Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 by armenianinstitute

ZANAZAN

զանազան

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

CONTENTS ԲՈՎԱՆԴԱԿՈՒԹԻՒՆ

WHAT’S JUST IN BEIRUT By Shahen Araboghlian

MAYRIG: HOW THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION RIPPED THROUGH AN ARMENIAN CULINARY INSTITUTION By Liana Aghajanian

ANJAR 1939-2019: REBUILDING MUSA DAGH IN LEBANON Vartivar Jaklian and Hossep Baboyan

THE ARMENIANS OF LEBANON 2020: DOUBLE WHAMMY By Ara Sanjian

PHOTO ESSAY By Emile Ghessen

JINGALOV HATS By Anna Ter-Gabrielyan

THE KHAMSA MELIKDOMS By Raffi

MANUSCRIPT PAINTINGS FROM ARTSAKH By Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian

TIME TO LISTEN TO THE DIASPORA By Hratch Tchilingirian

TREASURE FROM THE LIBRARYZABELLE BOYAJIAN By Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian

OUR EVENTS

BOOK REVIEWS

Front cover photo Stepanakert Medical Center minutes before its evacuation 7 November 2020 © Areg Balayan

Dear Readers, Welcome to the first issue of Zanazan. In Armenian this means “diverse” or “all sorts” and we intend to include diverse voices as well as subjects in this and future issues. In September we were well on our way to a rough draft of this issue but by the end of the month, we knew all had to change. Instead, most articles here focus on the terrible and terrifying events of 2020 and their impact on Armenians in Lebanon, Artsakh, Armenia – and all over the world. Desolation and deep disappointment have not yet been followed by a clear, hopeful plan in either Lebanon or Armenia and yet we must hope that this will emerge. We now have signs of the vaccines checking the devastation of Covid-19 and hope that brave, good minds will likewise engage with the issues underlying ongoing structural and social problems in Armenia, Artsakh and Lebanon. Towards a year of peace, reconstruction – and social life in 2021. Staff writers/editors: Susan Pattie, Tatevik Ayvazyan, Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian Graphic design: Anoushka Berberian

Zanazan Issue 1, February 2021 Published by the Armenian Institute print: ISSN 2634-8314 digital: ISSN 2634-8322

1 Onslow Street London EC1N 8AS The views expressed by named authors in this issue of Zanazan do not necessarily reflect the views of the Armenian Institute. ©All material originated by Zanazan is the copyright of the Armenian Institute.

2020 VISION 2020 used to mean perfect vision. Now, 2020 is shorthand for experiences far beyond imperfection. Tragedy, disasters, incompetence of leadership, fear, isolation, the list goes on. As humans, we expect these but not all packed into the same short time frame. We don’t expect to be fighting through almost alone. “Alone” can signify one person during Covid lockdowns, a nation where Armenia finds itself abandoned by the world, or the people of Lebanon where “leaders” live well at the cost of the majority suffering daily. 2020 was extraordinary. Anyone who argues that we should just keep moving along and absorb the shocks is ignoring the ramifications and fallout of 2020. But we also make a mistake if we pretend it is all a huge surprise, disregarding what led up to this extended, excruciating moment. Bandaids won’t work to cover the wounds and begin the healing. We need to transform our systems and structures around the world. The events of 2020, including the incidents bringing a needed resurgence of Black Lives Matter, have laid bare the disparities and inequalities in the countries in which we live and care about. What matters now is how we build the future, based on a clear examination of the foundations of the problems. For Armenians, this also includes re-considering the relationship between diaspora(s) and Armenia and how best to go forward in the chaos of the aftermath. This is why, in this issue of Zanazan, we visit Lebanon, Armenia and Artsakh, looking at heritage and the present, learning how people manage on a daily basis, asking what can be done. How to improve vision in 2021? A new pair of specs? Maybe, as long as they are not rose-tinted or equipped with blinders. Better vision means looking harder, thinking, planning and working together to help bring about meaningful change in 2021. Through 2020, AI has gone through its own extraordinary times. We were awarded a generous grant by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, beginning on March 1, allowing us to expand our programmes significantly. Our long-awaited move, delayed due to Covid, took place in June. New staff joining made the transition to digital platforms smoother, while at the same time we began unpacking and organising our 8,000 + books, transitioned to a new Director in July and, more recently, a new Programme Manager. It has been a struggle but we are well aware of our good fortune. We are very grateful to have our new space, so wonderful and light-filled, our new staff, our own health and the support of a rapidly increasing base of Friends.

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WHAT’S JUST IN BEIRUT By Shahen Araboghlian

I see a semi-familiar face on the prime time news at what looks like a protest. A few seconds of how-do-Iknow-her has me noticing her black attire, her wornout emotions, and the photograph of her daughter in her oh-so-tired arms. Her daughter looks happy, she’s smiling in the photo, life was better when she was a fresh grad.

at the protest, she seemed to be beyond that, as did the rest of the families of the victims. As did the rest of the population, it seemed. The rest of the population had already started moving on.

Her mom was protesting for the bare minimum of death with dignity for her daughter, because the government had not yet given two shits about the I know her, too. I mean, I don’t really know her, but families affected by the blast. They were playing hideI’ve watched her funeral live on Facebook a few days and-seek around prosecution hearings and peek-aafter the Beirut blast. It was at a packed Armenian boos around judge interrogations. church, a five-minute drive away from my place. Her mom had previously protested for accountability, Her mom was protesting in front of a state institution. but we already knew who was to be held accountable. It was probably going to be a nobody who was at the Her mom raised a daughter with the utmost com- wrong place, the wrong time. Not the former and munity-serving values, off to become a nurse and current heads of state institutions who were aware save lives, only to be killed, murdered in a matter of of the tonnes of life-ruining explosives for almost a minutes by monumental, state-level negligence. decade, but maybe a janitor, an accountant, maybe even a part-timer for some extra laughs, the most Her mom didn’t want anyone’s head under a guillotine vulnerable in the building would work best, whatever,

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 really, to please one or two foreign leaders in the name When the hospital reopened, they had one less of justice. Anything to give a little “we caught the lifesaving nurse. When the world restarted turning, guy!” satisfaction to the statesmen, albeit fake. it had one less happy soul in it. Her mom wanted her now-deceased daughter to at least receive the benefits of a martyred Lebanese soldier. Four months after the blast. For four months these families cried and sobbed and wept while the government pointed pointless fingers. They were so preoccupied with their political tit-for-tats, their hesaid, she-saids.

We only see her daughter’s face on the 4th of every month now, when we commemorate the tragic event that happened on the 4th of August. The day we all thought we were on the verge of death, the day our lives flashed through our eyes, the day our very tiny hope for this country completely diminished. My grandparents lost a window or two, my friend almost lost a leg, the youth of Beirut lost their weAnd her mom did succeed! How amazing and comfort- made-memories-here streets in the city, but she lost ing and celebratory it is that the state will now provide a daughter. a monthly amount of devalued Lebanese pounds and social security in a collapsing healthcare system to Her mom, and the rest of us, are wondering: what’s these mourning families. How lucky we are to have a just in Beirut? state that hears us! A state that listens to us! A win for Shahen Araboghlian (Lebanese American us all. University and Sciences Po – Paris, BA). Currently a Graduate Program Scholar at Her mom looked tired, and who wouldn’t be. One day LAU, he was the former management assistant she woke up and her daughter was no more. One day and social media strategist at h-pem.com. her daughter woke up to no sister.

Photos by Shahen Araboghlian.

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MAYRIG: HOW THE BEIRUT EXPLOSION RIPPED THROUGH AN ARMENIAN CULINARY INSTITUTION By Liana Aghajanian

When 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate tore through Beirut, only a highway separated the city’s port where the explosives were stored from 282 Pasteur Street. This is where Mayrig, the famed Armenian restaurant known as much for its delectable sour cherry kebab as preserving Armenian culture in one of the diaspora’s strongholds, has stood since 2003. Located in Beirut’s lively Gemmayzeh neighbourhood in an Ottoman-era building, the restaurant was completely destroyed. It joined the rest of the city standing in ruins, where over 170 people have died, thousands more injured and an estimated 300,000 left homeless. The decimation the blast caused came on top of a Beirut already in political and economic crisis, with the Lebanese pound tumbling to shocking lows causing widespread poverty, with electricity and food shortages the norm. But the destruction of Mayrig stung beyond a crumbling building: around 85 families, whose livelihoods depended on the restaurant, were suddenly jobless and homeless. Not a single staff member escaped unscathed. And then there was the other, more existential loss: the idea that an institution fighting to preserve and progress Armenian culinary heritage, which has always teetered on the brink of either being forgotten, denied, or erased, could disappear forever. “Mayrig” means “mother” in Armenian. For the last 17 years, this woman-owned culinary institution has introduced both local and international patrons to centuries-old Armenian recipes as well as building on those traditions to create new dishes. Staffed by the same Armenian mothers who have always led the preservation and passing down of food culture to future generations, Mayrig was founded by Aline Kamakian. Being at Mayrig, she said, is being alive. Her grandparents, Armenian Genocide survivors,

found refuge in Lebanon where the LebaneseArmenian diaspora once numbered over 150,000 and contributes in significant ways to the social, political, and cultural life of the city, while keeping Western Armenian heritage alive. Mayrig opened in 2003, serving up plates of the delicately made, tiny boat-shaped beef dumplings known as “mante”, lentil patties called “vospov keufte”, and their much loved “fishna kebab”, beef stewed in sour cherries, a mouth-watering dish well known in Aleppo, where it is an Armenian speciality. The menu is a reflection of the diversity and complexity of Armenian cuisine, both its deep, indigenous roots and its interaction with cultural communities and regions across the Middle East that it has exchanged culinary knowledge with for centuries. Over the years, Kamakian’s work has not only kept her family’s food traditions intact, but has done its part to firmly give Armenian cuisine a seat at the global culinary table. Despite the immense loss, Kamakian and her staff have continued the restaurant’s core mission: feeding people. To understand the enormity of the damage that Mayrig suffered means going back to that late afternoon on August 4th, when Kamakian and her colleagues were having a meeting at the Mayrig offices, located next to the restaurant. That’s when, being so close to the port, they heard the rumblings of a fire. Kamakian went out on the terrace to take photos, made a call to the fire department, and continued filming. 33 seconds later, the massive explosion tore through the city. She immediately crouched down in a fetal position to protect herself. When Kamakian stood up, there was blood everywhere. “It took 3 seconds to destroy everything”, she tells me on a phone call from Beirut. “My offices, the restaurants,

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with rice to anyone who comes their way. Cooking, Kamakian said, is the best thing they’ve done in the wake of the disaster, a way for them to heal. For the restaurant, the focus right now is making sure employees have housing, as well as repairing the kitchen. Kamakian said she knows that Mayrig will exist again. It’s unclear how much time repairing both houses and hearts will take, but Kamakian’s hope is that the city will see better days.“I wish this can unite people as if we are united through food on a plate,” she said. “Bottom line, all of us are the same, we need food and we need love to sustain.”

my house, my car. Everything, everything was gone.” The first time Aline Kamakian cried after the explosion was when she witnessed her staff receiving food from Caritas, a Catholic organisation providing relief, at the end of a cleaning day where debris from the blast was removed. We have a restaurant, she thought, but we don’t have food. Mayrig had distributed meals before - during Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution in 2005, as well as with the ongoing global Covid-19 crisis, and the sight of her restaurant staff needing to look elsewhere for food spurred her to start cooking again.

Photos courtesy of Mayrig. Liana Aghajanian is a journalist whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, and more. www.lianaaghajanian.com Photo credits: Mayrig Restaurant, Beirut. Click here to read the full article by Aghajanian: https://bit.ly/36YX0gF See page 24 for review of Mayrig cookbook.

The first day, 200 meals were distributed. The second day, 500. Soon, they were discovered by Chef José Andrés and his non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK), which provides meals in the aftermath of natural disasters across the globe. Now, they’re working with a volunteer crew to provide 2,600 meals a day, feeding hot meals like fassoulia

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ANJAR 1939-2019: REBUILDING MUSA DAGH IN LEBANON By Susan Pattie A beautiful tribute to the people of Musa Dagh, this book is a monumental work in many ways. It will also serve as a memorial if the implications of the explosion of 2020 continue to be ignored by those clinging to power in Lebanon. Sadly, the devastation of August 2020 in and around the port of Beirut has thus far only accented the current fragility of Armenian communities of Lebanon. However, while hope remains for building a new political infrastructure, it is important to look at examples from the past where truly heroic work was done by men and women not just surviving and rebuilding but re-inventing themselves and their communities.

The villagers were faced with the grim choice of continuing under new Turkish rule or moving to safety. A few hundred did remain but most chose to go where the French led them. On the way and in the first winter in Lebanon, many more died than had been killed on the mountain top battle in 1915. In the years following however, a carefully planned town was created with public communal spaces, sites designed for each of the major churches, Apostolic, Catholic and Protestant, schools and clubs. With their experience in agriculture, the Musa Daghtsis, now Anjartsis, managed to turn a desert green, bringing in irrigation methods where others waited for rainfall.

Architects Vartivar Jaklian and Hossep Baboyan have superbly documented the“utopian”town of Anjar in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, through extensive research, photography and film. Beginning with the wrenching decisions to leave the newly rebuilt villages of Musa Dagh, the authors describe the planning process, the negotiations with various authorities, the sacrifices made, lives lost en route, and the careful creation of a new town. As a pilot for their long-term goal of documenting Armenian communities and architecture across Lebanon, this book is an excellent example of the importance of bringing together the lived spaces with the lives lived. The voices of the people are heard in Baboyan’s film, describing their memories of the old villages, early days in Anjar, and their thoughts about Anjar and their Lebanese Armenian identity in 2019.

As elsewhere in the Middle East, the mass migration or “nerkaght” to Soviet Armenia in the 1930s and ‘40s, dealt a serious blow to the viability of the town. The civil war of the 1970s prompted more to migrate, this time towards the West. But Anjar continues, developing new ideas and projects, seeking ways to diversify and boost the local economy. Jaklian summarises the importance of this project and of Anjar itself. “Anjar today is a unique and precious small town. With its magnificent archaeological site and lush greenery, it is a bastion of Armenian culture, still preserving the old Musa Dagh dialect and traditions that are ever more difficult to hand down… Documenting this town now is crucial and of fundamental importance. The glory of its past heroes, their gestures and stories, will be remembered through many novels and books, and so too should its buildings, urban landscape, its orchards and fields.” Jaklian and Baboyan are to be congratulated and their example should be followed across the Armenian world.

The villagers’ defence of their mountain in 1915 was made world-famous through Franz Werfel’s 40 Days of Musa Dagh. However, twenty years after the survivors’ return and rebuilding of those villages in 1919, the French Mandate in the Hatay Peninsula was ended in an effort to gain Turkey’s neutrality in the next world war.

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Top: Monument Dedicated to the Heroic Battle of Musa Dagh. Behind the monument is the dome of St. Paul’s Church. Bottom: View of a Typical Street in Anjar. Photos by Vartivar Jaklian.

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THE ARMENIANS OF LEBANON 2020: DOUBLE WHAMMY By Ara Sanjian

The Lebanese Emigrant. A statue designed by Lebanese-Mexican artist Ramis Baraquet, intended to honour all Lebanese who have emigrated. In the background, the devastated port of Beirut . Photo by Williammatar: License: Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0. The year 2020 will remain notorious in world history. However, for Armenians in Lebanon, an important centre in the post-genocide Armenian Diaspora, it will be remembered with exceptional pain. In addition to the misery caused by Covid-19 and the deep economic and fiscal crisis facing Lebanon since October 2019, the devastating explosion in the port on August 4 ravaged Beirut and caused the deaths of over 200 people. Finally, there is the agony shared by Armenians worldwide in the aftermath of the war by Azerbaijan against Artsakh in September-November.

the start of the country’s fifteen-year civil war in 1975. After the decline of the Armenian community in Egypt in the 1950s, Beirut had come to be widely accepted as the unofficial capital of the Armenian Diaspora. Since 1975, however, the community has been in steady decline, primarily because of emigration to western countries. Emigration resembled an avalanche during the war years and has continued since at a slower pace. Today, there are perhaps some 60,000 Armenians living in Lebanon. In parallel with this physical exodus, many community institutions, including schools, have become shadows of their former selves. Assimilation has increased as mixed marriages between Armenians and other Lebanese Christians rise and more Armenians become semi-absorbed into these communities. Emigration is a constant feature of modern Lebanese history, predating even the Armenian mass arrival. Today, millions of people of Lebanese origin live

The origins of this modern, vibrant Armenian community can be traced to the exodus from Cilicia in late 1921. While some 20-25,000 Armenians resided in Lebanon in the 1920s, the community expanded through natural growth and immigration from neighbouring countries to about 200,000 by

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 permanently outside the country. Almost all Lebanese rapidly dwindling, the future of many panfamilies have relatives abroad, further stimulating and Diasporan structures or at least the presence of their worldwide headquarters in Lebanon comes facilitating continuing emigration. into doubt. Lebanon’s financial crisis has its roots directly in policies applied since the end of the civil war in the The plight of Armenians in Lebanon has grown early 1990s. It is compounded by nepotism and more complicated following the Artsakh war. corruption endemic to the consociational form of Armenia’s own acute demographic challenges have politics practised in Lebanon from the time of its become more evident and a feeling of insecurity independence in 1943 and maybe even earlier. has emerged, at least temporarily, because of the Lebanon suspended the servicing of its foreign war’s outcome. Moreover, will Armenia’s postdebt in March 2020. The August 4 explosion was, Covid and post-war contracting economy have therefore, just further proof that the government and the capacity, at least in the short run, to house administration are in a tragically powerless state, and large numbers of immigrants? Finally, we should that the public cannot hope to get a solution to its keep in mind that some of those willing to move problems from them. The Prime Minister resigned to Armenia do not have immediate access to their after the explosion. However, internal squabbles have savings which remain ‘frozen’ in Lebanese banks prevented the formation of a new coalition cabinet to due to the ongoing financial crisis. negotiate a rescue package with the International Monetary Fund and prevent Lebanon from If the past is any guide, theoretical arguments by degenerating into total chaos in the coming months. Diasporan Armenian elites in favour of maintaining traditional Diaspora centres like Lebanon will Predictably, the desire for emigration has increased not have a decisive impact on decisions made across all communities of Lebanon. Armenians are no by individual families to stay or leave. Political, exception. During two polls conducted independently economic, and security reasons for emigration are in 2019 and 2020, over 77% of Armenian youth often so strong that community-led or even pansurveyed stated their desire to move from Lebanon Armenian efforts to stem the tide can falter. After within a few years. Most Lebanese who want to the war, the immediate future of both Armenia emigrate will probably not find host countries ready and Artsakh have become a priority for Armenians to receive them but Armenians are different. The worldwide; the Armenians of Lebanon have been Republic of Armenia grants citizenship to Diaspora pushed to backstage. However, the strategy of how Armenians and allows for full-time relocation. Many to deal with the latter to alleviate their plight should, Armenians in Lebanon have already seized the I think, remain unchanged. Other Armenians and opportunity and, prior to the recent war in Artsakh, institutions should present different but parallel a steady flow of Armenians from Lebanon to Armenia recommendations and assistance to the community and even Artsakh was noticeable. Community leaders in Lebanon, leaving the ultimate decision to stay or in Lebanon appeared displeased with this trend, and migrate to each family. their newspapers and radio stations usually avoided public discussion of this issue. Their concern is understandable. During the past century Armenians Ara Sanjian, PhD, is Associate Professor have gradually captured their share of government of History and Director of the Armenian positions and appointments in consociational Research Center at the University of Michigan Lebanon. If the Armenian community continues - Dearborn. Born in Beirut, his focus is on the shrinking, other communities will grab parts of the history of Armenia after WWI, Turkey and the current Armenian quota. Moreover, with important Arab states of Western Asia. Diasporic communities like Beirut and Aleppo

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EMILE GHESSEN Emile Ghessen’s name began appearing in the Armenian newsfeeds in October-November 2020 as he reported from the war zone, sharing important stories on his social media. A former soldier who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, his mission, he felt, was not merely documenting it, but telling very personal stories about soldiers, their families, displaced people burning their houses as acts of desperation, villagers finding their gardens destroyed after drone attacks. The photos expose human and painful snapshots of the Artsakh war. Emile is an independent filmmaker, currently making a documentary about the war over Artsakh.

A young Armenian soldier stands in front of a reproduction of “The Last Supper” on the frontline in Agdam.

Mothers of soldiers on the frontline make camouflage nets by hand in Yerevan to help protect their sons from the drones.

Civilians leave the area of Kalbajar loaded with what they can carry before the deadline for the area to be handed over to Azerbaijan.

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11 Grandmother of a fallen soldier sits in silence while the wife is in the reflection.

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 Anna Ter-Gabrielyan met women from Karabakh who were baking their famous Jingalov Hats in Yerevan while waiting to return. They needed a way to earn money for their families and the delicious bread appeals to the Yerevan residents as well as their fellow displaced Karabakhtsis.

JINGALOV HATS Flora Hakobjanyan is from Karmir Shuka in Martuni region, Karabakh, but moved to Yerevan with her daughters-in-law and grandchildren after the war started. Her sons remained in Karabakh. “We were baking (jingalov hats) in the village. Then we came here, this initiative started, so we’re working here for more than one and a half months. The dough is simple with flour, salt, water. But there are so many types of jingal and now it’s not the right season. We put various herbs in it, dill, mint, spring onions, ‘chrchrots”, sorrel and more, but when it’s the season, the variety is bigger. We buy the herbs from market and prepare at home. Then we bring the dough and chopped herbs here and bake. …There are a few men who have organised these stalls. First we were transferring the money from the sales to Himnadram, then the war ended and we are now supporting disabled people. We’re paid daily too, and everything above that is paid to the disabled people. …We want to go back to our village, our house, continue what we were doing. We want schools and kindergartens to exist there so our children can live happily. Everyone from Karabakh wants that.” Armine Melkumyan is also from Karmir Shuka. Born in 1982, she has two sons. “The war started on 27 September and on the first day my sister-in-law’s son died. We brought his body for a funeral on the 29th, and on the 30th we were told to leave as women and children shouldn’t stay there. My husband took us to Stepanakert. It was nicely organised by the Yerevantsis, there were buses waiting for us. … The driver told us what to say on the road and brought us to Tsaghkadzor. We stayed there for 2 days, then realised this is getting longer and we had come without spare clothes, just some light clothing. Then we were taken onwards with some help. We had lots of help, from relatives, from fellow believers, and now we are renting a house.

Flora Hakobjanyan and Armine Melkumyan making jingalov hats in Yerevan. Photos by Anna Ter-Gabrielyan.

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 We’re hopeful that we (will return to Karabakh). Our neighbours (in Yerevan) said ‘let us help you somehow – you bake and we’ll pay the daily rent’. So we started baking. It’s nothing new for us, like we were baking back at home. And we’re doing it with enthusiasm (laughs). Our recipe is simple – flour, water and salt for the dough, we make it soft and make it into small balls of 100 grams. It’s great food, full of vitamins and nutritious. We buy lots of herbs from the markets, we know them, and chop them up together. People have their preferences for the mix, some people don’t like spring onions, I love it with ‘chor’, I used to make it in our village, it’s so tasty.” When asked about her family, Armine’s voice begins to tremble and she switches to Karabakh dialect, talking about her son (khokhas), who was conscripted after he came back from fighting during the war with his dad. “At this point my son has to go into the army, that’s the thing. Everything got messed up, but you know, he was already fighting during the war with his dad, now the war has ended he came back and now he’s being conscripted.”

Jingalov Hats: Herbs and Greens (excerpt from Lavash) “Old-timers in Artsakh grumble that each generation gets lazier, adding fewer greens to the jingalov hats, but the truth is that the number is less important than the balance achieved in the mix, according to Artsakh native Lilia Harutyunyan…” “Sour and sharp herbs like sorrel balance the herbal ones, such as cilantro and chervil, she explained. Also add just enough green onion so the flavor comes through but not so much that all you taste is onion. A good majority of the greens are neutral, able to carry the flavor of the stronger herbs.” “...use a mix of greens and herbs from three categories: neutral or earthy, herbal, and sour. For the herbal category, ensure you have at least three herbs, such as dill, parsley, and cilantro… For the other two categories, opt for at least two when creating your mix.” Neutral or earthy: Slice thick stem ends separately and very thinly. Beet greens, Chard, Collards, Purslane, Spinach (at least 2) Herbal: Slice herb stems with leaves, only removing stems if tough. Chervil, Cilantro, Dill, Flat-leaf parsley, Tarragon (most important – Dill + 2 others) Sour: When necessary, slice thick stem ends separately and very thinly. Dandelion greens, Radish tops, Sorrel, Watercress (at least 2) Excerpt reprinted from Lavash: The bread that launched 1,000 meals, plus salads, stews and other recipes from Armenia by Kate Leahy, John Lee, and Ara Zada. Chronicle Books, 2019. To see the full recipe and video, visit: https://www.lavashthebook.com/ dispatches/2020/4/8/jingalov-hats Photos from Lavash by John Lee.

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 Խամսայի Մէլիքութիւնները Րաֆֆի

Mamrot Qar (Mossy Stone) waterfall in Artsakh. Photo by Davit Ayvazyan. Խամսայի մէլիքութիւնները1 բաղկանում էին հինգ փոքրիկ գաւառներից, որոնք, միմեանց սահմանակից լինելով, կազմում էին մի ամբողջ նահանգ, որը այժմ կոչվում է Ղարաբաղ, իսկ մեր պատմութեան մեջ յայտնի է Արցախ, կամ Փոքր-Սիւնիք անունով: Յիշեալ հինգ գաւառները հետևեալներն են. 1) Գիւլիստան կամ Թալիշ, որ սկսվում է Քիւրակչայ գետից, այսինքն Գանձակի սահմաններից, և տարածվում է մինչև Թարթար գետը։ 2) Ջրաբերդ կամ Չարաբերդ, որ սկսվում է Թարթար գետից և տարածվում է մինչև Խաչէնի գետը։ 3) Խաչէն, որը սկսվում է նոյն անունով գետից և տարածվում է մինչև Բալլու-չայ գետը։ 4) Վարանդա, որը սկսվում է այդ գետից և տարածվում է մինչև Դիզափայտի լեռնային գօտին։ 5) Տիզակ կամ Դուզախ, որը սկսվում է այդ լեռներից և տարածվում է մինչև Երասխ գետը: Երկրի անմատչելի դիրքը նպաստում էր այստեղ հայոց իշխանութեան պահպանվելուն դառն ժամանակների փոթորիկներից։ Վայրենի բնութիւնը, դարևոր խուլ անտառներով պատած ահագին լեռները, անդնդախոր ձորերի մթութիւնը, ստեղծել էին այստեղ մի մթին ժողովուրդ, որ իր շրջապատող ժայռերի նման ամուր կուրծք ունէր և իր ծմակների վագրների նման աներկիւղ սիրտ ունէր։ Այդ ժողովուրդը ապրում էր իր սիրելի լեռների այրերի մէջ, քարանձաւների խորքում, ապրում էր գետնի տակ, կերակրվում էր իր անտառների պտուղներով, իր անասունների բարիքներով, և որպէս

մի դարանամուտ գազան, իր թագստի միջից յարձակումներ էր գործում, երբ թշնամին յանդգնում էր վրդովել նրա խաղաղութիւնը: Իւրաքանչիւր մէլիք իր գաւառի տէրն էր. նա ունէր իր առանձին բերդը և իր ամրոցները։ Գիւլիստանի մէլիքի ամրոցը գտնվում էր Գիւլիստան գիւղի մօտ մի անմատչելի սարի գագաթի վրա: Ջրաբերդի մէլիքի ամրոցը գտնվում էր Թարթար գետի ափի մօտ, Երիցմանկանց վանքի հանդէպ։ Այդ բերդի անունով ամբողջ գաւառը կոչվում է, Ջրաբերդ, որովհետև բերդը կանգնած է համարեա թէ ջրի մէջ, մի ահագին, սեպաձև ժայռի գագաթի վրա, որի ստորոտը քերելով, անցնում են կատաղի Թարթարը և Թըրղին։ Այդ երկու գետերը, կտրելով միմեանց, բերդին թերակղզու ձև են տալիս։ Խաչէնի մէլիքների բերդերը գտնվում էին Խաչէն գետի մօտ. նրանցից մէկը կանգնած է Գանձասարի հռչակաւոր վանքի հանդէպ, բարձր, անտառապատ լեռան գլխի վրա և կոչվում է Թարխանա-բերդ (Խօխանաբերդ): Մի այլ բերդ, դարձեալ Խաչէն գաւառում, գտնվում է յիշեալից մի քանի ժամ ճանապարհով հեռու, սուրբ Յակոբայ վանքի հանդէպ։ Այդ բերդը արժանի է իր անուանը. նա կոչվում է Կաչաղակաբերդ (Սազսաղանկալասի), որովհետև սրաթռիչ կաչաղակները միայն կարող են բարձրանալ մինչև նրա սրածայր գագաթը, որ կորչում է ամպերի մէջ։ Վարանդայի մէլիքի

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 ամրոցը գտնվում էր Չանախչի (Աւետարանոց) աւանում, կուսանաց անապատի հանդէպ։ Տիզակի մէլիքի ամրոցը գտնվում էր Տող աւանում, Գտչի վանքի հանդէպ, որը բարձրացել է մինչև երկինքը։ Մէլիքների իշխանութիւնը ժառանգական էր. հօր մահից յետոյ տիրում էր անդրանիկ որդին և կոչվում էր մէլիք, իսկ միւս եղբայրները կոչվում էին բէկ։ Օրէնքի փոխարէն կառավարում էր տիրողի կամքը և ժողովրդական սովորութիւնները, որոնք դեռ պահպանված էին իրանց նահապետական ձևերի մէջ։ Մէլիքները անսահման իրաւունք ունէին իրանց հպատակների վրա, նրանց դատելու, պատժելու և մինչև անգամ մահուան դատապարտելու։ Մէլիքները թէ քաղաքական շահերով և թէ խնամութեան կապերով միացած էին միմեանց հետ, և այսպիսով, Խամսայի բոլոր հինգ իշխանութիւնները կազմում էին մի ամբողջ դաշնակցական2 միութիւն։ Պատսպարված իրանց անմատչելի լեռների և մթին անտառների մէջ, նրանք ոչ մի մահմեդականի թոյլ չէին տալիս բնակութիւն հաստատելու իրանց երկրներում և ամբողջ Ղարաբաղի ազգաբնակութիւնը բաղկացած էր միայն հայերից, որոնց քանակութիւնը բազմաթիւ էր:

View over Shushi. Photo by Davit Ayvazyan.

THE KHAMSA MELIKDOMS

(SUMMARY IN ENGLISH) By Raffi

The Khamsa (five in Arabic) Melikdoms consisted of five adjoining regions which together formed the province of Karabakh, also known historically as Artsakh or Little Syunik. The five Melikdoms were those of Gyulistan or Talish, Jraberd, Khachen, Varanda and Dizak. The inaccessibility of the land, its wild nature, huge, densely forested mountains and its dark, deep gorges provided a haven for Armenian feudal chiefs, called Meliks, and enabled them to maintain an Armenian autonomy in the region.

National Atlas of Armenia. Yerevan, State Committee of Cadastre, 2017. Առաջին անգամ մաս առ մաս հրատարակուել Թիֆլիսի «Մշակ» օրաթերթում, սկսուած 1882 թուականի մայիսի 14-ից: Առաջին հրատարակութեան ուղղագրութիւնն ու կէտադրութիւնը պահել ենք նոյնութեամբ: Վերահրատարակում ենք աննշան յապաւումներով: 1

Իմա` դաշնակցային:

Each Melik was the master of his district with his seat in a fortress next to a monastic centre. Theirs was an alliance of the cross and the sword. The status of the melik was hereditary, passing to the eldest son. He ruled at will while respecting popular traditions and his authority over his subjects was infinite. Through political expediency and marriage ties, the Meliks were related with each other and thus the five districts formed a sort of federal entity.

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MANUSCRIPT PAINTINGS FROM ARTSAKH By Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian Soon after the invention of the Armenian alphabet in the early 5th century manuscripts started to be produced, mostly in monastic centres. Some literary sources mention the existence of illustrations in these old manuscripts, but the earliest illuminated leaves that have come down to us are not considered to be earlier than the 7th century. The corpus of Armenian illustrated manuscripts spans a period of 9 centuries, from the second half of the 9th century to the 18th century. During the Bagratid era (8851045), sumptuous, richly illustrated manuscripts for rulers and high dignitaries of the church were produced in historic Armenia. This courtly patronage continued in the Armenian kingdom established in Cilicia (1198-1375) which saw the apogee of Armenian manuscript illumination. Alongside this artistic activity in centres of wealth and power, manuscript painting flourished in outlying regions of Armenia. These centres, Artsakh among them, often exhibited a naïve style and a pronounced local character probably of native Armenian inspiration. Of some 40 mediaeval scriptoria mentioned in the province of Artsakh and adjoining areas, fewer than 20 illuminated manuscripts have survived. They exhibit particular visual imagery, imbued with innocent charm and differ stylistically from painting traditions of other schools of Armenian manuscript illumination. Combining the decorative motifs from the adjoining province of Siunik with their own folk art traditions, artists from Artsakh created a local style of painting in which the decorative aspect is more prominent than the narrative scenes. Some standard narrative miniatures depicting scenes from the Old Testament (e.g. The Sacrifice of Isaac) and the New Testament (e.g. Christ in Majesty) are absent in Artsakh manuscripts. Instead, the iconography shows a bias in favour of scenes depicting the childhood of Christ, with artists exhibiting a departure from the conventional rules

of Christian iconographic narratives (for example in the Flight into Egypt showing Mary holding Jesus walking rather than riding on a donkey). A rare iconographic presentation of the Last Supper, in which only the heads of the disciples are visible, occurs in two manuscripts produced in Artsakh. In one of them (see illustration), the full figure of Christ is shown at the head of a table with its surface covered by a decorative cross perhaps symbolising the impending crucifixion. The table is surrounded by the haloed heads of the disciples. Judas is not at the table, but appears as a solitary figure, still sporting a halo, at the bottom right of the image with his back to the assembly. The caption above him says: ‘Judas took the piece of bread and went out’ (Յուդա առեալ զպատառն եւ ել). Alongside their distinctive dialect, their pride in having maintained a degree of autonomous existence while the rest of Armenian-inhabited lands was under foreign rule, the people of Artsakh also marked their individuality by developing a quirky, yet aesthetically pleasing, style of manuscript illumination.

The Flight into Egypt. Folio 3 of The Gospels, 13th –14th centuries, Artsakh. (MS no. 6319, Matenadaran, Yerevan)

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The Last Supper. Folio 11 of The Gospels, 13th–14th centuries, Artsakh. (MS no. 316, Matenadaran, Yerevan)

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TIME TO LISTEN TO THE DIASPORA by Hratch Tchilingirian 3000 Armenians have taken part already in the Armenian Diaspora Survey.The results of this major research project on public opinion in Diaspora communities was formally launched on 5 September at an online public event, hosted by the Armenian Institute. The Armenian Diaspora Survey (ADS) is an initiative of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (CGF), led by a group of scholars and researchers under the auspices of the Armenian Institute (AI) in London. The idea was first presented by Razmik Panossian, director of CGF’s Armenian Communities Department, in March 2017 to a group of about 20 scholars who have studied the diaspora. All agreed that there is a need for such a project. Following initial planning and funding approved by the CGF, Susan Pattie was appointed leader of the Pilot Project in August 2017 and AI became its administrative home. I have been directing ADS since February 2019. ADS started with a pilot study in May and June 2018 in four communities: Boston, Cairo, Marseille and Pasadena. Following the successful pilot, during which much was learned and incorporated into current research methodologies, the 2019 survey— the first of the three-year study-- was launched in four other communities: Argentina, Lebanon, Canada (Montreal) and Romania. The fieldwork took place between September and December 2019, where 3000 Armenians took part in the study. The aim of the ADS is to study the opinions of Armenians living in various communities around the world, exploring the “ingredients” of being Armenian in the 21st century.

One of the critical aspects of ADS is to ask, learn and address the views, opinions and wishes of Armenians spread around the world. Diaspora organisations or institutions rarely ask members of their communities what they are thinking about certain issues or what are their views on a host of questions. In our research we ask the respondents their thoughts and views on identity and related issues of belonging—as Armenians and as citizens of different countries. Other themes include language and culture, church and religion, community and political engagement and relations with Armenia. The study provides valuable insights into diaspora public opinion giving an important snapshot of people’s thoughts on a host of issues. It provides evidence-based knowledge to the public and valuable data to community leaders, activists and policy makers in particular, giving them a better understanding and analysis of their communities for the development of programmes and projects. In 2021, we will be conducting the survey in the UK, along with four other diaspora communities: Brussels, Paris, Michigan and Rostov-on-Don. The success of the research is critically connected to the sense of “ownership of the project” by the members of the communities and, as importantly, the community leadership. Last year we were able to achieve this through visits to each community and extensive meetings and preparations of the fieldwork in each country. However, this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, travel and physical contact restrictions, we are organising it virtually and remotely. Of course, there are methodological challenges to doing the research under current restrictions and circumstances, but I believe we will find solutions. Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian is an Associate of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford and Director of the Armenian Diaspora Survey.

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Based on last year’s survey in Argentina, Canada (Montreal), Lebanon, Romania, I would highlight the following key findings: Identity Identity is largely defined through hyphenated Armenianness, where family, language and culture are the defining constituents of Armenian identity. Religion Christianity and the Armenian Church are important aspects of Armenianness, but there is a wide spectrum of perceptions on religion and more nuanced views on spirituality. Language and culture Armenian language and culture are vital part of being Armenian and community life and demand for high-quality Armenian education is high.

Community Visionary leadership and more cultural and educational activities are high in demand in community life. There seems to be a gap between organisations and individual members of community. Armenia Homeland is not necessarily Armenia, but the Republic of Armenia, as an independent state and country, is an important point of reference for the Diaspora. Links: Armenian Diaspora Survey 2019 Results (5-minute video) https://youtu.be/pJeXenMFuZY The results of the 2019 survey (download PDF, 175-pages) https://www.armeniandiasporasurvey.com

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ZABELLE BOYAJIAN ARMENIAN LEGENDS & POEMS By Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian

A prized possession of the Armenian Institute Library is Armenian Legends & Poems compiled and illustrated by Zabelle Boyajian and published in 1916. The publication aimed to present some account of Armenian art and literature to anglophone audiences and was one of the first such books designed to raise funds for a charity, as did the Picture Book of fairy tales illustrated by Edmund Dulac in aid of the French Red Cross. Interest in Armenia had been awakened on either side of the Atlantic by the sufferings to which Armenians were being subjected during the First World War. Who was Zabelle Boyajian? She was born in 1873 in Diyarbekir in southern Turkey. Her father, Thomas Boyajian, a former Protestant pastor, served as the British vice-consul in the region. Zabelle was born after the marriage of Thomas with Catherine Rogers, an Englishwoman and a descendent of the poet Samuel Rogers, who was a contemporary of Byron and Wordsworth. Thomas Boyajian was killed during the Hamidian massacres of the mid 1890s. The family moved to London where Zabelle devoted herself to the arts, enrolling at the Slade School of Fine Art. She immersed herself in painting - her true passion – and became an accomplished painter, producing works in various styles and exhibiting in Britain and abroad. She also wrote essays on literature and introduced Armenian writers to the Englishspeaking world through her translations. Boyajian’s anthology is a selection of ancient lore, folk songs, early devotional and secular poems and contemporary works. The book also contains an essay on Armenian literature by Aram Raffi, the son of the celebrated author, Raffi. Boyajian worked closely with him and together they made significant contributions to the cultural life of the Armenian community in London.

Illustration by Zabelle Boyajian for “Birth of Vahagn”, a pre-Chrisitan legend that has come down to us as a poem. From Armenian Legends & Poems. At first glance, the choice of literature in the anthology appears to be haphazard, without an effort to put the contents in a specific cultural or historic context. But perhaps that was deliberate: to avoid distractions and allow the readers to take away what they wanted. The anthology also contains works with Armenian associations by John Gower and William Watson and two poems by the Italian-Armenian poet Vittoria Aganoor in original Italian. Gower, a late 14th century English poet, was commissioned to write the “The tale of Rosiphelee” by Richard II who played host to Levon V, the last King of Armenian Cilicia, when the latter was engaged in a mediaeval version of shuttle diplomacy between Paris and London to bring to an end the Hundred Years’ War. It is tempting to assume that the presence of the King of Armenia in London inspired Gower to write his tale about Rosiphelee, the daughter of a fictional Armenian king called Herupus. In Boyajian’s illustration of this tale, the princess’s figure is reminiscent of royal women depicted in

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Cilician Armenian manuscript illustrations. On the other hand, in the rave British reviews that greeted the publication of Boyajian’s book, some detected a pre-Raphaelite tone in her pictures, yet others saw influence of Byzantine art in their composition. Boyajian herself translated the majority of legends and poems and included seven poems versified by Alice Stone Blackwell. Like Boyajian in England, Blackwell played a central role in the promotion of Armenian literature in the United States at the turn of the 20th century. An American poet, feminist and human rights advocate, Blackwell had collaborated with Ohannes Chatschumian and Bedros Keljik on the translation of Armenian poetry that appeared in her Armenian Poems published in 1896. Blackwell’s anthology was set against the backdrop of Hamidian massacres to draw attention to the plight of the Ottoman Armenians. Boyajian contributed 12 illustrations to the anthology, most of them inspired by the legends included in the publication. The pre-Christian legends in the anthology have come down to us thanks to Moses of

Khoren, a chronologically itinerant historian whom modern scholars have moved from the 5th to the 8th or even 9th centuries and back to the 5th century. One of the legends that Boyajian chose to illustrate was the “Birth of Vahagn”, a deity in the preChristian Armenian pantheon. In the early 3rd century the cult of Vahagn became particularly strong in Armenia. He was second only to Aramazd, the principal deity, and like Mithra was identified with the Sun. Legends such as the ‘Birth of Vahagn’ are rare voices from pre-Christian Armenia, almost like two millennia-old recordings of the ancient Armenian language before it was written down in the 5th century. Boyajian’s anthology stood out amongst numerous books and pamphlets that aimed to sway public and political opinion in favour of the Armenians. Contrary to those publications which projected an image of the Armenians as a suffering nation, Boyajian’s volume was not a book of lamentation, but rather an unashamedly exuberant celebration of Armenian art and literature.

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1

OUR EVENTS 2020 was difficult but, as seen below, AI moved quickly to make the most of what it offers. We were fortunate to have support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, enabling an expansion of staff and activities. We reached people around the world from Japan to California, from Argentina to Iceland. During lockdown we offered workshops for people wishing to learn new skills and improve old ones. The explosion in Beirut and war in Artsakh brought a new, tragic focus to our events but we ended the year sharing food together, if only on screens. We hope to move to blended events in 2021 and look forward to welcoming you.

Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1

BOOK REVIEWS Zanazan Volume 1, Issue 1 The Politics of Armenian Migration to North America, 1885-1915: Sojourners, Smugglers, and Dubious Citizens by David E. Gutman. Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Review by Susan P. Pattie. This important book addresses a significant gap in studies about pre-Genocide Armenian migration from the Ottoman Empire, including departures and illegal return visits. Using a wide variety of archival material, this accessible text provides a rich and complex account of clandestine and illegal migration, reminding us that such population movements are not unique to recent times. David Gutman’s The Politics of Armenian Migration to North America explores how both Ottoman and American policies changed between 1885 and 1915, at times in opposition, eventually converging to block movement. The migrants are shown using agency and ingenuity, striving to accomplish their goals of sustaining selves and families. Gutman reveals inter-relations between the Empire’s ethno-religious groups with a network of smugglers facilitating the movement, Armenians occupying critical though fragile and changing positions in this important underground economy. The book explores the driving forces behind this risk-laden migration, demonstrating the importance of family-centred life for Ottoman Armenians. The backlash generated by this mobility, from the Ottoman Empire and later the U.S. government, mirrors what would become the default 20th century response to migrants and refugees, continuing today. As Gutman points out, migrants would have chosen to stay home, had they been allowed to prosper. Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, translated by Lisa C. Hayden. Oneworld Publications, 2020. Review by Tatevik Ayvazyan. Anatolia Sevoyants, the 58-year old librarian of Maran, is convinced she’s going to die soon. And while you are worrying about her and getting to know her ascetic home, Narine Abgaryan transports you to this fictional Armenian village to meet its dwindling population. Every home in Maran has a story, funny or sad but all tied with the scars of a war and famine. Abgaryan doesn’t place the village anywhere specific, which can be any conflict-ridden part of the world. Only her colourful language - dropping an odd Armenian word in her own Tavush dialect - connects Maran to the misty mountains of Armenia. Three Apples Fell from the Sky’has been compared to One Hundred Years of Solitude, for its structure, vibrant characters and prose skilfully embroidered with magical realism. The book made me also think of Hrant Matevosyan’s writing – warm storytelling and deeply empathetic look at the life in an isolated Armenian village. The Moscow-based author writes in Russian and the recent excellent translation by Lisa Hayden made the book available to English-language readers and is a serious examination of the cruelty and devastation of war, tragically very relevant to Armenia and Narine’s beloved Tavush today. Armenian Cuisine by Aline Kamakian and Barbara Drieskens. Beirut, 2012. Review by Arda Eghiayan. Armenian Cuisine, by the founders and chefs at the Mayrig restaurant in Beirut, has brought to the market a stunning cookery book which would be a wonderful coffee table book in itself, but for the fact it will get quickly stained by food through overuse. The chapters are typically divided by ingredients but more interestingly, throughout the book are interviews regarding the cuisine in different regions of historic Armenia and their specialities, such as Urfa, Musa Ler and Cilicia, bringing together in one book dishes that remind me of my Lebanese-Armenian grandmother but also my Cypriot-Armenian grandmother and their cooking traditions. Like the best of these women, all the measurements are in cups and you can easily end up cooking for 20 people with one recipe – the only way for us. Interspersed throughout the book are explanations on the ingredients – the garmir biber that we all know and love but I could not for the life of me find an English equivalent. In addition, there are also some beautiful photos of food, landscape and the authors and their families. As I say, a coffee table book as much as an incredible cookbook.

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS OF 2020 We are so grateful to all our supporters and volunteers, especially during this difficult past year. We have received Zanazan Volume has 1, Issue 1 to our Outreach Programme, contacting financial support from old friends and new. Volunteering shifted people for conversations during the isolation of Covid. All kinds of support make a huge difference as we work together. May 2021 bring the possibility of working together in person as well.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England have provided generous support, enabling us to continue operating throughout Covid. We are especially grateful to the Tanielian family for our new space, so beautiful and full of light – and now books as well. We look forward to being able to share this space with everyone. A very special thank you to our Major Donors who have kindly promised substantial financial support for a 3-year period as we settle into our longawaited new space. Richard Anooshian The estate of Krikor Didonian Bedo and Tania Eghiayan Belinda Keheyan Raffi Manoukian Nouritza Matossian

Our Benefactors have been the foundation for our work each year, some continuing for over 10 years. Our sincere thanks for your faith and support. Richard Anooshian Arda Eghiayan Diana and Panos Katsouris Ani King Underwood Memorial Fund Violet Tatevossian

We are especially grateful to friends who have given their professional services to help the Armenian Institute in its work and growth. Garo Medazoumian, FCA Keyvan Lankarani, RIBA All the artists whose important contributions helped raise funds for Arts for Artsakh. Please check the link below. https://www.armenianinstitute.org.uk/arts-for-artsakh Our most active volunteers in 2020 were part of the Outreach Programme led by Anoushka Berberian. Many thanks to Belinda Keheyan, Silva Keondjian, Shoushig Shamlian, Silva Shammasian, Hasmig Topalian.

BECOME PART OF THE ARMENIAN INSTITUTE FAMILY We are dedicated to making Armenian culture and history a living experience through innovative programmes, educational resources, workshops, lectures, exhibits and performances. To become a Friend, Patron or Benefactor of the Armenian Institute, please click here to join or use this url: https://www.armenianinstitute.org.uk/support-us Our levels of AI Friendship are: Friend (single) £25; Concessions £15; Family £40; Patron £100+; Benefactor £1000+ Single donations may be made through Kindlink on our website or by cheque mailed to: 258AS Armenian Institute, 1 Onslow Street, London EC1N Any questions? Please contact us: info@armenianinstitute.org.uk

View from the Northern Fields of Anjar, looking West towards Mount Lebanon. Photo by Vartivar Jaklian from Anjar 1939-2019 The Armenian Institute is dedicated to making Armenian culture and history a living experience through innovative programmes, educational resources, workshops, academic events, exhibits and performances. We aim to make the rich Armenian heritage relevant to present diaspora life and to build bridges with other peoples within Britain and beyond.