2025 | hyperallergic.com | Siranush Sargsyan

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, please join us as a member. YEREVAN, Armenia — In the cold, damp basement of a house in one of Yerevan’s suburbs, Arnold Meliksetyan, a 76-year-old painter and sculptor, has found the only space he can afford to rent — a single, cramped room, small and bare, where he must live, sleep, and work. An old, rickety chair doubles as his bed.
101 memories (and counting) of a lost home

Mar 12, 2025 | armenianweekly.com | Siranush Sargsyan

“I had a white Labrador named Pax. He had a place in our house, too. He stayed in Karabakh, but we really wanted him to be near us. Dad asked a man to leave his refrigerator and bring our dog, and we would buy a new refrigerator for him from here. So, we did. Now, our dog is with us, and he is seven years old,’’—Narek Sargsyan, a 10-year-old from Stepanakert, Artsakh “If you know which country I am from, what do you think my only dream is? Of course, I dream of having Artsakh and Shushi back.