Celebrating the First Third - August/September 1994 by Armenian International Magazine

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1994

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COVERSTORY

CELEBRATING THE FIRST THIRD It's the first time

an independent Armenian Republic celebrates its third birthday. Yet

threekeyelements of statehoodare stillevolving: Democracy is put to the test by domestic power struggles; a nuclear solution to Armenia's energy needs is back on the agenda; and the formation of the army is seen as an answer to the nation's security concerns.

ANALYSIS Is Aliev Moscow's man or isn 't

30 he?

|l{sTtTuTtoNs

The passing of Catholicos Vazgen I triggers key questions for church and nation.

FIELD REPORT

The Armenian President's first official visit to the United States.

LANDMAFKS

Yerevan Citywalk: a pull-out guide to the city's home-museums and othercultural landmarks.

cLosE.uP

AP photojoumalist Kevork Djansezian's new imases from Karabakh and Armenia.

PFOFILE I

Robert Kardashian is caught in the crossfire of the OJ Simpson case.

ORGANIZATION NOTES 52 Medical Outreach specialists caring for Armenia's patients.

IIITERVIEW

A Dutch priest in the Armenian Catholic rite.

coMMul{tTtEs

Turkey's Armenian community has become an example of resilient cohabitation.

PROFILE

Salpy Eskidjian of the Middle East Council Churches is on a mission.

SPoRTS

Introducing an Australian soccer club.

MUSIC

Pulling the right strings and coincidence are key to the Chilinguirian Quartet's success.

FOCUS

Serge Ganjumian astonishes avant-garde fashion designers at a Riga show.

TECHI{OLOGY (CD

ROMI

Armenian software is coming of age.

PUBLISI{ER'S NOTE LETTEBS BYTES ON FILE FOREGROUND DOSSIER

8 9

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COVER OESIGN BY RAFFI TARPINIAN

AIM (ISSN 1 050-3471 ), AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1994, Vol. 5, No. 7, is publishod monthly, $45 per year, by Fourth Millennium, 207 South Brand Boulsvard, Suits 107, clendals, C491204;Phone:(818)2_46-7979, Fax:(818)245-00SS.SecondClassPoslagspaidatGlendale,CAandadditionalmailingoffices.CanadaPostPublicationsMailProduclSales

do not necessarily rspresont tho visws of ihe publishsr. For advgrtlslng querlea call: 1 -800-736i3246. Subscrlptlon rates lor one year, US: $45; Canada: $55; Frdnce: 350 FF ($55);Europe, Far East, S. Amarica, Africa_:$55; M AlM, P.O. Box 3296, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, U.S.A.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY It's only been four years, but already we have our own traditions to uphold. AIM's anniversary coincides with the anniversary of the establishment of the independent republic-just three years ago. Each year, AIM's special anniversary double

issue has

FOURTH MITIENNIUM SOCIETY A l.loek-ftofil, fublk Bqpftt Corwdim

celebrated both milestones. Happily, this yearis no exception. In this bigger-than-ever August-September issue, we

DIRECTORS

lookatthecontinuingchallenges statehoodpresentsforArmeniaandfortheDiaspora. Who's protectingArmenia's borders? Will theeconomy glow oncethenuclearpowerplant switch is thrown? And is it or isn't it a democracy? As if these questions weren't enough, the passing of Catholicos Vasken I presents the first up-front, no holds baned challenge to both Armenia and Diaspora to see if, beyond independent statehood, we can ruly envision and act as free-thinking members of one nation. Similarly, thejust-completedfirstofficial American visitof thefirstArmenianpresident was another opportunity to dissect expectations and attitudes. Inthemidstofall this change, Diasporacommunities too mustundergoreconfiguration. Among the most adept at adapting are the Armenians of Istanbul, and they have already begun, as we see in

YATOUJAN NAHAITT

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ASSOCIATE TRUSIEES

IAZMlo HAK|M]AN MA

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TOUNDING TRUSTEES

OATIN AYEDIKI,AN 4qM

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this issue.

AUSIUUA

Through these stories and more, here at AIM, we continue to try to make sense of our

HAROUT KATIVIDJI.AN

w*&tu

,ITATDO XAPII:UAN quprNlA

HAOOP KOUgHAK'I^N

tqtu

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changing world by

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asking questions and

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presenting the most

complete information

VAIOUJAN NAHAIET quuu NOTAIT O3XANIAN

available. When we succeed, it's because

auqu

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PAPAZIAN

AUqM

lot of wellmeaning people who there are

ZINZAUAN

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help out. From interested

tarit ztNzauaN

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subscribers who

207 SOI./IH ERAND BtVD.

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share information to

c,tfNDAtE, cA 9120r', usA

committed

Tclcphom

representatives and

tl,-2/|6-7079

correspondents around the world

tl!-21|6-@tt

to-volunteer

interns here at the office.

(clockwlse from top left, Tsolalr KoJayan, SevaqOskanlan, Nlna Thislastsummer, UomJlan and Annette BoolghlgrJlan (standlng), Todd.Kochunlan, we had a full harvest Roger.Kupellan, Ara Plranlan. Tlna JlzmeJlan and Alex Kalognomos ofini"*, from local (nol

Plclured)

high

schools

(Armenianandpublic) andcolleges. They were surprisedbythevariety ofbehind-the-scenes tasks. We were pleased that they found the assignments fun. While one hunted down the telephone numbers ofsubscribers who hadnotresponded to athirdrenewal notice, another lookedforthe telephonenumbers of individuals whose lives have taken an interesting turn, and would be worth featr,rring on our People page. One intern developed a Karabakh reference fileof dates and places. Two of them worked on updating ourin-house AIM index. We've been around long enough now that even we don't remember which article was in which issue. Together with the AIM index, they worked on an authority list of proper names so that we spell them the same way each time they're used. Almost everyone was recruited at some time to help file and record slides and photos. We haven't gotten to all 20,000 pictures yet, but we're working on it. Finally, several of them did do some writing and editing, as well. Altogether, it was a short summer. The interns came full of curiosity, questions and enthusiasm. They left convinced that there is plenty to do-to ensure more anniversaries. Indeed, this is the first time that an independent international news monthly has made it to four years. And it's the first time an independent republic of Armenia has celebrated its third anniversary. We're proud of both anniversaries and we're working on making more ofthem possible. AIM. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

Missing An AIM Back lssue?

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PUBLISHER Michaol Nahabot EDITOR Vartan Oskanian

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EXECUTIVE EOITOR Saloi Haroutinian chazarian EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Minas Koiaian EOITOR EMERITUS Charles Nazarian EDITOR AT LARGE Tony Halpin ART DIRECTOR Oicran Y. Kassouny ASSOCIATE EOITORS Taline Satamian, Garine Zeitlian CONTRIBUTIIIG EDITORS Vickon Babikian, Kevork lmirzian, Haig Keropian, Mark Malkasian, Aris Sevag, Ronald Grigor Suny, Jivan Tabibian, Talino Voskeritchian CONTRIBUTORS Marino Arakolians, Armen Aroyan, Michasl Arshagouni, Arlashos Emin, Hovhannos Harutiunian, Ani Klchian, Lola Koundakiian, Michael Mastarciyan, Moorad Mooradian, Nancy Naiarian, Ara Oshagan, Susan Pattig, Simon Payaslian, JanetSamuolian, Baffi Shoubookian EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Roger Kupelian, Ara Piranian CORRESPONDENTSAmmTn: Ara voskian Amrl.rdrm: Arsen Nazarian Brullclr: Kevork Oskanian Bucnoa Alrer: Sam Sarkissian London: Ani Manoukian Ptrl!: Khatchik Kechian Sydn.y: Haig Lep€djian Vlenne: S€bouh Baghdoyan Yerevtn: Hakob Asatrian, Armon Baghdasarian, Tigran Xmalian PHOTOGRAPHERS Amman: Karokln Kololian B.lrut: Arno Jihanian Bolton: Lona Sanents, Ari Stamatiou London: Edmond Terakopian Lor Ano.let: Karin Armon, Kevork Djansezian, Sossi Madzounian lllaml: Tony Savino New York: Harry Koundakiian Norlh Barean: Ardem Aslanian Parlr:Armineh Johannos, Aline Manoukian Proyldenca: Berg6AraZobian San Frrnclrco:Armen PelrGsian Yeraven: Mkhitar Khachatrian, Zaven Khachikien, Roub€n Mangasarian GR PHICDESIGN YelenaTatosian PHOTO ARCHIVISTS Todd Kotchounian, Parik Nazarian CIRCULAT|oN OIRECTOR Thomas Yeterian PFOIIOTIONS DIBECTOR Beth Broussalian ADMINISTFATIVE ASSISTANT Asdghig Mazmanian ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Alins S. Kassabian ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Ani Azar, Meline Ounjian INTERNS TinaJizmoiian, Alexander Kalognomos COLOR SEPARATION Photolith, Inc. Burbank, CA AIM POLLS conducted by tha Center for Rosoarch on the Armsnian Environmont, Yerovan, Nuno Magoyan, Direclor INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION AND ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES CANADA: Razmig Hakimian, 6695 Henri Bourassa Wesl, Montr al, PQ, H4R 2El, Telephone 51 a 339 251 7 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Sebouh Armenaglan, POBox 3000, Sharjah, UAE, Tolephono 971 6 331 361 UNITED KINGDOM: Misak Ohanian, 1054 Mill Hill Road, Acton, Lodon W38JF, U.K., Telephona 081 992 4621 FRANCE: JeanPatrick Mouradian, 3 Rue Jules Guesde, 9414o-Alfortvi116, Telephone 33 1 48 93 10 33 ITALY: Pierre Balanian, Via Morlacca, 61 A4l5, Rome, Telophone 995 1235 HONG KONG:JackMaxian, RM.A2, I 1/F, BlockA,26 Kai Cheung Rd., Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Tslephone 852 795 9888 AUSTRALIA: Alfred Markarlan, P.O.8ox 92, Merrylands, NSW21 60, Telsphone 02 897 1 846; Arlin Goc, 29 Maytak Ave., FornlreeGully, Vicloria3l 56, Phone 03-752-3873 Fax 03-752-3638 PUBLISHED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE BY THE FOURTH MILLENNIUM SOCIETY. A NOT-FOR-PROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIOI{

lUNI 8Y Zareh Bastajian, Vartan Karaoghlanian, Shahe Keheian, Krikor Krikorian, Michael Nahabet, Vatche Oknaian, Vartan Oskanlan, Thomes Yolerian Co-Founal.n Charles Nuarlan, Mlnas Kojaian FOUNDED

1gEg

Azerbaijanhave extendeddangerously their defensive perimeter. The advances have, in

fact, shortened the perimeter. The short defensive fronts from Hadrut to Iran and from Mardakert to Armenia via Kelbajar have eliminated the defensive efforts originally needed for the tortuous southern and western borders ofKarabakh.

oonop

Timing lr Evcrything As Gerard Chaliand says (Analysis, May), the independence for which the people of Mountainous Karabakh are fighting seems to be far-fetched and unrealistic.

Time, however, may work to convince the international community that granting

the legitimate wish of the people of Karabakh and accepting her as a member of

Heppy Faccr It would be nice to see a happy cover on

AIM forachange; children laughing, smiling, playing, an Armenian wedding, etc. You went too far on the February cover. How depressing, even before you reach the first page. EmmaAbrahamian Dearborn, Michigan

Thc Agc.Old Oucstionr ARPA's colloquy (Forum, June-July) should evoke substantial comment. For example:

Whyshould Karabakh choose the Russian plan forpeace and rejectthe CSCE plan? Because the CSCE plan puts Turks in Karabakh and sets up a logistic base in

Erzerum. The Western members of the CSCE favor Turkey and Azerbaijan. In a pinch, none of them will give Armenia the kind of military aid the US gives Israel, so why hold back and agonize over Russia's motives? No one doubts that Russia pursues Russian

interests. The idea is to make Armenia's interests gain priority and dominance over the interests of Azerbaijan andGeorgia. The

the international community is in the best interests ofpeace and stability in the region. First, because other alternatives, such as an autonomous region under Azerbaijan or reunification with Armenia are less workable and far more risky. An internationally mandated administrative regime for Mountainous Karabakh, answerable only to the

UN, may be a more attractive alternative. Second, Karabakh fulfills the requirements of sovereign statehood: It has a) defined territory, b) a permanent population and c) an effective government. It is not a puppet regime (like the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) and it is not answerable to any other country, not even to Armenia. As for the principle of territorial inviolability of borders, there seems to be a consensus now among internationallaw scholars that it loses its sanctity when used as a pretext forgross violations ofhuman rights, ethnic cleansing and other internationally condemned crimes, such as has been committed against the people of Karabakh. In such cases, itis theprinciple ofnational selfdetermination that wins over the principle

of territorial integrity or sovereignty of states.

attempts can fail for reasons adequately explained in the colloquy, but what other

A. Nazarian

options are there? Let's discard the Questions about your subscription? Questions about delivery? Renew gift subscription? Moving? Call

r€o(}73e32,,f'. International

subscribers call: 1418-246-7979

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ji j",,'3o\,ttf;lZ

ruminations of politicaltheorists and, in the manner of Machiavelli and Clausewitz, considerArmenia's situationintheultimate

paradigm of politics-namely, war. Oskanian had it right. Armenia is getting cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however badly given, from Russia. If aid from other sources were all Armeniahad. Armenia and Karabakh would be dead from a lethal

insufficiency

armaments, with

insufficiencies in food and fuel not far behind.

No politician should cause the Armenians to retreat based solely in the mistaken belief that their advances in AIM. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

The Hague,

Holland

Sllcncc lr Not Alwayr Ooldcn Thank you for the article by Beth Broussalian on Winter Fuel '94 (Special Report, April.) It was a thoughtful and

informative piece.

I contributed and prompted others, some non-Armenian, to give in the fall of I 993. Ever since, I have heard nothing from the project sponsors. I have been left to cull whatever information I could through press snippets and gossip. Frankly, I assumed the complete silence was the result of complete failure. It was heartening to read in your article that at least half the monev was

Prcridcntl for? I would like to congratulate Sarkis

successfully deployed by spring. I am grateful to you for having informed us of

Whet arc

whatis actually happening andthatmatters were not as bad as I imagined. I do not believe, however, that I should have had to wait for an article in your magazine to get informed. I am particularly initated at the Winter Fuel '94 sponsors for their treatment of nonArmenian contributors. These individuals do nothave access to the Armenian press or community word of mouth. The ones I talked into contributing kept asking me and I did not have direct credible information to

Shmavonian for his piece on the former

comfort them that their moneys were properly used. Most of these people are my friends and know how important Armenia is to me, so they will not press for an accounting. I showed them your article and that helped. But I assure you I cannot approach them again. I do not need to be turned into an apologist for Armenians. I understood when I contributed, given the problems in and around Armenia, that there would be inefficiencies in getting the fuel to Armenia. So I was prepared to rate the success of the project in light of those

problems. I did not expect nor do I understand the silence.

Kevork Deulonedjian Forest Hills. New York

dictatorship. A National Constitution should have built-in independent checksand-balances in order to prevent a president appointing and sacking civil servants, ambassadors, ministers, judges, regional leaders and paramount. The Armenian electorate should reject this kind ofconstitution. Finally, I would like to suggest that if this presidentis incapable ofgenerating the desired unity essential for our survival and progress, then he should do the only honor-

Soviet Union (Analysis, March) which truly shows his independent understanding ofthe complex situation. Armenia should never rely on the West's promises or the West's bankrupt and selective human rights policies which are strictly based on strategic or commercial interests such as oil, gas, gold. As for Armen Sahakian' s assessment of President Levon Ter-Petrossians's visit to London (Field Report, March and lptters, May) I am in full agreement. The president has failed miserably in his duties to build unity, accord andconsensus in Armenia and with the Diaspora. Instead, he and his foreign minister have generated disunity and mistrust by their 'divide and rule' policies,

abrething-resign'

uwr:;yiffi On thc SamcWavclcngth I request a topic for a future issue. I think all Armenians should be aware of Groong/

Hayastan e-mail' s existence. Currently, there are only 525 people on line,while there are millions of Armenians throughout the world. That' s when I thoughtof you at AIM.

reminiscent ofthe past era. The president should be seen as a symbol of unity for the whole Armenian nation and be capable of working sincerely with all major political forces in order to formulate a national doctrine in all aspects of life. He shouldlearn an object lessonfrom Artsakh's

Armineh Vosganian Waltham, M as sachus etts See Lola Koundakjian's this issue.

Government of Unity, which the whole Armenian nation is proud of. Can Armenians honestly say that they are proud ofthe

article in

llail

present Armenian government? On the subject of his proposed National

Lost ln the

Constitution, it is a recipe for legislative

problems of Lake Sevan (Cover, Novem-

It was thoughtful of you to present the

YOUSEFIAN YOUSEFIAN IAN . ROBERT

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, GERI'IAN

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AIM. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

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ber 1993), the largest body ofwater in the Caucasus, and Armenia's single biggest water resource.

The so-called Green movement in Armenia, which became powerful during 1989-91, was politically motivated and has resulted in immeasurable damage to Armenia's economy. Using environmen-

OrTi{E FemousArulEmruvCmnv FnEE SeuprE

I\AADE INAtrlErucA

tal concerns as an excuse, they have forced the shutdown ofmany industries, including

the nuclear power plant, crippling the economy of the country, and taking the country backwards. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protects the environment, the public and business. The EPA works closely with industry as partners, as aresult, thecountry is abletoprogress and theenvironment is protected.

In Armenia, people like

Hagop

Sanasarian (president of the Green Party who is a biologist with no education or experience in environmental engineering or management) are opportunists who used environmen[al sentiments to rise to power. By interviewing him you have given undue importance to aperson who has costArme-

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MESONHII' Number of times Armenia was mentioned in the original Star Trek series:

Number of people who ride Yerevan's metro daily: 250,000

Number of humanitarian assistance trips to Karabakh made by writer, physician and activistZoiBalayan and British Parliamentarian Baroness Caroline Cox since the beginning of the Karabakh conflict: 20 Percentage decrease of vineyard acreage in Armenia between l9l3 and l9I9: 45 Percentage decrease of total livestock during the same period: 68 Per capita daily portion of total breadstuff harvest of 1919: 3 ounces Number of those who starved to death in the region of Kamo (near Lake Sevan), in I 9 I 9: 25 ,000

Number of women named to l7-person Armenian state jubilee committee to mark the l25th anniversary of the birth of writer Hovannes Toumanian and composer Komitas: 0 Rank of Armenia among countries on the UN's Human Development Index: 53 Rankof Canada: 1; Rankof Ukraine:45 Number of Armenia-based newspapers which attempted American distribution but ceased: 2 Gross volume of Armenian exports January to April, 1994: 6,518 billion Drams (US$ 36.5 million) Gross volume of imports during the same period: 11,931 billion Drams (US$ 66.1 million) Percentage of export increase over same period last year: 1.8 Percentage of import increase: 18.2

Number of colors of tufa stone: 4 (orange, blue, yellow and pink) Percentage of Yerevan residents who would prefer a socialist economy today: 18 Percentage who wouldprefer a free market: 14

Highest annual temperature in Armenia's Arax Valley: 42C (107 F) Highest average temperature in Egypt's Aswan uea:42 C (107 F) World Book Encyclopedta; Soviet Arnenia1971: Khachkar 1969; Hayastanl Hannpetutiun; Azg; Hovannislan, R.G.Ihe BepuUic ol ArmeniaiAGBU'AlS; AIM Research

AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

Gompllcd by GARINE ZEITLIA]I In a July meeting held in Moscow, several CIS and Eastern European countrles declded to coordlnate thelr energf policles. The meetings focused

on the region's fuel requirements, reserves, production potential and export

markets

for petroleum products.

Delegates also discussed the problem

Uzbekistan participated

the

privatization. The funds will be used to

preparation of the plan. The funds will be used to conduct feasibility studies and to

improve accounting and auditing

build local institutions to implementthe program. TheAral SeaBasin-oneofthe world's worst environmental disaster areas<overs 266,4fi) square miles and

standards inbanks and to modernize tax and customs administration.

Ukraine's Parliament approved a

proposal to halt privatization by vote of 170-99 until August 19 when

non-payment for fuel deliveries-a

list of properties whose

rampant problem throughout the former

prohibited is to be drawn for approval by the legislanrre. The Communist-led alliance which campaigned for the vote

SovietUnion.

The Russlan Foreign Trade

argued that such

despite calls by lawmakers to slash it to

measure

will regulate

currently employed by state-owned a

industries.

uzlEl(tl?all

12 ECV per ton. The measure is considered a blow to joint ventures which are forced to post bank guarantees for the tax as they await full exemptions. Theministry explainedthatthetax would help maintain other exemptions imposed on Russian producers, such as taxbreaks

privatization and protect workers

Ministry

announced that the government had decided to sustain the 30 ECU per ton ($5 perbarrel) cnrde export tax this year,

sale is

Moldova's new constitution went efTect on August 27, four years

into

after the former Soviet republic declared TUiI(IEIII3I

its independence. The document f,

reduces presidential powers sanctioned by the constitution of 1978, guarantees political pluralism and stipulates private

onimportedequipment.

ownershipofproperty.

i.or^r.ra. In June, the World r.l-F1o'',"" - r.'+rr\\.^rx\ Bankapproveda$Sfi) milllon loan for

i:i$ "i,L Russia to hetp i\\\pd// j rehabtlttate lts oll industry. Energy "+.)V-J '()rrrr.pe'- production-including oil, BnS, coal

and

is populated by 35 million people. Just like Lake Sevan in Armenia, the Aral Sea is drying up and has shrunk to half its size

duetothediversionoftheAmuDaryaand Syr Darya rivers for inigation purposes.

In addition, the excessive use of chemicals in nearby fields has contaminated its waters, jeopardizing supply.

The European Bank for

Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will extend Armenia

credit

of $20 million. The funds will be used to create wholesale markets, to obtain equipment for manufacturing packing material, and the sale of agricultural products on foreign markets.

electricity-make up about a seventh of this country's economic production and generate half of its foreign exchange carnings. The funds will be used by oil

producing associations in Western Siberia to reconstnrct field infrastructure, replace pipelines, infill wells and provide

equipment and training for pollution control. The project will increase the national ouputof incremental oil by 2.5

percent and

will generate additional

revenues of $900 million annually.

The United Nations Development Program and the UN Environment Program joined the World Bank to offer $31.4 milllon to addrees thedesiccatlon of theAral Sea in Central Asia. Experts

from Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan t4

and

The International

Development

Association(IDA) of

ThroughoutJuly,

Azeri forces extensively bombarded

Bank

vlllageslnslde

approved a credit of

Armenia's borders

fromthedirectionsof

Kyrgyzstan to help

Azerbaijan proper

the World

$17 mllllon

strengthen that counhy's social safety net. The funds will be used to locatc the poor and the unemployed-

whomadeup35 percentofthepopulation in 1992-and toprovidethem assistance, job counseling, training and unemploymentbenefits.

IDA voted e credit of $10.1 mllllon

to help Georgla build stronger institutions in its financial sector.

economic managementprograms and for

AIM, AUGUST- SEPTEMBER 1994

ofNakhichevan. used tanks and armored and

The Azeris

equipment. Armenia's border patrol troops realiated.

The Overseas Private Investment

Corporation (OPIC) announced that

cannot support a joint oil production sharing agreement

between Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and the American

company BMB

Oil. The support

depends on the Freedom Support Act

1992 which prohibits American assistance to Azerbaijan until such time as the US President determines that the

Azeri government "is taking demonstrable steps to cease all

blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and NagornoKarabakh." In July, Azerbaijan's state-owned

oil

company SOCAR and the eightmember western consortium of oil companies signed the protocol of an oil development and productionsharing agreement in Baku. The document on the Caspian Sea oil fields is expected to be submitted to the Azeri Parliament for approval.

US President Bill

thus becoming the largest economic development program launched by a private US company in Armenia. The Armenian government will allocate 15,000 acres of state lands to thejoint venture for the development of the Armenian Sugar Company, an agroindustrial factory complex that will also accomodate 20,000 hectares of sugarbeet

farmland.

Responding to fierce Russian pressure, Turkey has modified the regulations for tanker trafflc through the Straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles it intended to enact in July. These rules affect Russia's overseas and the need for the former Soviet republics to use Russian territory to export their oil. By restricting tanker traffic through the Straits using the excuse of ecological contamination,

Clinton signed

through pipelines in Turkey.

allocating less than $75

Walesa received the Turkish Orderof

In July, Polish President Lech

million" to

Merit, First Class, from his Turkish

Armenia. The

legislation also directs the Pre-

sident

establish a Transcaucasus Enterprise Fund to encourage the development of small and medium-sized businesses in theregion.

Armenia was the only CIS country to show increased industrial output

for 1994, with its four percent increase over last year's levels. The Interfax news agency reported that overall production, agricultural output and gross domestic production in all other

former Soviet republics continued to decline, with Georgia leading with a 50 percent slump over last year's levels.

P&EFoodProduction Technolog5r Management, Inc., and the government of Armenia signed a $160 million

jolnt venture

agreement

policy.

On July 4, Turkish Embassy Counselor Omer Haluk Sipahioglu was shot and killed in Athens. Greece. Despite various warnings about terrorist attacks againstTurkish targets in Greece,

the Turkish diplomat was not given adequate protection by the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs. The

"November 17" organization which government responsible for killing numerous Greek Cypriots and Kurds, claimed

holds the Turkish

responsibility for the assassination.

trade, since they limit Russian markets

Turkey forces Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to export their oil

legislatlon t'no

stimulation and mutual protection of investments, and monetary and credit

counterpart Suleiman Demirel. On an official visit to Turkey, Walesa also met with Prime Minister Tansu Qiller and former Foreign Minister Hikmet Qetin. Qiller declared that Turkey and Poland are "two dynamic countries" that have shapedhistory. Qillerannouncedthatthe

two countries will cooperate in the restructuring of the Eastern European

economies. Walesa, in turn, saidthattheir

joint efforts will contribute to the establishment of overall stabilitv in Europe.

gasline. The announcement was made in the wake of Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani's visit to Turkey in late July. Even though there are currently no gas or oil pipelines linking the two countries, it is expected that the new gasline will be an extension of the proposed line from Tabriz to Nakhichevan that the Iranians

promised Azerbaijan, earlier in July, upon Azeri President Gaidar Aliev' s visit to lran.

Iran indicated that tt might be willing to accept a compromise on the appointment of an OPEC secretary general. In June, Iran had blocked the appointment of former Venezuelan oil minister to the post and had insisted on its own candidate. A formal decision is expected at OPEC's upcoming meeting in November. OPEC appointments are by unanimity and notby majority vote.

Iraq might ollicially recognize the Kuwalt border before the next UN

Armenia signed

economic cooperation agreements wlth Tajiklstan and Kyrgyzstan, two former Soviet

review of sanctions next month, Iraq's ambassador to the UN, Nizar Hamdoon told Security Council members. While the border issue is key for the Security Council, it is not the only impediment to the lifting of sanctions. The international

republics of Central

Asia. The documents deal with free trade.

Iran will export two billion cubic meters per year of its natural gas to Turkey, upon the establishment of a

organizations insists on continued the

monitoring of Iraq' s weapons.

AIM. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

APARTY

ARMENIAN

OFFSHOOT

PASTORS MURDERED IN IRAN

In the midst of Armenia's increasingly turbulent internal political life, a new political party has appeared. The self-proclaimed liberal wing has broken off from the Ramkavar or Armenian Liberal Democratic Party of Armenia (ADLA), itself an independent variant of the Diasporan party known as

the Armenian Democratic Liberals (ADL.) In an announcement to the media dated

have been abducted, tortured and murdered. Mehdi Dibaj and Tadeos Mikaelian disappeared from their

homes late in June and a few days later their bodies were found. Dibaj was a 60-year-old evangelist who had spent

August 9, the new party offers its

nine years

manifesto: "The liberal branch ofADLA has decided to remove itself from the

from Islam to Christianity. In December, 1993, he

jurisdiction of a party that

has dishonored

the principles of liberalism

and

democracy in our republic and, relying on

the few healthy elements within the organization, has established a new party," The splinter group took with it half the

party's members in the Armenian Parliament, reducing their parliamentary repre-sentation from 14 to 7, at lastcount. The agenda of this new organization

includes information dissemination within the party in order to empower

injail

on charges ofapostasy---â&#x201A;Źonverting

was sentenced to death by an Islamic court, but after worldwide protests, he was freed in January. He was a close friend of Hovsepian-Mehr and, at his funeral in February, Dibaj had declared: "I should have died, not brother Haik." Mikaelian, 62 years old at the time of his death,

took over as acting chairman of the Council of ProtestantMinisters inlran after Hovsepian-Mehr's death. Forl2 years he had been general secretary of the Iranian Bible Society (later closed by the authorities) and was known as a translator of more than 60 Christian books into Persian. In the early 1980s he had spoken out against restrictions on the Christian churches in an interview with a French

members in thedecision-making process and to prohibit the formation of a self-perpetuating

magazine.

elite; the development of a unified position which would both provide constructive criticism to the

controversial government document stating that there is religious freedom in lran-the same document which Hovsepian-Mehr had refused to sign.

government and offer participation in its projects. The traditional leadership in Armenia and Diaspora accuse the rebels of sour grapes. Hagop Avedikian, veteran party member and editor ofAzg, the ADLA's publication in Armenia, insists that the new party consists of those elements which were unable to achieve power. The manifesto of the new liberal wing, on the other

hand, criticizes the ADLA of corruption, of obstructionism of the government's work and of internal dissent. Such dissent became obvious during recent months, after the expulsion of several party members from theADLA, including parliamentarian Viken Khachanian. A short time later, Azg ceased its simultaneous publication in lns Angeles, following intemalbickering over the allocation of party resources and internal accountabiliw. Salpl Haroutlnlan Ghazarlan

Since the January murder of Haik HovsepianMehr, superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church in Iran, another two Protestant Christians

AIM. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

Last December, Mikaelian agreed to sign

With the government and the opposition, the People's Mujahedeen, accusing each other of responsibility for the murders, Protestant Christians in Iran are fearful. The six hotestant churches in the country claim a membership of some 15,0fi) people, most of them former members of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Protestants have been particularly singled out for attack. Their continued missionary activity and welcoming attitude !o converts from Islam have infuriated many Muslims. Leaden of the Armenian Church have been cautious

with their comments in the wake of the murders. "Suspect hands are 0rying to create tensions between

different religious communities," an unnamed ArmenianchurchleadertoldAgenceFrancePress, especially between Muslims and Christians."

"and

FellxCorley

CHURGH FOLLOWS STATE Just as Russia is playing an increasingly high

profile role in conflicts outside its borders-in

wamed that some conflicts couldemergein the future. Of more concern to many participants, especially

to Protestant churches, was the intolerance of majoritychurches. Protestants complained aboutthe Orthodox Church having become the "statechurch" again, to the detriment ofother groups.

Although Russian

Orthodox leaders toneddowntheiranti-

Catholic and antiI'rotestant rhetoric at

the conference, behindthescenesthey pursued their

campaign to restrict therights ofwhatthey

termed "foreign" religions in Russia. Russian Orthodox

mediationattemptssuch as the proposed

meeting of rcligious

leadeninSarajevo,or themeetingsbetween

Armenian bishops and Sheikh-ul-Islam

Pasha-Zade, the

Muslim religious leader from Bakuseem to be wellmeaning. But so far,

the attempts have

Patrlarch of Moccow and All Rugala, Alexel ll.

been seen

Karabakh, Bosnia and Abkhazia-so the Russian Orthodox Church has stepped up its international

unacceptable interference, rather than even-handed

Moscow in June on the theme "Christian Faith and

KARAPENTS-

mediation. Fellx Corley

"mediation" role. The latest sign of this was a conference held in the St. Daniel monastery in HumanTensions." "Brother has moved against brother, sometimes wittr a gun in the hand, sometimes with hatred," said Russian Orthodox Pariarch Alexei. '"Ihe political and social conflicts between nations have begun to threaten the very existence ofour states." Thel5O participants represented the Orthodox, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran and Armenian churches of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic c,ounries. The raditional churches of the two Baltic sates, the Estonian Lutherans and Lithuanian Catholics, refused to attend, presumably for fear of acknowledging any kind of Russian authority over theircountries. The conference agreedthatno current conflict in the former Soviet Union was caused by

religion, but some speakers from Central Asia

TELLING THE STORIES OF THE DIASPORA Inarguably the most prominent of Diasporan

prose writers, Hakob

Karapents

(Jack Karapetian), has just had his latest collection of short

stoies, Mi M ard u M i E rkir

(A Man And A Country), published by Watertown, AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

Massachusetts-based

communication between man and man, man and

Blue Crane Books, which had published a collection ofhis literary essays in a

woman, and man and nature. Presently living in Massachusetts, Karapents contributes to Voice of America, where, foryears, he served as director of its Armenian section, and continues to serve as consultant to its management. Since his works are increasingly regarded as the defining oouvre of post-World War II ArmenianAmerican prose literature, it is fitting that a collection of his stories in English translation will also be published by Blue Crane later this year.

volume entitled Erku Ashkharh (Two Worlds) in 1992. These are his eighth and ninth volumes since the firstcollection of short stories, Antsanot Hoginer (Unknown Souls) appeared in 1970, in Beirut, Lebanon. The present volurne contains 20pieces written from 1987 to 1993, with two exceptions penned in 1956. In this collection, Karapents explores the existentialist dilemma of contemporary man, with

theaddedconundrum ofbeingArmenian in thelightspeed changes of weslern society. Increasingly, his

preoccupation has become the breakdown of

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

Yervand Kochunlan

AROYALSHOW The Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, along

with

the Royal Agricultr,rral Society of England, was a key

organizer and coordinator of this year's Royal

and various traditional artifacts, including stone

Agricultural Show of Great Britain, July 4-7. "It is essential for Armenia to raise its profile in the

crosses (khachkars) and crests. According to

Levon

Khachatrian, director ofthe technical service ofthe Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, Armenian jams

international arena. This show is an ideal opportunity for the general public to find out what Armenia has

and preserves were a big hit. Safeway Supermarkets, a majorretailerin Britain, showed interest in marketing some of the Armenian

to offer," said Armenia's State Minister Gagik

Shahbazian, who was present with a small

delegation.

products to its customers. Possibilities of shipping goods to Japan were also discussed. Shahbazian used the opportunity to meet with

Every year, thousands ofpeople come !o visit the

various stands representing manufacturers, consultants, retailers, wholesalers, animal breeders and governmental organizations and agencies.

manufacturers of farm machinery and firms specializing in animal genetics,

"The fact that Armenia is one of only two ex-

well

agricultural

raining and education. Shahbazian also met with high-ranking officials from Britain's Ministry of

Soviet republics (Latvia being the other) to participate in this, one of the biggest and imPortant shows of its kind in the world, is an indication of Armenia's resolve to enter the international arenaas a reliable trading partner," asserted Shahbazian. The Armenian stand displayed a wide variety of alcoholicbeverages,jams and preserves, dried fruit'

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and representatives of British Executive Services Overseas, a non-profit organization that provides services to developing

countries'

Ara Prranran

DIRECTOR OF ENVIROMENTAL RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT CENTER (ERMC) Af,ERICAl{ U]IIYERIITY OF ARTEI{IA YEREVAI{, REPUELIC OF ARXEilIA

tllE

cndowed lX3lmrT0ll:lleAmcricanUnivcrsityofAnncda(AUA)isaprivately in&xn&ntinstihrtion of hiCheroducation in Arieniawhich isestablislredon the American

1991, AUAisrffrliatedwitb thc Univerof instruction is English' ThcAUA is sceking a Director for its'Environnrcntel Rcse$cih a-od M8nrScmcnt centcr. The c*nter hss an intcrdisciP[naly prognm in cnvionmcntat rcscuch rnd cducation' uith ParticiPation of-faculty' graduate iese-arch assishnts and scicntists of vuious instituEs of ArmcDir and lheMlustty ot tsnvlmomcnal Protection ofthc Rcpublic ofArmenia.

EiublishodinYcrcvrn in

"i"diiliiiLnerU.inc. iilv oiittfo.i.. ntc i'anguagc

RlSFOl|3lllllllEl: mrtunitis

lhc Director will providc lcrdcnhip-in the development of op' radcnic sccton. The Dircctor

for colhborativc rcscarch with govirmmcntrl and

'*itilisoU.resooosiblcforthccducational

[rogramoftlrunivcnity inenvimomnbl awarc-

rnd eovirinncntrl risk nanagcmcnt. and-will teach the required graduatc lcvel coursc for all students ofthcAUA. ncss

Q|rfUF|Glll0ll3:

Ph.D degrec in an environmcnally relateddiscipline' Adninisraa scnior level acadenic appoint-

firc uCrcaOcmicirpricncc shoildbe comnrcnsuratc with

mcnt. Knowlcdrcof'Armpnirnisdesired.TlreDircCtorwillresidcinYerevanunder$eterms of r contnctthai will rcquirc r minimum of orc ycrrof resi&ncl. 1994, but applications wil bc acceped until confoeosuratc wih exfi:rience and academic qualifica-

Screnin! ofrDplicatioas will bcgin August 15,

positi-oo

iiiiifa.

Sal'y

wiU

tions. To l42ptt, scld qPlil:atton htler, 'z;sullr

oul

nantcs of

chnc nlctcnca

ATERIGAX UXIYEB3EY OF ABTEXIA 3OO

I.AKESIDE DRIVE,22ND FLOOR, OAKLAND' C491612 ATTN: ERMC SEARCH COMMITTEE

AUAdos m,

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bsb

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SAVE 400/o'70o/o wERYDAY AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

GELEBmTING THE FIRST THIRD

Money, flag, passport and national airlines-these are the obvious symbols of independence. But it is the other attributes of nationhood-secure borders, a prospering economy and the strengthening of democratic institutions-that are the real test of a truly independent country.

lNstDE,ourslDE

The Ghanging Face of Armenia's

Domestie Politics

By SALPI HAROUTINIAil GHAZARIAN An interview with Vazgen Manukian will appear in our next issue.

are back. A not-so-boyish Ashot Manucharian and an unchanged Vazgen Manukian, both can be heard calling for a change in government, again.

regularly

Themajordifferencetoday is thatnoone

now in Yerevan's Opera Square (renamed Freedom Square in the

is talking about shaking loose of foreign

heady days

changed is the government which came into power as a result of popular elections less

he rallies taking place

1988) are

reminiscent of those early demonstrations . The size of the crowds is still nothing in

comparison to the historic hundreds of

thousands who turned up then, but according to some estimates, as many as 60,000 have begun to turn up today.

Indeed the tens

thousands of

suspicious and apathetic citizens show up,

everyweekorevery two weâ&#x201A;Źks,

is evidence ofthe search for hope through the depths of frustration. Nevertheless, nothing in the engagement of the demonstrators parallels the intensity of 1988, when what began as

information-dissemination rallies quickly turned the crowds into believers. The greatest similarity between now and then is in the personalities. Some of the old faces Lett to dght: Vahan Hovannlslan (ARF), Vezgen ilenuklan (NDU), Oavlt Vedanlan (NDU)

shackles. The government that they want

than three years ago. This message is no different from the one that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and the

National Self-Determination Union

(NSDU) of Paruir Hairikian have been delivering foroverayear. Theonly variance is thatthe new demonstrations appearto be regular and they are drawing crowds who

listen to opposition speakers placing the blame for the bulk of the people's social and economic problems on the government's mismanagement, andnotas the government asserts, on the war over Karabakh and the resultant blockade of Armenia. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. But no one wants to talk specifics. Therefore, the political discourse between government and opposition has been reduced to name-calling. Indeed, the cynical analysts-from taxi

drivers to writers-insist that today's struggle for power has no ideological basis. Rather, it is the reflection of individuals' ambition for power. After all, the most visible of today's opposition leaders are those who have themselves been frustrated in their won personal relationships with those in power. This frustration can be interpreted in one of two ways: either that

people the confidence thatthey can pressure the government, find options in response to

the government's unacceptable actions-in fact participate in making changes.

One such change for which the opposition takes credit is the recent presidential order which limits the Interior

Ministry's ability to tax business ventures. Lettto right: Ruben Mizirkhanian (ADLA), Paruir Hairikian (NSDU),AshotManucharian (NDU) they saw inexcusable mistakes as a result of which, today, they are inopposition. Or, that their frustrations and discouragement have

himself, liars and thieves who use terror to

been transformed into acute personal

than produce evidence.

stay in power, Manucharian challenged the

Interior Minister to take him to court rather

enmity, which, today, they express in

Unfortunately,

is buttressed by the fact that nothing specific is said in the opposition's claims, no alternatives are proposed.

Interior Minister' s response to these public charges was

political terms. This conclusion

A prime example is the verbal dual between the President's former Interior Minister, Ashot Manucharian, and the current minister, Vano Siradeghian. The first was a teacher, and the second a writer, until they became members of the Karabakh

Committeein 1988. They both served inthe

Ter Petrossian administration until

Manucharian's resignation in early 1993. After a quiet absence of several months, Manucharian resurfaced early this year, with accusations. Calling everyone from

Siradeghian to Parliament President

Babgen Ararktsian, to Ter Petrossian

the

of the same ilk. Siradeghian, too, accused Manucharian of illicit contacts and unpatriotic intentions, without offering

or concrete examples. The crossfire

evidence

continues. Vazgen Manukian, who has held various positions in

government from Prime

Minister to

Defense Minister, manages to stay above the fray. Indeed, he justifies the rallies as an attempt to return to the

AIM, AUCUST - SEPTEMBER I994

The practice had been a sore point with a populace who said the government was hampering its efforts to benefit from the marketplace. Manukian explains that the President's order was in reaction to the opposition' s consistent and public complaints. Already, Manukian is

being heralded as

champion of the people's dissatisfaction, and chants of "Vazgen, Yazgen" are being heard. That may be the reason why the other parties in the opposition do not yet seem to have a clear perspective of where they should stand regarding this new force. It is no secret that Manukian's eloquence and popularity can easily overshadow their own parties. A coalition of

parties may succeed in bringing more people onto

the streets, but

may also increase

Curiously, Father Husig Lazarian, head

Manukian's authority. There may of course be another reason for the hesitation. After all, Manukian, Manucharian and the others were themselves in powerpositions not too long

of theruling Armenian National Movement, says only partly injest. "There is no solid

ago, and themselves are at least partially responsible for the current state of affairs. In Armenia, the opposition press is, if not outright negative regarding

opposition today. The opposition, any opposition must stand for something, and not simply be against something."

it remains for the opposition to convert the public'

education

People's

Manukian and the NDU, certainly reticent. In the phenomenon of therallies to

highlight the people's

rule, where government

dissatisfaction, and to

meant one-party rule.

accuse the Ter Petrossian

Today, ANM's nearly total hold on government has been difficult to grasp and accept by the rnasses who

government of repressing the wave of protest. They are also using the occasion to emphasize their own call

expected that with

government's

democracy, there would necessarily come rule and government by consensus

resignation and the creation a

campaign.

government and opposition parties is a reaction, learned from 70 years of totalitarian

inclined to utilize the

disdain

unrealistic expectations of their

Diaspora, party organs are

for the

to ideology. At the same time, there is need for an

coalition government.

Since parliamentary elections are already scheduled for 1995-just around the corner-the opposition has begun to backaway fromits calls for early elections and the

at every step of the way.

However, pluralism in Armenia has thus far turned

out to mean something

different than what people envisioned.

rallies appeartobe merely thebeginning of an election campaign. '"To date, political organizations do not

have social backing," observes Vigen Khachatrian, formerly a member of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party of Armenia (ADLA) and now a member of its splinter group. "Not only are they not

When the first elections were held in 1991, the two main parties in place-the Communists and the Armenian

Raffi K. Hovannisian received a73,2 percent positive rating followed by Manukian at 30.3 percent.

Hovannisian, the former foreign minister, is quite vocal in his chastisement ofhis formerboss duringhis frequentEavels to Armenian communities in the Diaspora,

but is comparatively quiet in Armenia, where he has established the Center for

National and International Strategic

Studies. ln anotherpoll conducted in July, during

which Yerevan University students were questioned, Ter-Petrossian received the highest positive rating, with a low 14.1 percent, and Hairikian 9.9, Manukian 9.5 and Hovannisian. 8.5. The political parties received equally lowratings in bothpolls. And therein seems

to lie the crux of the domestic political struggle. Whereas

in 1988, there was an

ideology as goal-national self-

determination-in 1994, there is simply a dissatisfaction with the existing political, social andeconomic situation, butno vision

ofan alternative. It remains to be seen whether the rallies

members

present and future leaders.

of parliament realigned

leaders who are capable of forming a

in parliament today do not necessarily

government."

reflect the people's preferences. In a May

PIOSTIAIIT

feelings were positive or negative about I I individuals. Of those on the job, President Ter Petrossian received the highest positive rating22.9 percent. Of those out of office,

will become themechanism thatwill focus an exhaustedpublic's attention on the real issues and their proposed solutions--or

themselves voluntarily. The political blocs

IIICIIAEL

Centeroftle Armenian Academy of Sciences and entitled "Questionnary," those surveyed were asked whether their

Research

National Movement-were elected to all seats in Parliament, with the ANM holding a majority. When new political parties came on the scene (today over 30 are registered),

organized, they also do not have the sort

poll conducted by the Sociological

indeed

whether the voters will continue to be demoralized by the cheap talk of past,

Wlth rcpoftlng by Hakob Asatrlan.

PE-ISO R.ECOR.DS CAIIIAIDA PRDSEITTS

IIAR'oITT ZTIiTIAITT

TIIEurORLDIS

I.AR,GTSITARMTNIAIII ltfiUSICSTLECTION.

TIIE I.AT'EST RELEASES FROITITRADTTIONAL TC) nfiODTR.II.

ls2('-94

CALL FOR OT'R. FRTE CATAI.OGI 1t'65 DIIDEMAIITE, MrL., gItE., IISM- I.R 1 CANADA nAX: (614) 9,97-2()74

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

13('8-94

ll..,:,

i,.i+ir#i

.i.1i;,'

COMING IN FROM THEGOLD

Looking for Ways to Restart the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant By SALPI HAROUTINIAN GHAZARIAN

.:!':l4J=:tF

years, 60 percent of the country's fuel supplies have been cut offand 70 percent of its electric generation capacity has been shut down, according to the Ministry of Energy and Fuel. Armenian President Levon Ter Petrossian's 1994 New Year's message placed the reopening of the nuclear power plant on par with the search for a peaceful

solution to the Karabakh crisis and the

adoption

residents are in favor of the plant's reopening. Hasmik, a retired Russian language teacher, echoes the feelings of

many. few miles from the Turkish border stands the CIS's only nuclear power plant outside

Russia, Ukraine

reopen it in 1995 which have sparked a controversy involving many parties. From the Russians who built the plant to the

and

Americans who do not want any new

Kazakhstan; it is the Metsamor nuclear

players in the nuclear power game, everyone has something to say about

power plant in Armenia, an important card

for the energy-starved and politically precarious country. Its importance is highlighted by the fact that the government renamed it Armenia about a year ago. Yet the plant is idle and has been for the past five years. However, there are plans to

Metsamor's future. Not surprisingly, the most vocal are the leaders and people oflandlocked Armenia who depend heavily on unreliable and

unstable sources

of a Constitution as his

government's top three commitments for this year. He pledged to throw the start-up switch by nextwinter, thus beginning to put an end to a near economic standstill. Polls indicate that a majority of Yerevan

of energy from

neighboring countries. Over the past few AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

"It

must be opened," she says.

"Closing it in 1989 was very wrong. At least we will have decent electrical power. At the end, what difference does it make how we die? Ifthe present conditions continue for a few more years, there will be no one left in

Armenia."

Still, not everyone in Yerevan Thirty-one-year-old Vasak says

Metsamor is reopened, he

agrees.

as soon as

will

leave

Armenia. "Sooner or later either it will blow up or others will blow it up. I don'tbelieve the governmentcan pay too much attention to the safety factor because that requires L5

major financial commitment, and our country is very poor. After all, no other closed nuclear plant anywhere in the world

"Metsamor was closed

the

governmentin responseto the trauma of the people who wereafraid ofaChernobyl-type accident which would wipe out the whole

getthe impression that a major scientific experiment is being conducted. I have no intention ofbeing a part ofthat research." Experts insist that Vasak's fears are

earthquake," explains George Kay,

unfounded. Metsamor-type pressurized

industry experts to provide voluntary

water reactors do not blow up. At worst, there can be radiation leaks which can be

technical assistance and guidance for the safe reactivation of the power plant.

has been reopened. I

contained by the steel-in-concrete

construction design of the plant. But in the absence of a public education program, this and other subtleties and assurances do not reach a population fearful of another incident of mass destnrction.

country, especially right after the 1988

president of the Medzamor Foundation, a California corporation created by nuclear

"After all, we're selling electricity to Turkey, they thought, at the time," he a surplus and we don't need Metsamor. There was never any question of its reliability or safety. This was

continues. "We have

not a defect shutdown, but more like the

Twin Nuclear Reactor Building fnmary Loop)

Adninistrative and Engineeing

Turbine and Generator Building (SecoNary Loop)

Building

Maintenance

Electrical Distribution

Cooling Tower

Chalating CoolingWater

AtM

tuuSTRAlON

G9Stff

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

/ OtCRAf, Y.

"The safety considerations can be dividedintonrocategories-above ground and below ground," explains Chenian. The below ground considerations are the region's seismic and volcanic situation. The

data available from the Soviet period indicates that since the 1960s there has been

considerable seismic activity in the area. But to be certain that this has not caused damage to the power plant, the IAEA has

recommended that six 50 meter holes, logetherwithone500meterhole,bedug and the area's geology studied. If today's data corresponds with thatofthel960s, then the area can be considered seismically secure,

according to the IAEA. The Armenian government has complied and the holes are already being dug.

Additionally, Metsamorwill hookup to Armenia's national safety network which can send signalsup to40 seconds inadvance

ofaseismicwav*ampletimeto securethe routine, voluntary shutdowns to change fuel

and conduct maintenance-what the industry calls an outage shutdown." '"Today, the question they regularly ask us is, how soon do we think we'll start, and

dowethinkwe'llhaveenoughpowerforour

needs. Unfortunately, the scope of

plant's core andpreventdamage. According to the IAEA, the existing safety system is so sensitive that it has, in the past, often

caused the unnecessary (and costly) shutdown of the plant.

If earthquakes were not enough, volcanoes are a problem, too. The hills surrounding the power plant in Armenia's

responsibility combined with the frusration of lack of funding has left no time to inform andconvincethepublic thateverything will be done safely before going on line." Of all the individuals and agencies involved in discussions of safety and the

AraratPlain areknowntobevolcanic-but there's a catch. They are of the exploding volcanic type which die within one million years of an explosion. Tests must be conducted to pinpoint the date of the last

feasibility of reopening, it is the UN's

explosion and determine whether the

International Atomic Energy Association

volcanoes are potentially active or frozen. The above-groundproblems involve the

(AEA) that-surprisingly-has been the most hopeful. In a study similar to one conducted by the French atomic energy agency, Framatome, the IAEA concluded that there are no engineering concerns that cannot be resolved for the safe operation of

thepowerplant. "That gave the Armenian government the impetus and the ability to go on and approach other international governmental

and nongovernmental agencies for assistance with aspects of the research,

renovation and funding," says Mark Chenian, Treasurer of the Medzamor Foundation.

It also gave the Armenian government the push to get its act together, after several

comments about insufFrcient work progress and task coordination.

At the beginning of this year, Deputy Prime Minister, Vigen Chitechian, was entrusted with all work related to start-up

operations.

His involvement

refurbishing and upgrading of the entire power production system which can be divided into two loops: the reaclors which are considered the primary loop, and the generator unit which is considered the secondary loop. Then, there are the four large and very visible cooling towers. Although Armenian experts canperform part of these tasks, the Russians, who built the reactor, must do the rest. The question is who foots the bill? The bulk will fall on the Russians and the West. But it is no secret that the US is opposed to the proliferation ofsuch plants. During a recent visit to Los Angeles, in an interview

with AIM, US Ambassador to Armenia, Harry Gilmore said, "The US nuclear energy community basically believes that both the Chernobyl reactor types and the next generation, the newer generation like Metsamor, are inherently unsafe because

they do not have the kind of design that

coordinator of all efforts by the minisries of finance, economy, industry, energy and fuel signals the importance of this endeavor for the government. Chitechian' s mandale is obvious: to procure funding for the restart

enables them to be brought up to Western safety standards."

process and operations.

ensure safe

However, as the West becomes convinced that Armenia is serious about start-up, it may change its position. Gilmore

left the door open. "The seismic studies which are under way now indicatc that the danger of an earthquake is more remote than

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

some have

thought."

The West's opposition is difficult to

understand

at first

glance.

The

Infact, theinterestis so greatthataWestern company has offered o begin cons0uction of a

l55G2000MwplantinArmeniaconcunent

environmental risk which the US and

with the start-up of Metsamor, with

Armenia's neighbors Georgia and Turkey

completionslatedforseventoeightyearsftrom now, whenArmenia shouldbe shuning down Metsamor, for maximum safety. The bill? A

cite can be discounted since Armenia will not be storing or transporting any of its

radioactive fuel, spent or used. That responsibility fallsto theRussians underthe terms of a recent agreâ&#x201A;Źment.

The theory that limiting Armenia's nuclear energy capability will increase its

reliance on Turkey for energy is also groundless.

"We have never been dependent on Turkey. On the contrary, Armenia sold electricity from Metsamor to Turkey, in the past," explains Kay. "What it would cause is increased dependency on Russia, for oil. But if Metsamor were operational, Russia would be a customer, too," he continues. Essentially, thereappears to bethreereal

obstacles. One

of them is Turkev's

objection-apparent throughout the nucllar community-that Armenians will somehow get things wrong, there will be another Chernobyl-type explosion, and the whole region will suffer. Anotherconcernis thatsmallnations are wild cards and should not have nuclear

mere $2 billion if the consruction, as well as some of the manufacturing and machining, was handled by local subcontractors. The same economic reasons which may be moving the West to press for shutdown

are moving the Armenian government towards start-up.

"The IAEA realized early on that Armenia was going to do this anyway, and jumped in with recommendations and assistance," acknowledges Chenian. Armenia's State Minisler for Energy,

Sebuh Tashjian, announced just a few months ago that if the plant were to be operational, Armenia's population "would have electricity and heat 24 hours a day."

Although this appears to be slighrly

exaggerated, the numbers certainly explain the optimism and full-speed-ahead policy of the Ter Petrossian administration.

Armenia's total energy capacity is approximately 3100 Mw, of which 1700 Mw is produced by thermal power, but

power plants. Never mind that even in

production ofthis energy source depends on

Soviet days Metsamor-type nuclear plants were connected only to the Ministry of

Azeri cooperation-or gas. Another 550 Mw are produced by hydroelectric plants,

Atomic Energy, while others like Chernobyl-because of their plutonium producing capability-fell under the

jurisdiction of the USSR Defense Ministry. Sources close to the government insist that it is because of this fear of potential military use that French and especially

but this places a great dependence on the waters of [,ake Sevan (see AIM, November 1993).

That leaves the nuclear capacity which

is a total of 815 Mw,407 per block of

searching for natural gas and oil fields in Armenia. If these are discovered, they would certainly provide an alternative

Metsamor. Today, withthe little gas coming in and the available hydroelectric capacity, some 700 Mw are being produced. So, with the reopening of Metsamor, the availability of electricity will nearly double.

source ofenergy, thus putting an end to the need fornuclear energy and nuclearpower

sufficient to convince the West of the

American companies are frantically

plants.

seriousness of Ter Petrossian'

Indeed, thoseinvolvedinthevarious and

complex political and economic

negotiations agree that if Armenia did not have nuclear capability, even in a dormant phase, it wouldbe treated very differently, "lessrespectfrrlly," by the US andthe West. Even in its negotiations with Azerbaijan, Armenia's position is enhanced because it has the only nuclear power plant in the region. A thirdreasonforWestemobjections

These numbers alone should have been

may

bepuely business-driven. If theseSoviet-btrilt nuclearpowerplants weretobeshutdownand new ones built in their place, Western contractors stand to make rremendous gains. After all, building one new l5O$megawatt plant (twice the Metsamor capacity) would bring the builder severalbillion dollars, not including the costs ofshutting and learing downaplantlikeMetsamor, accordingto Kay

andCtpnian. AIM, AUGUST- SEPTEMBER 1994

New Year' s

announcement. But estimates were that reopening would cost between $150 and $300 million, and that rendered the whole

project impossible.

However, Armenians chose a plan of action which was labor inlensive and low cost: The government undertook to make a big dent in the refurbishment effort, leaving the high ticket items for later funding, and waiting to see what the Russians would formally agree to undertake. Since October,1993, over 1500 people are employed at Metsamor, engaged in such tasks as the evaluation and refurbishmentof the more than 3500 valves, the turbines, the pumps, the filtration syslems and the entire

piping system. '"This time-consuming task requires medium-level technology, can be performed at low cost, and was a good choicein thatitallowedfortheorganization

of the refurbishment team without

complicationorhighcost, andcould bedone

strictlybytheMetsamorworkforce without outside help or direction," explains Kay. Concurrently, Russians and Croatians haveinspected thereactor's primary

loop-

materialand various parts of instrumentation and

the loop which contains nuclear

control systems, and found most segments in satisfactory condition, with only

minimal

repairs required. The Armenian government has thus far

spent $1.3

million for inspection and

refurbishing. All of the recommended repairs have not been conducted yet, but once funding is available, they can be performed within a reasonable period of time.

"If funds were available,

this

refurbishment period would be the time to add other safety enhancement measures

that have been suggested during the

conjectures one hope.fu I observer.

Until then, it is the Russians who are involved. On March 17, in Moscow, Russian and Armenian represâ&#x201A;Źntatives signed a document tojointly undertake all basic operations. Under this agreement, Armenia is forbidden to put the atomic core to military or any other use. It cannot export the material to a third country without Russia's written consent and Russia will be responsible in removing all the radioactive waste. Further, the plant's primary-and critical-loop, which has been very well maintained, must nevertheless be worked on by Russian experts. The secondary loop, which is the largest portion ofthe plant and which was operated and maintained by Armenian experts for the entire 12 years of the plant's operation, will be refurbished and upgraded by Armenian personnel. According to a decision of the Armenian government, 60 percent oftheRussian credit of

ll0 billion rubles ($55 million), for which repayment begins

1996,

will

allocated to Metsamor start-up costs. In fact, private Russian

companies

will draw against

the credit given to Armenia

for

their part in the refurbishing effort, which is expected to cost approximately $30 million.

Another $40 million is

needed to purchase new fuel.

For now, Chitechian and his team are in a race to secure funding and continue the safety

and upgrade work before wintercomes. There seem to be

no other obstacles, not even internalpolitics. No one seems

for Ter reopening

concerned that

Petrossian,

Metsamor may be tantamount Ter Petroeslan wlth plant dlrector Suren Azallan and government offlclals, examlnlng model of the plant

inspection process," Kay points out. "Although the purpose is to bring the plant

to its original start level

in L977, all

suggestions thathave been made for safety upgrades, would make for a better reactor. Fortunately, those can be done while the

plant is operational.

Certain

recommendations should be implemented

before the primary loop is activated, however."

It is clear that everyone involved is banking on substantial assistance by the West, particularly theUS, inthe training of personnel and the installation of modern safety equipment for improved operational compliance to Western standards. "Then, they will want to step in and see to

it that things are done to their liking,"

to admitting that its closure was

major political and economic blunder. Ter Petrossian explains that the 1989 decision was appropriate for a small part of a large empire. "Closing was the decision for one unit of a larger entity; with independence, there are different a

factors to consider." And even the opposition agrees.

Chitechian sums it up this way: "The govemment of Armenia recognizes that the operation of Metsamor nuclear power plant is a serious undertaking and involves a broad governmental committment to refurbishing the facility, assuring ttre integrity ofthe plant againstseismicevents andoperatingtheplant and handling nuclear substances in a safe manner." Everyone is counting on it. Wth reportlng by Armen Baghdaearlan. AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

THEARME ARMY: FROMMYT TOREALI By GARtllE ZEITLIAN

or centuries, putting

together

the words

"Armenian" and

"army" was equivalent to writing science-fiction. No actual refer-ence to something specific andalivewasinfact meant even

intended. Things havebeendifferent since 1991 and are evenmoredifferent now, inl994,three

Armenlan Presldenl Levon Ter Pâ&#x201A;Źtrclan durlng a 1994 ceremony conferrlng rank lo mllltary offlcers, above; lhe Armonlan army on parado, rlght and below; Armenlan State Mlnister for Defenge, Vazgen Sarglslan, meellng wlth hls US counterpart, Wllllam Perry, lar rlght.

years afterindependence. AnArmenian army exists, the coun0ry has a Ministry of Defense and a State Minister of Defense with clearly defined

a record of achievements and a list of projects. The security of internatio-

responsibilities,

nally recognized borders, the

preservation of tenitorial integrity and the establishment of law and orderwithin the counffy to insure sovereignty, have been an integral part of the state-building process in which Armenia has been engaged since independence.

CONSTITUTION Today, the various drafts

the constitution being debated by Armeniais legislature clearly establish the oveniding

authority of the legislature and the President

over the military.

All drafts reserve to

elected officials the right and responsibility to determine the size of the army, draft and

conscription mechanisms, the amount and allocation of the defense budget and the authority to declare war.

TFAIilXO Existing training regulations call for an

initial two month quarantine period. Initial naininginvolves thebasics of weapons and strategy, military protocol like marching,

coercive measures to enforce the draft law go hand in hand. Stories ofmassive roundups of draft-age men fly rampant. Although

detainees are often released after verification of proper documentation, allegations of abuse and corruption at conscription commissariats run deep, creating an atmosphere ofconfusion and suspicion. Understandably, the government

is eager both to regulate the draft mechanism and to enforce it. In the meantime, however, the actual draft process must be reviewed for fairness and absence of comrption. Otherwise the suspicion and disdain with which Armenians viewed the

military of a foreign power will

transferred to their own armv.

saluting and standing at attention. Once the

oath of loyalty is taken, formal training begins. It involves basic infantry and advanced skills conductedby an Armenian cadre, someof themveterans ofthe Afghan war,

DRAFT

At 17, young men are called upon to register for selective service. At 18, those who do not attend college or who are exempted because of physical or medical reasons, report to military duty for two years. Currently, all Armenian males between ages 18 and27 are expected to perform this service. Between ages 28 and

45, males are expected to serve in the

IIUMBERS ln 1992, the effectiveness of

the draft

order was only 30 percent productive. By December 1993, State Minister Vazgen Sargisian boasted that the proportion for enlisting in the army had reached 100.16 percent. Today, Armenia has a 60,000-man

strong military, which according to observers makes it the best infantrv in the

region.

lION.PARTISAN lnl992, soldiers with a mixed array of uniforms swore allegiance to various political groups. Frequent travelers to Karabakh would tell of having to pass through several checkpoints, each belonging to adifferentmilitary unit. A non-

partisan army, a standard feature of

democratic society, is a welcome novelty forArmenia. Itis no wonderthatSargisian's

proclamation in Los Angeles, during President Ter-Petrossian's visit to the US,

that Armenia's army is now non-partisan elicited overwhelming applause.

ADVANCETIEI{T On April 9, Armenia commissioned its first group of lieutenants (100). Sargisian expects that Armenia will have its own

military academies soon. The defense cooperation agreement President Levon Ter

Petrossian signed with US President reserves, for two to six months.

PAY Soldiers' spartan lifestyle is ofgreat concern, especially to those with families.

Draftees do not receive pay while performing the mandatory service. A

Bill

Clinton in August provides for American training of Armenian military commanders, the appointment of military attaches in the Armenian and US capitals, and thedispatch of a high-ranking US military delegation to Armenia to assess Armenia's defenserelated needs more closely and to make

recommendations

to the

American

soldier must reach sergeant or higher

govemment for funding and future training

status to receive pay. Even then, the pay

and exchange

is minimal. The population's dire circumstances are reflected in the soldier's lifestyle-income, food, clothing, accommodations.

EVASrOlr Creative evasion techniques and AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

It seems that strong foundations

are

being laid for the establishment of what in fact is the backbone of a country and the ultimate guarantorof its survival. Wth rcportlnglrom Lt. Col. Moorad Mooradlan,

UNWILLING PARTNERS

Karabakh, at least helping to force the withdrawal of Karabakh Armenian forces from caphrred Azerbaijani territories. The Azerbaijanis hoped that this would putthem in a better bargaining position in the peace

negotiations regarding Karabakh. However, after some advances, Aliev's expectations were dashed and Azerbaijan

Gaidar Aliev and The lloscow Gonnection following Aliev's coming to power, it was

By SlllREEN llUllTER aidar

Aliev

widely speculated in Baku that Moscow

has not turned out

be the savior that

the

Azerbaijanis had hoped for.

really wanted Ayaz Mutalibov, the former Azerbaijani President, who was ousted by the Azerbaijani Popularfront (APF). Forhis

part, Mutalibov, from exile in Moscow, continued to claim that he was the legally

Economic conditions continue to worsen in Azerbaijan; the population's

elected prcsident of Azerbaijan.

living standards continue to decline; and Azerbaijan's ethnic and other divisions

had serious reservations about Mutalibov because ofhis supposed lack ofresolve and

continue to deepen. Nor does he seem to be Moscow's man, as everyone thought when he took power.

indecisiveness, even though he could

The ambiguous process through which Aliev came to power, plus the evolution of

Azerbaijan's policies-especially regarding its foreign relations during Aliev's presidency-seem to dispute this

Many Russian hard-liners, however,

indeed be trusted to do Russia's bidding. Aliev, by contrast, had a reputation for strength and decisive action. Consequently,

itappean thatthe Russians decided to make the best of Aliev, especially since Aliev had a considerable power base within the country, which Mutalibov lacked.

it appears ttrat Moscow opted simply for lack of a better

During the early days after he assumed power, Aliev took some measures which seemed to justify the general view that he

As for then-President Abulfez Elchibey,

was Russia's man. He declared that

thesis. Rather,

for Aliev ahemative.

whom the Russians helped unseat, there

Azerbaijan would join the CIS. He also

were other problems. Russia was extremely

indicated that Azerbaijan had lost faith in the

unhappy withElchibey's refusal tojoin the

efficacy ofthe Conference on Security and

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as his pronounced antiRussian and pro-Turkish sentiments. His efforts to forge close economic and political ties with the West were both annoying and disturbing to Russia. By the time of Elchibey's ouster, it had become quite clear that Russia intended to

impose its hegemony on the constituent

Union-the socalled Near Abroad. In this context, Transcaucasia-as a gateway to the parts of the former Soviet

NorthernCaucasus andhencetotheRussian Federation-was of special significance to

Russia. In order to achieve the goal of reasserting its hegemony, Russia needed to

have the kind of political leadership in Transcaucasia which would be receptive to

its interests. Elchibey and his colleagues certainly did not meet that criterion. The reality, however, seems to have been complicated.

Indeed, Aliev's coming to power

resulted to some extent from Elchibey's efforts to coopt him. Elchibey had offercd Aliev the chairmanship of the Azerbaijani Parliament, in this way providing him with an entree into the power game that was underway in Azerbaijan throughout the spring of 1993. Consequently, immediately

Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) as

mechanism for resolving the Karabakh dispute. He further suspended negotiations with the international consortium for the exploration and export ofAzerbaijan's oil and gas reserves. In exchange for these gestures, Aliev was hoping that Moscow

would help turn the tide of battle over

continued to suffer military reversals in the war. There was also opposition to its joining the CIS. Thus, by the beginning of 1994, there was a definite shift in Aliev's policies

away from Moscow and more towards

Turkey and the West, a situation reminiscent of the Elchibey era. However,

being more cautious and less dogmatic,

Aliev did not commit the mistake of

unnecessarily antagonizing lran or Russia. In the winter of 1993-1994. Aliev made trips to Ankara, London, and Paris. In May 1994, Azerbaijan signed the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization (NATO) Partnership for Peace program, well ahead of Russia. More important, Azerbaijan strenuously rejected Russian pressures to introduce Russian troops into the republic and to deploy them along the Azerbaijani-hanian

border. In fact, a number of Azerbaijani leaders pointedly noted that their country was perfectly capable of guarding its frontiers without outside interference. Perhaps, more important, Azerbaijan rejected or at least did not accept the

- negotatied by the Russian agreement mediator, Vladimir Kazimirov, for a ceasefire on the Karabakh front, to be followed by negotiations for a more lasting solution to the dispute and the introduction of Russian peacekeepers. On the contrary, Azerbaijan once more turned to the CSCE as the principal mediator. Given the early perception of Aliev as Moscow's man, hpw can these dramatic shifts in policy be explained? Also, if Aliev is not Moscow's man, should one expect a change of leadership in Azerbaijan soon?

-r

And finally, what do all of these uncertainties mean for Azerbaijan's future as a country? To begin with, Aliev was propelled into power as a result notjust ofRussian actions, but also of a deft process of bargaining, with the complicity of some elements of the APF and other Azerbaijani nationalist figures, such as Ekhtibar Mamedov, a one-time Elchibey rival for the presidency and a well-known

nationalist and pro-Turkish

politician. For the nationalists, Aliev was more acceptable than, say, Ayaz Mutalibov, despite the former's past as

Moscow point man in Azerbaijan.

Even more important, Aliev's inability to meet all of Russia's expectations and demands, plus his shifts in policy, reflect the realities of thepowerequation in Azerbaijan and the limits that the popular mood has

I tt

!g imposed on the ability of Azerbaijan's leaders to act on foreign policy issues. It should also be remembered that any Azerbaijani leader needs to accomodale the interests ofother key international players, notably Turkey and the West. The fact is that Azerbaijani society and polity are highly fragmented. Moreover, each competing group also has its own special source ofexternal support, a fact

which further complicates the political scene. For example, the APF and other nationalists stitl enjoy T\rrkey's support.

basewhichcouldenablehimto ignorethese internal and external Pressures against a policy of total submission to Russia. The acceptance of any dEal on Mountainous Karabakh which smacks even slightly of a "sell-out" would be fatal to the government. The nationalists would certainly seize on such an opportunity to undermine Aliev. Nevertheless, it is also highly unlikely that the Dresent government could succeed whe're other-s have failed and to win a military vicOry or an cxcessively favorable deal. To these difficulties must be added

Their activities, including armed attacks

the Ordubad region -of are causing problems for Ndkhichevan - They are also active in the government. organizing resistance in the Azerbaijani

Aliev's

parliament and elsewhere against a return

especially

of Russian hegemony. Anti-Russian sentiments among the population, largely a

of 1990, are also strong, and they limit

legacy of Soviet military intervention January

government's ability to acceptRussia's conditions. Aliev's governmenthas tried to deal withthisproblemby cracking downon opposition papers and other media, thus the

ridically reversing the

timid

democratization process of the recent past. But so far these measures do not seem to havebeenenough. In short, Aliev lacks the kind of support

age and his rather uncertain health.

All this means that, if

Russia is

determined to stabilize theregion under its

own hegemony, it would need someone a more solid powerbase in Azerbaijan and also someone more malleable than who could make adeal with Russia Aliev and see it through. Yet given Azerbaijan's internal divisions and the impact of rival

with

external pressures, Russia would have diffrculty in finding such aperson. Hence, despite all the factors working against him, Aliev may remain in power for the foreseeable future, for the same reason he

gainedpower-namely, the lackof abetter alternative.

thlrcen Hunter ls Senlor vlslilno lellow at the Centâ&#x201A;Źtr lor EumPcan Pollcy Studlee

(COPS),ln Belglun

AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBEX 1994

ffiNSNGOF AI\TERA

The Death of Catholicos Yazgenl and Beyond By BETH BROUSSALIAN

the administrative structure of the Church and initiated a large-scale restoration and

renovation program of churches and

was going to happen, there were even rumors

veryone knew

that it had happened weeks earlier, but when it did happen

Armenianss around the world mourned. On Thursday, August 18, 1994, at 7:15 a.m., His Holiness VazgenI, Supreme Patriarch

and Catholicos

of All

Armenians,

succumbed to a long struggle with chronic

lymphoma. His death was t}e solemn conclusion to a

life defined by adversity, diplomacy,

commitment and achievement.

In a statement to AIM, Catholicos Karekin II of the Great House of Cilicia expressed these sentiments: "His death means

great loss, both for the Diaspora and

Armenia. He was-and remains alwaysa loved figure. His great wisdom gained

historical monuments in Armenia. as well as some in Georgia. Most importantly, he organized and led

the movement to train

fairly straight forward, it immediately

was

educated clergymen by reactivating the theological seminary of Holy Ejmiatsin

complicated by conflicting

and oversaw the publishing work of the catholicossate.

to insiders, bishops serving

"Amongthemanythings he [Vazgen I] will be most remembered for is that he reestablished the traditional

that they, too, had the right to participate in the election of the Vicar-an important and influential post in view

interpretations. According

outside Armenia insisted

authority of the Armenian Church after the Stalinist period, and enhanced its dignity throughout the world," cgmmented

of the power struggle guaranteed to ensue. The conflict first manifested itself on

Vatche

when the Brotherhood and

Archbishop

Wednesday, August 24,

Spiritual Council were

Hovsepian, Primate of the

through half a century of devoted priesthood...will serve our church and

Western Diocese of the

people in these most crucial times." Born Levon Karapet Palchian in 1908 in

Church of America. After the fall of communism, the ever-

Bucharest, Romania, the catholicos

resilient patriarch promoted cooperation between Armenia and the Diaspora, and between the two Sees. This sometimes appeared to be a solitary effort. In an interview with AIM conducted nearly one year before his death, he commented,

graduated from Bucharest University in

1936 with honors from the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy. For several years after his graduation, he worked as a teacher and was involved in a variety of

activities, including publishing the monthly magazine, Her&, and producing a series of literary studies. He was ordained a celibate priest in 1943 in Athens, Greece, and was

elevated to ihe rank of bishop in the Rortanian Diocese in 195 l.

Armenian

scheduled to meet to elect the vicar. Unable to resolve

Apostolic

"Karekin II, Catholicos of the See of Cilicia and I are in full accord. And I, with all my powers, have adopted thepath ofunity, but internal solidarity is still missing in many places."

In 1955. he was elected Catholicos of All Armenians, thus becoming thel 30th leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church. At the time of his ascension to the holy throne, the Stalinist era had barely ended. ln the ensuing decades, he is credited with having adroitly juggled the needs of the people with the restrictions of the state. "The Catholicos had a great role in the atheistic Soviet regime... He had secured a moral place in the hearts of the people of Armenia," observes Archbishop Mesrob

the Ejmiatsin Brotherhood in Armenia, together with the members of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Mother See, among whom are Patriarchs Torkom Manoogian of

Ashjian, Prelate of the Eastem helacy of the

Jerusalem and Karekin Kazanjian of

Armenian Apostolic Church of America. During his tenure, Vazgen I reorganized

Istanbul, toelectapatriarchal vicar, in Latin known as the locum tenens. The person

chosen for this position will temporarily take over the day+o-day administration of the Holy See and make arrangements for a National Ecclesiastical Assembly to elect a new Catholicos. While on the surface this process seemed

ith the passing of Catholicos

Vazgen

I, a symbol of

continuity for nearly forty turbulent years, the question facing Armenians the world over is who will be the next Catholicos?

The first step toward answering that question was taken by the eight members

AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

the matter of who should vote, the election was postponed two days. In a surprise move, theprocess wasrescued

on Thursday when another meeting was convened and Manoogian was elected. As vicar, Manoogian will first have to

determine how delegates to a National Ecclesiastical Assembly will be chosen from Armenia and the Diaspora. Will the number of delegates be determined by the number of Armenians living in each region? Will each diocese sendthe samenumberof delegates? Then, there are a few pressing questions

which may plague the proceedings even before the gavel is struck. According to Deacon Hratch Tchilingirian, rector of the St. Nersess Seminary in New York, first there is the theoretical question of whether the next Catholicos should necessarily be

from Armenia rather than from the Diaspora.

Tchilingirian pointed out that another important question is the age ofthe person to be chosen. Ifhe were to be young, say in his 40s or 50s, he will probably reign for many decades, similar to the tenure of Vazgen

I. Or, in the case of an older

candidate, he wouldprobably be viewed as

the next Catholicos,"

the significance of this interim post should not be underestimated.

A few years ago, Karekin II was favored by most Armenians to succeed Vazgen I. His dedication

to church unity, together with his

education, experience, and Catholicos Vazgen's warm reception of him, earned him broad praise.

However, sincethattime, with

the falling out between the government of Armenia and the

Armenian

Revolutionary

Federation (ARF) and the real or perceived influence that the ARF has wielded over the Holy See of

Cilicia, it is presumed

that

Karekin II' s becoming Vazgen I's successor is not nearly as

likely

it once was, despite the

observation among

many

Ejmiatsin followers even that this would certainly resolve the unity

problem. Indeed, most observers believe that the government of Armqnia, under the leadership of President Levon Ter Petrossian, will, in any

case, play a major role in the selection process. Some maintain

that Ter Petrossian himself, perhaps better than anyone, knows

the significance of the role of the Church in the life of the Armenian

people recalling his days as a lecturer at the Ejmiasin seminary. Responding to the question of successor, Hovsepian offered, "I have the firm belief that the Holy Spirit has a way of guiding the

bishops and lay delegates" to make the right choice, referring to the two-thirds laity to onethird clergy break down of the voting body.

The guidance of the Holy Spirit may be quite necessary. The tasks facing the church's new leader are daunting. Bishop

Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church ofCanada, provides this summary. "Today, the Armenian

Apostolic Church faces two distinct situations-Armenia and its spiritual rebirth, on the one hand, and the Diaspora, with

its church administratively

divided, on the other." soxtrxErcHtrt{

But first, the Armenian

a transitional Catholicos, one whose election will allow younger clergymen to mature and gain more experience-and others to jockey for position. As for the older candidate, all sources seem to point to one individual: Patriarch

Torkom Manoogian, presently the vicar. Manoogian, who is 75 years old and himself ailing from cancer, may be able to mount enough solid support to claim the post. Although, as Tchilingirian noted, "it is not automatic that the locum tenens will become

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

Apostolic Church faces this challenge: To utilize vision and wisdom throughout the transition period from one era to another, from one leader to the next, and to elect the cleric who will be most able to lead with vision and wisdom himself. I

SPTAKINGTO THEHEART ANDMIND

Armenian President's First Official US Visit By SALPI HAROUTINIAil GIIAZARIAI{ BY KEVORK DJANSEZIAN

PHOTOS

rganized in less than threp weeks, hresident L,evon Ter Pehossian' s

first official visit to the United States. at the invitation of US hesidentBill Clintonwentsmoothly, andby officialaccounts,successfully.Perhapsitwas merely coincidence thatthetrip was timedto follow the first seemingly promising ceasefire

Armenian Foreign Minis[y, thePresidentmet with Clinton and Vice-hesident Al Gore on Tuesday, August9, onthe firstday of a 3-day official Washington visit, during which the delegation made every obligatory stop on the capital' s diplomatic circuit. Consultations between Armenian State Minister for Defense Vazgen Sargisian and

Tor Potroslan belng greeled upon hls arrlval In Los Angeles, above lell; meetlng wlth US Presidont Bill Clinton, above rlght, and Sccretary ol State Warâ&#x201A;Źn Chrblopher, below rlght.

wilh

i\ll discussions revolved around the same two fu ndamental subjects-Armenia' s need foreconomic development assistance, andthe urgency of a US commitment to facilitating a conflation ofthe various proposals forpeace in Karabakh. On both counts, adminishation officials andcongressmen and senators were

in the five-year-old Karabakh conflict. With this prospect, TerPetrossian was able torcap the benefits of being the first democraticallyelected president of the only stabledemocracy in Russia's southem tier, and the popularly elected leader with the most longevity in the

US Secretary of Defense William Perry were

wholeof theCIS.

Central Bank participated in talks with the directon of the International Monetary Fund

full of reassurances.

and the World Bank, and meetings with congressional leaders and membenoftheUS

international sphere where therules are clear

Accompanied by Foreign MinisterVahan Papazian, Minister of Economy Armen Yeghiazarian, Armenia' s Ambassador to the US Rouben Shugarian, and Varun Oskanian, Head of the US and Canada Desk of the

another historic first and resulted in agreements forexchange of miliary attaches, taining and other assistance. Levon Barkhudarian. Ministprof Finance and

BagratAsarian, Govemorof Armenia's

business community at the Overseas

hivate

Investment Corporation.

AIM. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

In contrast to negotiations in

the

and understood. interactions with the Armenian American communitv were still

affrliated with the Armenian RevoJutionary

Federation(ARD. Just days earlier, the same

ARF leaden had

called for a boycott of the "unofficial" segments of thePresident's trip. Claiming the

trip's purpose was propaganda rather than diplomacy, theARFannouncementcalledon

the "healthy national judgment

and

courageous stance of the Armenian people, against all evils which threaten country and

people." Theboycottdidnotappearsuccessful. During the California leg of the lrip, Ter Petrclan mel wlth formergovemor George Deukmelian and former presldenl ol the LA Chamber of Commerce Sheldon Ausman, top; While ln Washlngton, he discussed Armenia's economy with IMF Chalrman Alassane Ouattara,above. Exating lhe IMF building wlth Ambassadol Shugarian. new and clumsy. TheWhite Housereception for the Armenian President was a telling

example. The list of invitees was replete

with obvious

and

inexplicable omissions.

This created a furor among ArmenianAmericans who didn't

knowwhethertoblame theArmenianEmbassy of inexperience and

The

people did indeed use "healthy national judgment" and turned out in record numbers. In Michigan, Massachusetts and California after meeting with state and city leaders, Tor

Petrossian addressed large Armenian audiences. Second and third generation Armenian-Americans and new immigrans all

applauded the man whom Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts called "the George

Washington of Armenia." Those who came to hear him were proud and unbelieving, still.

Manywerealsofullof

trepidation-fearful that somehow, Ter Petrossian might fall

short, and through himtheircountry and

dreams, might shatter.

One

thousand

people sat

of political bias and

in sweltering heat in Belmont High

ignorance. The second

School's auditorium

insensitivity, or the Clinton administration

seemed more likely since the list, prepared

by the White House, read like a who's who

of past and potential

campalgn donors, many AIM, AUGUST - SEP

and cafeteria just

outside

Boston.

another thousand in Detroit enjoyed the spacious quarters of

the Manoogian family's Masco

Ilredesfupof

yCIrdrokn on T.9hir6,swffihiflq qport@s,{nu$ andmm.

REAL HEROES It was good of the head of the Armenian church, His Holiness Vazgen I to wait to die during the week hesident l,evon Ter Peftossian retumed from the United States. Rather unwittingly,0reCatholicos'passingprovidedttreARFpressaroundtheworldwithanexcuse fortheirhard-to-explain, even harder-to-understanddecision to understatg even ignore, a historic first. AlthoughtheotherdozennewspapersfoundroomontheirpagesforboththePresident's visit and the Catholicos's passing-not so, the ARF press. On the Saturday following Tuesday, August 16, whenthehesidentconcludedhis nine-day visitand left los Angeles, the ARF's Glendale, California-based Asbarez weekly edition ran a banner headline Pryclaigltg the death of the church leader whose last US visit in 1 985 was iself the subject 9!.gnAlf boycott.Thepresident's visirraredonepageburiedin themiddleofthe4S-p-age bilingual weekly edition. The daily editions fared slightly better, each day carrying a brief, curt report of official meetings-who, what,whenandwhere.Thewhywaseither omitted or subjected to such analysis as the number ofchain occupied by attendeos, and the size of fhe welcoming parties.

The segment of the public which acceptstheARF sdirectivesmissedouton theopportunity o hearandjudge firsthand the testimony of the players themselves about history-in-the-making.

Instead, party representatives were visiblypresentatall high-brow community

functions, leaving the impression of offrcial cooperation while allowing them to put their own spin and interpretation on

theevents,

Plnrs LONDIN

-sffi$"

Ter Petrosian at the graveslte of Goneral Tro near Boston, Massachussetts.

TheGlendalqCalifomia-basedARFtelevision progrwnHorizonfeatuedaninterview withapartyleaderwhowaxedeloquentlyaboutthehistoricsignificanceofTerPetrossian's trip. The public had to ake him at his word since no images of tbe trip were prinled or broadcast.

Nodoubtawareoftheconflictingfeelingsraisedbythispoliticalmaneuvering,especially among veteran ARF members, Ter Peaossian used every opportunity to salute the spirit of theArmenian-Americancommunify. Moreover, during his 24-hourstay in Boston, atTer Petrossian's request" thepresidentialparty visited the gravesiteof ARFhero, General Dro

Kanayan,instrumentalinpunishingAzeriaggressiononArmenianvillagesintheearly 1900s and a leader of ttre l9l8 Turkish-Armenian battles prior to independence. ARF leaders were notpresent. The parry press either ignored the event orpiovided minimal reporting.

Promcionalproducts forschools,

duh, Corporation, and more than 8,000 Armenians (an unprecedented number) found their way

organizations, businesses. Ideal X-Ilas promcions,

to downtown Los Angeles's Convention

corponate gifts, reunions,

Center, some as much as two hours early.

gradriations, etc.

In each city, Ter Petrossian played the crowds, almost like a veteran campaigner. He took back the war and the victories, faced up to an uphill battle with the economy and described the sometimes circuslike internal political landscape. Helefteven the skeptics feeling assuaged. About the war. Ter Petrossian said what

For information orphone

his administration had been coy about

Eue,

c:rll:2lh?Adr424

osAngeles,

C4fl065

Ph.LrTwr4Z4rx.Ztwt4zz 36

trip. Almost

Vahan Chamlian, himself a strong ARF supporter in the past, was invited by the organizers to announce his own generous

million gift toArmenia. Unfortunately, this generous gift also earned him the right to subject audience and president to a lecture on the ills of disunity and the goodness of

Karabakh, neither survival nor victory

One thing the trip made clear was that there are some things money can't buy.

On the economic battlefield. while kmandoRd.,

culmination to a historic perfect.

admitting, but what seemed obvious to the careful observer-that without Armenia' s commitment and aid to the Armefians of would have been possible.

3323 San

Armenia from the international community. Up to the very end, organizers and audience proved themselves capable of partaking in a program where neither the mind was insulted nor the heart untouched. Indeed, theLos Angeles event was aperfect

taking pride in small victories such as the recently announced zero inflation rate (albeit for a greatly devalued Dram), Ter Petrossian plainly challenged the Diaspora to use its strength to get assistance for AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

glvlng.

The minimal press coverage that the presidential trip received-despite the

retention of a public relations firmpoints to the necessity forgrassroots efforts

to solidify the gains Petrossian and his

made by Ter

delesation.

%rcvanCry 'r

%lk

If ygur only ima,gea of Yerevan are from the Sovint ?aya oa d you've laear? one-too-ma.ny ftoriea a"6out laow terrible an7 miterabh, Yerevan i4 baay, look again, Contrary to tlae rumor mill, tbere are dtill treet inYereea.n Tlaere are alaaOy parkt anl fotntaina at (nrarfu) eaery corner, anT unlike tlae ol2 ?aya, tlaere are laotel^t wbicle are durpriaingly goo? anl

(dometimet) claeap. The dtuAiout travelcr can ea.tily navigate tlae ra?ial city, even without tbe laelp of tlae many taxi ?ripert wlto atani availa^bh at moat m-ajor interuecttoru. From bookttore to library,from,rettatrn

rant to tlaeatel, /rgm caaino to.oktQoor ice cream ef"a, Yerelran id a city to 6e explore). lWlaether it'd awarenea of a laittory that began tbree yeard ago, or 51000 yeard ago, perhapa nowhere ehe on eartla it there aucb an attacbment to t!t1pa"tt, wlailc every waking momznt ia tpent liuirlg to?ay anl awaiting tomorrow. Walk tlarougla theae pryea. Or, even better, roalk througb Yerevant an? ?ilcoper the city known at a "liuing m"udeunl" But ?on,t limit yourdelf to it. Vhether you travel by backba& or with chauffeur, explore the outlying regiona too. Garni an? Gegba.r?, KlrorVir""b an? the .vilta.get of tleeArarat Pkin, Lake Sevan anl Taagttka7aor are eacla a new an7 ?ffirent worli). bv Taline Satania.n

Foo? To Go: Open-ab khorovatu atan?d, w/tich operate late into the nig/tt along Proahian an? Paronian ffir bariecrc? laml, pork, 6ee/ an7 cbickcn, wrappe? in thin laval/t breal, an7 a rariety of importe7

Streeta,

becra an7

?rkkt.

Tlte appetizing amzlb teate many who cannot Yet, tbeze atanAt ?o a booming btuineu,

ffirt

tbe higb

prbu.

If You Pre?er To Sit Down: tWeab can be turten at a number ol rutauranta: Dzoragiagb, locate? in tbe aomz comptca; of atone /touaet at tlte Parajanov tVuteum alwaya bat ebctricity, an? clzan rutroomt, Krakou, acroaa /ront t/ze Opera Houae on Tumanian Street, it quizt an? intilnate, An? tlte har7-currency rutaurant in tbe Armznia Hotel b alwayd tbere, [or ?edaert or a quirk anack, two ai2e-by-ahe pa^ttry abopd, locate? at the /oot o/ tbe l[atena?aran, offe, caku an7 22 kin?a o/ pattriza tbat are a.a beautiful aa tbey are ?elicioud.

To tllarket, To lllarket: Tbe colora, amzlb an? tatu inaiAe Yerevan'a CentraltUarket, a hugegymnatiumlike apace, uary witlt tbe deaaont. Brown potatoe4 orange-colore7 carrott, re? bectd an?gotAen applza in tbefall an? tuinter, In tbe dpritg, green mounld of ten?er ganaclti (green onioiu, wil? greena an? berba) 6egin to pile up on tbe dtan?d, Sutnmcr ia the mnat colorful: golAea btnck an7 re7 grapet an? berizt, orange apricota, tulaite an? re? cberria, an?, bet of alL re? juicy tomatoea wbich can be aavore7 ad thelruitd t/tey were mzant to be,

Not By Brea? Alonc: ['ocate? on Mathtotu Avenuz, ?own tbe ttreetlrom tbe tWatenaAaran, Luya Boo/tttore id wbere out-of-prht bookt, volamea on art an? hittory, an? ?btionaritt can.befoun7' Tbe atorei . Engliah-apeaking ninager it quitegoolat helroingyoufin7 tbat rare tomz, or-tlae moat recent iaaucof AIIW.

Goo?a, Nes Dollara: The 90a inrution offree market economica cbange7 tbe face o/Yerevani arta an? crafta bazaar, known a"t tbe Vernittagc, In a7?ition to bargain-price? paintinga, woo? carse7 kbacbkara, emlroiAery at fine at your gran1mntber\, an? other /tan7-ma?e itemt, aboppe.rd toAay can abo

Tra?itional

purcba,ti euerythinglromelzctroniclutet an? ligbt butbd to toothpadte an?dboa.

erevan is a cig,.

that surrounds you as it surrounds its people and its history. It gathers you up and pulls you to its bosom in an embrace that is partly the making of architect Alexander Tamanian who, in the 1920s, redesigned one ofthe oldest continuously occupied cities in the world. Curving streets border the central arena which is occuoied by Old Yerevan. From the Hrazdan Valley at the Feet of the Martyrs Monument at Tsitsernakaberd to the statue of Vardan Mamikonian, a series of parks and fountains cut through the heart of the oid city. This is the Green Belt, a zone of continuous gardens iinked to the bordering forests. It winds around public buildings and complexes and reinforces what Yerevan was meant to be an orchard surrounded by mountarns.

Opera Square, designed as a meeting place for artists, is another collage olparks and open spaces. It was rechristened Freedom Square following the massive I 988 demonstrations which ended Yerevan's "innocent

struc{ ure is an award-*inning

Tamanian design, based on the seventh century Zvartnots Cathedral. It houses the Philharmonic Orchestra in one of its two halis and the Opera House in the other. The square is also home to the statues of popular composers, painters and writers. Strollers of all generations r'"'alk among sculptures representing lBth century troubadour Sayat Nova, poet, foll<lorist and writer

u,1ar,tF44/r4^l

:J'

trt' .--"

a,oo'

Hovhaness Tumanian, 2Oth century composer Ale*ander Spendiarian, 2Oth century composer Komitas positioned on a tree branch, artist Martiros Sarian with paint brush and palette in hand, and Tamanian himsell shown leaning over a table, perhaps examining a pian

trr-,

v'i

^rrl

"r.,

nonNt'

ofYerevan. Freedom Square is',vhere roads leading to museums and home-museums of writers and artists cross. These are peppered along and around Mashtots

and carefree" days, as today's economically squeezed residents like to remember them. The major occupant of Freedom Square, which is cut into four sections by Sayat Nova and Mashtots Avenues, is the Alexander Spendiarian Opera and Ballet Theater, in the southeastern corner. The

Avenue, which, appropriately enough, extends between the City Museum of Yerevan (housed in a 16th century Persian medrese or school) to the Matenadaran, the depository of more than 10,000 ancient and medieval Armenian manuscripts. Not far from the City Museum is the 18th century BIue Mosque built during the days of Persian rule over Eastern Armenia. The site is the current focus of joint Armenian-Iranian

renovation efforts. In the ciSr's central square, known as Republic Square, stands an eight-srory rvhite

Lake Yerevan OF DAV

I- Natbnal Art

Gallery o/ Arn,

Art .lfueunt; ,/- Statue of Hotban 6- A[eran4er Spediarttn Oper,t an7 Balbt Th, 9- Statue o.f tlIarti.ro.t San'an; I0- Statue of Alee.

J-

l417-

Chil?ren'd

I 2- Hoy/tannet Tttnutnian Home-,Mu. Surb Attuat,ttthtirt (Zntrauor) Church; I5- Surb ,

'llolern Art tUueunt; I9-Central nnrket; 19- Ci.ty ,4t 22- Sergei Parttlanov Honu-,llutetnt; 21- Hra:t

25- Sportd an? Concert Contpba; 26- Stahu of Var 28- Statue of Egbidhe Charentd; 29- Chantlrer tLlutic Hou,, 52- State Unber,'ity o-f Ereoan; Ji- Stutue of Khachatur 56- Aram Khacbaturian Hotne-/Wut

structure which houses the National Art Galiery of Armenia. The fourth largest museum in the former Soviet Union, it boasts a collection of 20,000 works by Armenian, Russian and European painters. Today, maior donors to the Armenia Fund receive selected paintings from the museum's holdings (those not considered central to the museum's collection) as thank you gifts. The History Museum of Armenia and the Literature Museum of Armenia are located in the same building. An alert eye will notice inscribed plates adorning the

Kal/(r/v tt]j4t/4fl40

,ornorr, ffi#

entrances

qr0

homes in

Old

Yerevan, commemorating artists or writers who had lived there. Their descendants may be living there today; or, as with the homes

%r"

% ".s --"-' REPUBLIC SOUARE

A couple of blocks away is poet Avetik Isahakian's HomeMuseum. A statue of Isahakian, stands in a park outside the Eridasartakan metro station. Although he never lived in Yerevan, writer Hovhannes Tumanian is so popular that he is honored with a home-museum of his own. A native of the beautiful northern Armenian region of Lori, he sDent most of his life in Tbilisi, the capital of neighboring Georgia, which, by the 19th century, had already become one

of the important centers of -.$tt$

^ oQv'

$tr\\r

,NN

z= ! {o

(ccste

,rotets Metro Statrons Bestaurants

- Hiatory /Wu,teum of Arnunn; 'nunian ; 5- Statrc o/ Ab-,;an1er Spen?iarian ; i- Statuc o/ Sayat Norc;8- Statuc of Komitat; Tamanian; ll- Ersan? Kocbar Homz-Muteum; J - tWart|rod Sarinn Ho me-tlfut ettm; tnea Churcb; I6- Eghiabe C/tarentt Home-l4uteunq r of Yereuan; 20- Blue tWodqut; 2I- Sttrb Sargid Cburch; I

0 iu m; 24 -

Td itd

ernaka ber? Genoci)e zL[enwrial;

[amikonian; 27- Tigran Petroaian Houae o/ Che.td; Statue of Avetik ldabakian; Jt- Surb Katogbifu Church; 'an; ,14- tWatena.1aran; J5- t4other Armcnia tUonument; 7-

museum and concert hall which wrap around the original house.

Avetik laahakian Honu-fifiueunt

of Kochar, Sarian, Para;anov, Tumanian, Khachaturian and Charents, they have been converted into museums and are open to the public. At the corner of Mashtots Avenue and Moskovian Street stands an example of modern abstract architecture, which had been the home

Diasooran cultural and intellectual actrvlty. The Tumanian FIomeMuseum is located where Tumanian Street runs into Moskovian Street. It is an exact copy of the poet's Tbilisi home, down to the original furnishings. Until her death, the writer's oldest daughter managed the museum which is presently

beins renovated. Tumanian's book-collection is also on display.

of Tbilisi-born

sculptor Yervand Kochar. The artiJt is best-known for his statue of Armenian legendary hero, David of Sasun, placed in front of Yerevan's ce.ttral railway station. In this and his other works, rationalism and symbolism played an important role, as did surrealism and cubism. Comooser Aram Khachaturian's residence on Baghramian Street, just north of Moskovian Street, is a converted

Less than a block from the Tumanian Museum, where Moskovian Street changes to

Sarian Street, a mosaic rendering of one of painrer Marriros Sarian's Armenian landscapes adorns the Facade of his homemuseum. Many of his works are displayed here, and, with a little luck, the painter's granddaughter may act as a guide, and even open his studio to visitors wishing to take a closer look. The Eghishe Charents

Home-Museum on Mashtots Avenue is where the poet lived for less than twoyeais before he fell victim to Stalinist purges. Imprisoned in 1937, he died that sameyear at the age of40. To this day, his body is unaccounted for. Other creative and independent voices were silenced, if not by Stalin or his politically ambitious and more-than-eager Armenian executors, then bv those who followed them. Sergei Parajanov, the Tbilisibased Armenian filmmaker, was charged with such "crimes" as homosexualiw and

*h,&F

anti-state activities, li., ".,d prevented from making films. During the years he spent in Sovietjails, in the l9Z0s and

d '

ryH#d

early 1980s, he created most of his collages, dolls, hats and costumes, which are now displayed at the Parajanov

Home-Museum. The flatroofed stone house overlookine the Hrazdan Valley was intended to be the artist's home. Instead, with his death in 1990, it was converted into a museum.

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CLOSE.UP

IMAGEA

RilLIil A Photojoumalist in Karabakh By TALINE SATAIIIAN PHOTOS BY KEVOFK DJANSEZIAN

uring

three-month period this

year, Kevork Djansezian, a free-

lance photographer

for

the

Associated Press for l0 years, divided his time between Armenia and

Karabakh. Pain and joy color the photos he brought back to Los Angeles: images of life thatmustbe lived, despite araging warand a plummeting standard of living.

In one instance, Djansezian flew into Stepanakert, the capital of Mountainous Karabakh, and was greeted with sirens. The citywasunderanAzeriairafack Monthsafter the incident, Djansezian is still somewhat shocked. "It was horrific. I went in on an expertly maneuvered helicopter which was carrying a group accompanied by Great Britain's Baroness CarolineCox. Afterwe got down, they told us we had flown in while Stepanakert was under an air raid alen. And, in fact, nro hours later, during lunch, an Azeri warplane dropped three 1000-pound bombs nearby, killing an elderly woman." Although Djansezian is no stranger to documenting tragedids, including the 1992 [.os Angeles riots, the 1993 Malibu fires, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, he has rarely venturedoutsideurban settings. However, he

film such "quasi-urban" figures as Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna and has captured on

militarycemetery on ahill with adirectview

KirkKerkorian.

of Ararat. Later, his family came, dug up the body and took it back to Mashgalashen for burial," Djansezian recalls months later.

One wonders ataphoojournalisf s ability to photograph tragedy and still remain levelheaded. What keeps Djansezian going is the inherent inseparability of uagedy andjoy. In Karabakh, even as young soldiers are buried "twice," joy and pain are indivisible. "That's what happened during the funeral of Rudik Ghevondian, who had been wounded in action

was photographing this second burial

which was taking place at a sitequite close to the front. All around me, there was sorrow, tean. shockandfear. Wecouldhearthesound of rcckets and gunfire in the distance. Then, in the middle of the ceremony, we heard an

in his native Martuni, and was brought by

explosion overhead. Two Azeri SU-25 bombers were passing and anti-aircraft

Baroness Cox to Yerevan for reatment. He diedin YerevanandwasburiedatErablur. the

the incident and the service continued

missiles were fired

them. Everyone ignored

unintemrpted. Later, when thecrowdheard a commander announce that a plane had been shotdown, the crying stoppedjust longenough for the mourners to cheer."

Djansezian's last cluster of trips to Karabakh cameafteran absenceofalmostone year. "Ihadtostartfromsquareone, answering questions about my purpose there: 'Who am

As we stood at lhe partltlon llne, near Tallgh, we could see 10-20 Azerl eoldlerg havlng lunch on a nearby hlll. Slnco the

ceaseflre was holdlng, lhey called our soldlers lo go over end loln them. One of them went lo talk about recenlly captured soldlers In tho arâ&#x201A;Źa. He came back emotvhanded. The Azerls dldn t want to talk: they had a party ln mlnd.

6tti9

*.r. a"

The general lmpoverlshment of both Karabakh and Armenla, caused by war and reglonal polltlcs, has proclpltaled an old form of vltallty: trade. Near the polnl where Armenla, Azerbaljan and Georgla meet, brlsk buslness takes place at the Armenlan border clty of Bagratashen end the Georglan vlllage of bY a rlver. Sadaohlu. dlvlded by Sadaghlu, The Azerls and Turks come to buy bread and produce lrom the Armenlang; the Armenlans buy fuel from the Georglans and the Azerls, and household goods from the Turks. Everyone knowe about lt and no one trleg to stop lt. Exceptlhat evsry now and then, the brldge thet llnks the two towns ls blown up. The lasttlme lt happaned on September 4, 14 poopla were kllled and 46lnJured.

e Y--*"=t--tw*tq&+ -qq"oad

;

".. {_**"

Insllnct telle us lo escape when death or Intury ls lurklng by. Lucklly, somellmes we can, Monuments, howgvor, cannot. Thla Armenlan ono In Tallsh, on the norlhgeslorn edge of Karabakh,was usEd for tsrgst practlce by the Azerls.

iil+'Irlj

Fresh monuments rlse next to old ones. Durlng a lull In the flghllng, a roldler ln Maghavuz ln northern Karabakh worked on akhachkarlo mark the epot where a

comrade-ln-erms was kllled.

I?Whydidlwanttobehere?Whatwaslgoing to do with my photos?'

" As

soon as he was

cleared to work in the war zone, he lost his cameras, equipment and personal supplies

whenthejeepwhichhewasridingwas stolen. A photographer friend and local photo

in Stepanakert. '"There is no equipment in Karabakh to enable the direct transfer of images: tlpre are no clean overseas telephone lines and there's no satellitâ&#x201A;Ź hookup. Also the electrical

power

cameras. Yet Djansezian's troubles did not

situation is not dependable; it's even worse in Armenia," Djansezian said. Still, he has plans to return, as if his

end here. A photojournalist covering the changing course ofa warneeds quick access

frusrating enough, or, forthat matter, notlife-

to image transmittal equipment not available

threatening enough.

agencies helped him find replacement

experiences in the war zone were not

In March, offlclale were contlnulng to dlglrlbute heatlng fuel ln Vanatgor, old Klrovakan. The fuel was donated by the US Agency for

Internallonal Development (usArD).

One and a half year-old Mellk Aghaalan s father was a goldler from Armenla who dled ln May 1992. Hls mother took hlm lo vlslt lhe grave In Stepanakert.

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

Hlgh gasollne prlces dlscourage tra:vei-ouFlde the clW, and lhe

Sardarabad monumenl, located about 20 mlles from Yerovan, le usuallY deserted. Not so, on MaY 28. Inriependence DaY, when free publlc tr'ansportatlon was avallable.

Effgctlvg mgana of transporlatlon can be of value on the batlleflsld as woll. An army convov In norlhern Karabakh was aitemotlnb to cross a freshly cawsd'

mud road wh'lch, for geveral houre' had

become Inecoesglble because ol raln. Ths Armenlans wâ&#x201A;Źre stuck and wsro forced Into a ounllre exchange wlth the Azerls. The sbldlers explalned that the Azerls were almlng at tho clstorn of luel on the truckl6st ehead of ua In the A GRAD mlsslle was launched convov. -about 12 mllee away, but mlssed from the clstern by a fractlon of an lnch' Eventuallv, the cbnvoy whlch Included three fulltrucka of wounded and dead soldlere, moved on.

Prlsoners of war from the Kelbalar area have been housed ln a Siepanakerl klndergarten slnce Aprll, 1993.

Garlk Slmonlan, 12, dregsod

In mllltary unlform, and hls slster Alvart,4, are refugaeg trom Mataghls, temporarllY relocatod to Stepanakerl. Thelr coualn Atam Badallan from Askeran lolned them there. Valya Slmonlan, 10, brought along her dog LuckY.

Durlno Yerevan g bllaterlng 8ummer8, young boys oool off anE play In publlc fountilng. What db glrls do? They slt around In courtyards and squares.

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FROM FRIEND TOADVOCATE Robert Kardashian and OJ Simpson By ARA

Halloween paraphernalia which he bought in 1989 and sold in 1992 to the Japanese.

PlBAilnN

Each year, in the month of October,

t began

Kardashian would hire 6,000 employees

with a prophesy. a trance

and lease 800 outlets nationwide, do

followed by seizures and convulsions and admonished the people of his

business for the span of that one month, and close down for the rest of the year.

A young man went into

village to leave Armenia and go to America-for a massacre was about to happen. Those who heard and believed left for the new land. Those who didn't ...

Tados and Hamas Kardashian were a couple who heeded the warning and made preparations to come to Los Angeles, a city that was specifically mentioned in theprophesy. It was told

In 1980, Kardashian and his friend Simpson, whom he had met on a tennis court l0 years earlier, invested in a music video

business called Concert Cinema, which provided theaters with music videos.

by now," Kardashian said, based on the experiences of a friend of his who went to

Yerevan last month and was frequently asked about Kardashian and Simpson. Kardashian first made his appearance when he publicly read Simpson's suicide notebeforethetelevisioncameras. "He was staying at my house when he gave me the

letter. His mental attitude had been

declining. He gave the letter to me and said

that

would know when to read it,"

Kardashian said. [Ie has even activated his

law license so that he may help in the defense of his closest friend by serving as liaison between the ltve defense attomeys and Simpson. Kardashian also seryes as a connection between Simpson and his fans, who send Simpson 30 boxes of mail every day.

Kardashian's involvement with the affairs of Simpson's trial have become so time-consuming that he has had to postpone

wedding plans with fiancee Denise

that here they would make their

wealth and establish a life for themselves and their children.

Thus begins the story of Robert Kardashian, whose name has become synonymous with football and movie

star O.J. Simpson following the murder of Simpson's ex-wife and a friend in mid-June, in Los Angeles. "Los Angeles. It's like someone today telling us to go to Xinxiang, China or Sholapur, India. That is how

must have seemed to them,"

Kardashian said.

Upon their arrival in East Los Angeles, they became employed in the rubbish business as did many of

the newly arrived

Armenian

immigrants of that time. "No one wanted to pick up the trash, but mY grandfather did. He later got a loan, bought a truck, and made a business of it," Kardashian said. With the rubbish he collected, Tados Kardashian fed acollection of hogs for later

slaughter and sale. This became the beginning the GreatWestern Meatpacking Co. which was established in 1 935 and later passed down to Kardashian's parents,

Currently, Kardashian has a similar business called Movie Tunes which he runs out ofhis home. The business provides prescreening music to movie theaters across the United States.

Shakarian-Halicki whom he met at a party two years ago. It turned out that Denise's great-grandfather, Isaac Shakarian, and

Robert's grandmother, Hamas, were brother and sister. "It's an unbelievable

Since the day Kardashian appeared

ArthurandHelen.

before the television cameras and

coincidence. We both had no Prior knowledge of each other. We meet and it

the business my father and uncle came into, often working 20 hours a day to make it successful." Kardashian said. Howeverthe meat-packing business was never really Robert's cup of tea. After receiving his his law degree in 1969, he practiced corporate and entertainment law for 10 years but quit to go into business, and in some instances making $30 million dollars in one month from his Masquerade

encouraged Simpson to turn himself in, he has been Simpson's closest supporter. Now

turns out that we are related," Kardashian said.

a regular day for Kardashian includes making visits to Simpson injail, appearing in court during the trial and answering some questions for the media. The story has captivated audiences in

For Kardashian pleasant coincidences and harsh circumstances have become a way of life. Often working 20 hours a day, juggling business, family and the nial of the OJcade, tittte aid he know that a friendship started 25 years ago would make him so famous. And little did Hamas and Tados

"It's

International, a comPany that sold

America and around the world unlike anything elsein recentmemory. "Ithas even become of major inlerest to the people of Armenia, who allprobablyknow who I am

AIM, AUCUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

know about the full validity of made nearly 100 years ago.

prophesy

HOPEFUL HEARTS

Building Bridges with Medical Outreach

Armenia in September of 1985 taking with

By lRlS PAPAzlAll

them tivo complete sets of arthroscopic

instruments. "The advantage of

r. Vartkes Najarian,

orthopedic surgeon, and his wife Mary, a registered nurse, never

dreamed that a 1984 visit to Soviet Armenia would have such a profound effect on their lives. The

California couple came home obsessed with the need to upgrade medical care in

arthroscopic surgery is that there are no exposed open wounds," Dr, Najarian explains, "which nearly eliminates the chance of infections." To date several hundred orthopedic procedures have been carried out successfuly and it is still the only

center of its kind throughout the former Soviet Union. An aspirin-pressing factory which Medical Outreach setup inYerevan

Eattcrn Divlrion Greatcd Enter Arthur Halvajian,

estate developer

successful real

in New Jersey

and Pennsylvania, and a long time Armenian activist. Immediately after the earthquake, as the Mid-Atlantic Council Chairman for

the Armenian Assembly, Halvajian got

involved in soliciting earthquake relief funds. During this tiie, he was asked to secure funding for an AmeriCarcs

airlift of

children inneedofmedical attention. When

the 15 shildren arrived in New York City,

Halvajian became their guardian. Subsequently together with fellow volunteers Hany Keleshian and George Leylegian, Halvajian went to Armenia to select additional earthguake victims to bring

the United States for treatment with assistance from the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

On July 28, 1989, the Armenian Assembly's office in Yerevan sent a message by

fax to Halvajian. That

message,which changed his life and gave birth to the Eastern Region, related the desperation ofa couple with a l2-year -old son in need ofheart surgery. So desperate were the parents that, if necessary, they would agree for their son to be adopted by a couple in the U.S. so that he could have the life-saving operation.

The father of two young children, Halvajian was haunted

with the desperation of this couple. HecontactedtheNajarians, askedto borrow their name and tax-exempt status and the Eastern Region of Medical outreach for Armenians, Inc., was born. "We had been concentrating on

bringing children hurt in the

earthquake for medical treatment. That fax message made me realize

that the need was much greater,

especially in pediatric cardiac surgery, which I realized is literally

non-existent in Armenia." Halvajian' s no-nonsense, can-do

attitude combined with his imposing 6'6" stature got quick Denlre Bauer, !n Intentlve care rpeclallrt from Portland, Oregon, har gone lo Armenla two tlmer.

Armenia. This obsession gave birth to Medical Outreach for Armenians, Inc., which in its few years of existence can boast a long

list of accomplishments, including

the securing of modern medical

equipment,

vital medicines, volunteer

medical

professionals, 400 surgical procedures performed in the United States and Armenia through its "Save Our Armenian Children" program, andthe Children's Cardiac Center

of Armenia(CCCA). The Najarians themselves returned to 52

is able to produce an ample supply of this most basic of medicines previously in short supply.

When the 1988 earthquake struck, Medical Outreach was already organized and very much a presence in Armenia, so it was natural that it was one of the first to be

contacted by the Armenian government. Forty thousand pounds ofmedical supplies wereimmediatelyairliftedby Aeroflotfrom Los Angeles - the first such shipment to reach Armenia after the earthquake. AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

results. Together with the dedicated volunteers and his own office staff

he began to inspire doctors and hospitals to donate their services and facilities which translated into millions and millions of dollars. "Without the donations, each operation would have cost anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000,' according to Halvajian. The children recuperate with host Armenian

American families before returning to Armenia. To date more than 400 children have been operated on (300 of those for heart surgery). "There are 2000 more on the waiting list," says Halvajian, "It's literally a race against time. We had one child die

medicalcarewehavein the United Staoes." The overall success has been phenomenal,

Najarian, a shipment of hospital beds and matresses were sent through the Fund for Democracy recently. "We 0ry to get as much as we can through donations, but whatever we cannot get, we purchase. For instance, the need for antibiotics was critical. so we purchased the medicine. Fortunately we wereabletobuyitatavery goodprice," says Najarian. The surgical wing of the Military Hospital was named after Dr. Najarian in appreciation of his help during the pastnine

especially since the

years.

surgery is critical. If we really want to help our Motherland, we should provide them with the knowledge and equipment to be able to

provide the level of

operations

ilarutlan, phyrlclan at the Stepanakcil Mllltery Ho.plhl, rucslvlng horpltel ruppller. Dr. Valcrl

while waiting.

don't want

that

are

performed on children who should have been treated much sooner.

Therehavebeendoaths. Overall mortality rate is about 47o, well

to ever happen again."

within the range of the acceptable mortality rate in the United Stales. Halvajian's eyes

Ghlldpn'r Gardlec Gcntcr of Armonh

sadden when he speals of these patients and especially one patient who remains in a coma. "We are praying and hoping for a miracle," he says.

During the past two years a priority project has been the Children's Cardiac Cenler of Armenia (CCCA). It grew out of the realization that ultimately it was more effective, humane, and economical to take the treatmentto the Ampnians rather than bring individual cases to the United States. "We were greatly encouraged by the overwhelning support of the community-

wide organizations," notes Halvajian, 'tncluding the Prelacy and Diocese of the Armenian church, AGBU, ARS, Lincy Foundation, UAF, as well as the Children's Cardiac Cenler of Oregon, the Albert Stan

Academic center, the Health Ministry of Armenia and theCity Council ofYerevan."

Encouraged by preliminary results which supported the feasibility of such a project, the CCCA got a real boost in 1993 when the United Armenian Fund agreed to fund 100 open- heart operations over a period of six months, with a budget of $135,000. The project was further helped

with the donation of state-of -the -art equipment from Siemens, Queenof Angels/

Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, andHewlettPackard. Between May 28 and October 16 of 1993, 130 operations were

performed in Yerevan, many by local specialists, under the direction of U.S. doctors Hagop Hovaguimian and Hrayr Garabedian. The total expenditures came to $93, 500.91, well under the projected amount. In 1994 the UAF made another

Aid To Kerabagh Another long-term project is the improvement of medical facilities in Karabagh. Part of the money raised from a series of successful telethons on the west coast is being used to upgrade the Military

Hospital there. According to Mary

Aside from the telethons, money is raised through individual donations, support from organizations, and functions.

A community-wide event is planned in November on the east coast to "help Arthur's Kids." According to Halvajian, administrative costs for the Eastern Division isjust about zero since all ofthe work is done through his own business office and volunteers. The western region has only recently hired a part- time secretary. Halvajian and the Najarians are emphatic in their determination "Armenia is going through arebirth," says Halvajian, "The opportunity exists now forus to help in a significant way."

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donation of $138,000 for two hundred operations, which were performed this summer under the direction of Dr. Hovagumian who took a leave-of-absence from his position in the United States. The primary goal is now to expand the facilities of the CCCA so that the unit will be able to perform as many operations as possible in order to make a dent in the

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numbcr of children suffering from congenital heart defects. Halvajian

Universal City, CA 9160B (818)506-2500

emphatically states," Timing for corrective AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

How dld they wclcom.. prl..t who Ir not oil Arrnonlen n.tlondIty? I think they were proud that a non-

ADUTCHMAN INTHEARMENIAN

Armenianhadbecomeinterestedinthefield

of Arme,nology. On the level of persural eontacts, I can say that I nevcr felt like an intruder. Now, or one side you have to understand that ifyou don'thave Armenian

RITE

the

TETTAilD PI{OTO BY

FELIX CORLEV

I I !

blood, something very essential is lacking in you persmalityl But on the other side, they appreciatâ&#x201A;Ź very much the work and studies you do. So, I taught Armenian linguistics, and for a long time this was a field that maybe wasn't handled too well in some universities. Now there is m Armeniln linguistics associuiqr. With ttre computâ&#x201A;Źrs we have today there arenew approrches in researchon thc Armenian language.

worldwide &derwittr its 8,5(X)priests,

his heart remains in his belovedlebanon.

enyeant ago, rne.r-esutselecrco a Dulchman, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach,assuperia-general.

Each morning at rhe Jesuir

headquarten inRomO, whiletherest of the communityjoins togetherforMass, he is on his own ina littlechapel saying theliturgyin the Armenian rite. It was in Beirut that Father Kolvenbach got !o know theArmeniancommunity and was ordained as a priest in the Catholic Armenian rite in 1961. Now 65, he spent 30 years in the MiddleEast, seven of them as provincial of the Jesuit Vice-Province of the Middle East. Although his work keeps him in Romeformost of theyear, heading

Alll:You wero ordalned In tho Arr rncnlen rltc. Whatdrcwyouto tho Armonlen Grthollc communlty? KOLVEIIBAGH: I rm inreresred in Armenian bccause my field is comparative linguistics, end all linguisrs know that Armenian is very interesting because we don't really lnow where it belongs in the field of Indo-European languages. So, many linguiss study classical Armenian out of scientific interest for research. When I came to the Middle East, I already knew classical Armenian and bccause I lived in the Armenian quarter of Beirut it was not t<x)

difficult to pick up rilestern Armenian. At the moment the Lord called me to the priesthood, it wasquitenanrral also to serve the Armenian community.

You ltfuum Haue A $econd

However, there is still Armenian history,

architecture-

lot to do in

rich history, and particularly all these a ver5l

churches that are still there in Twkey rnd Armenia It is averyrichculture, and I think the Armenians themselves have taken this up with veqy competent people.

ln.func l9glthoro wat tho con trovcrrlal lctter frorn thc Gethollc Petrlarch llovhennor Bodror IVlll lKlrperlrnl nrhlch mrnt/ In

ffiance

Make

AHn$mFcssion.

On'tinr Flivery.b

not

rll yor crped ftom intcmdion

l exprcss compenice.

Fngilc pnckegc such rc elecrronk parts, slidc or megrcric rrp6 c.n rrke e rangh ri& fiom

gnchedolnolhg. Andifyorrparcelanivcsinbadshapc,chencciercyor'lllccicusorrcr. AtAnnrcr,yor'crnbenrrcrlery&rpcligcwillbesafetyitrippcarna thrt it wont bc &livered with its comcnt bcnt, brokcn or baucrcd. Kmwing thu thc qudity of orr scrvic is thc |lcy o kccping yolr bGitw-.hcrd, we heve &i,iscd orr of thcfrsrcst endsafcst door-tadoordelivcrysystcms, etyorrs,clicc. And iFwc rlweyisccir o mekc I goodimprcaiionon6ur-dtrxs, ir'son!sothiinnrrl youcrn rnrkc e bccer irnp,rcssion on youts.

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AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

tho Aportollc Ghurch felt war rethrr Inrultlng. What lryour rrectlon?

Personally, I don't know the exact

intention of the Catholic Patriarch because as far as I know, based on his own words, he was very well received in Armenia. I thinkit was thefirst time theCatholicos of

All

Armenians invited the Armenian

Catholic Patriarch to give the blessing in Ejmiatsin. Words are difficult and can be ambiguous so I hope that there is only a misundentanding in theuse of terminology, which in this field of ecumenism, can be dangerous. Even in the Latin Ctrurch when you say'orthodox" it can have different meanings. All the Catholics are, I hope, orthodox, but still they are not orthodox. lile have there an ambiguous expression. The term "apostolic" can alsobe ambiguous because all the churches of the Lord are apostolic in their faith, but the Armenian Church will say we are apostolic in a very special sense. So all this use of words covering many fields can easily give the occasion of misunderstanding. I hope that it was just aquestion of misunderstanding. I know from the Catholic Pariarch himself

how grateful he was for the welcome he received from His Holiness Vazgen

of Ejmiatsin, the Catholicos

of all the Armenians.

Do tlou bcllevc thc tcndonr caured by thlr lettcr havr bcon rct asldc? Ihope so.

You have en lmpoilant podtlon ln

tho Gethollc Church and ero r prlert of tho Armenlan rlto In tho Grthollc Ghurch. Do you thlnk you could playr pcrconal role In rclt tlonr betwern thc Yetlcan tnd Elmlatrln? I think I could, but the need is not enormous asrelations already existbetween

the Vatican and Ejmiatsin. There are

official contacts. Now, there are always

many things to do qr the non-official level, but it is not nâ&#x201A;Źcâ&#x201A;Źssary to establish contact, especially since the visit of His Holiness Vazgenl toPopePaul VIin 1970. This was a

very important visit because at thet

moment the Catholic

Armenian Church's support of thedoctrine which asserts that the nature of Christ is one, united in its corporeal and spiritual form] was much more a verbal question than reality. I think this was a tremendous step.

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TOLIVEWITH THEIRIDENTITY The Turkish.Armenian Gommunity Holds On By BETH BROUSSALIAI{

against innocent Azerbaijanis. And although the Patriarch does not believe that

Turkey is obstructing the passage of ome see Turkey and its Armenian community as an enigma, a

mystery, a black hole. Those blinded by Turkophobia cannot imagine how Armenians could possibly coexist with the Turks. Others simply dismiss the Turkish-Armenian community as a lost tribe. The truth is that the community of Armenians in Turkey is alive and pushing ahead into the 2lst century. "You have to have the courage to live

humanitarian aid to Armenia in response to the war, Turkish newspapers and international relief workers tell a verv different story. In late April, one article cited thenForeign Mlnrster Minister HIK Hikmet Qetin stating, Forelgn

These days, they are riding Turkey's

with

the intention

which recently won over one-third of the

and surrounded the

country's municipal centers, including Istanbul and Ankara, on the other.

structure. Since then,

Immediately across the border to the

has

recognized Armenia's independence, but no diplomatic relations have been extended." He also lauds Ter Petrossian's attempts to become a part of the Black Sea

Armenian separatism

government, on the one side, and the fundamentalist Islamic Welfare Party

east, the war in Karabakh and the efforts of Armenian President Levon Ter Petrossian's

relations with Turkey. Turkey

what they called the

storming the building. The patriarch notified the police who arrived

devastating to Turkey's minorities.

Armenian government maintains official

of Turks, protesting

on the patriarchate

Interestingly, while outsiders look at these results with consternation, the locals are not immediately alarmed. '"Ihe fundamentalists don't have many votes among the Turks. These are Kurdish votes," Kazanjian is quick to point out. According to the patriarch, there is no real concern about a fundamentalist takeover. because "the army is in control in Turkey. Ifthey feel thereis any trouble, they will take action." Thus, the head of an 80,000 strong community placates fears about the trend towardnationalism which can be potentially

elaborated. Patriarch Kazanjian endorses the efforts ofTer Petrossian vis a vis Turkey. "The

Turkish policy as well. Twoyears ago, agroup

contradictions-between Prime Minister

party which rules Turkey's coalition

Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, responsibility for such antagonism should not be borne by Arme nians in Turkey. [The Turksl should draw a line between Armenians inside and outside Turkey," he

There are popular

in Karabakh, marched

Qiller's westward-looking True Path

Karabakh or toward the conflict between

manifestations of

latest wave of internal political Tansu

toward Armenia's involvement in

sh territory as long as the

tinues."

the Armenian Diaspora.

but they are the result of the conflict in Azerbaijan." "Turkey must develop its own policy

any goods to Armenia

Patriarch of Turkey, Karekin Kazanjian, in

storms kicked up by the politics of the intemationalpowers, theTurkishnationand

Armenian community. He stated, "It is not clear where these attacks are coming from,

through Turki

Armenian invasion [of Azerbaijan] con-

Over the years, the Armenians in Turkey have done just that, weathering numerous

a recent interview in Marmara . the leading daily newspaper of the Turkish

"Turkey would not allow the transport of

with your identity," stated Armenian arecent interview with AIM.

the building has suffered damages in a graffiti raid. In addition, since May, 1993, there have been

anonymous

calls

threatening Armenians

with death and extermination. Early this year, just prior to

Armenian

Christmas, anti-Armenian attacks became so troublesome that the Patriarch was forced to call the authorities in Istanbul to ensure the security ofchurches. Crosses have been broken in all five Armenian cemeteries in Istanbul. Since February,1993, some 20 incidents have been reported.

Cooperation Organization, though he feels

that as long as the war in Karabakh

continues unresolved, efforts to join with Turkey in any political or economic alliance will be fruitless. For now, however, the involvement of the Armenian community inTurkey with its

government to promote cooperation with

Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian,

neighbor, Armenia, remains limited.

Turkey have captured the attention of the Turkish media which portrays the

Patriarchal Deputy to the Inter-Church Council of Turkish Armenians, voiced a

Armenians as committing "genocide"

different perspective about these incidents

Turkish Armenians are not allowed to send money across the border. The patriarch believes that once diplomatic ties are sealed,

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

AIM. AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

within. According to Kazanjian, news of economic hardships in Germany and the United States, for example, has made its way back to Istanbul, discouraging those

with intentions to move, and actually

bringing some families back. Although its size has decreased, the integrity of the Armenian community in Turkey, and particularly in Istanbul,

remains intact. There are few mixed

marriages (about 30 percent according to the patriarch), and in most cases when they occur, itis anon-Armenian woman who has

chosen an Armenian husband. Kazanjian claims that in Turkey, Armenian men are known for being loyal husbands who treat their wives with respect. Armenian is still the official language ofthe Church and continues to be taught in Armenian schools. While the majority of

Istanbul natives speak the language, Armenians from Anatolia who have relocated to the city and who form 80 percent of the Turkish-Armenian

institutions. Indeed, alumni associations appear to be the backbone of Armenian schools. Gala banquets are held annually to raise money. People seem to come out of the woodwork to lend their financial and moral backing. After all is said and done, yearly

contributions to the schools exceed US $400.000. The churches too have survived and done well. Of the 34 Armenian church edifices in Istanbul andits environs,28 hold

services-but unfortunately, not every Sunday. Clergymen are assigned on a rotational basis, attempting to meet the ongoing demand for spiritual guidance and to deal with the decline in available priests.

Although

in the past the Turkish

govemment has forbidden the renovation

any Armenian religious buildings in disrepair, this law seems to have been relaxed a bit as Turkey attempts to portray itself in the West as a nation based on

Armenian hotelier.

Across the street, the refurbishing

continues. At the Mother Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the patriarch's throne has undergone

complete facelift uncovering its original and splendid fruit potif which for years had been concealed by a layer of paint. Additionally, the adjacent church hall has been updated and modernized. The new kitchen is immaculate and the impressive dining room can seat hundreds. There are now plans in the works to begin restoring the old cathedral, which partially burned down decades ago and until today remains

in ruins.

Despite these more encouraging

reports, Armenians in Turkey are not blind to the grim reality of their lives. As one Istanbul native so honestly states, "We are guests here, if they were to say we must leave, we wouldn't be able to do

it." Perhaps, then,

equality for all of its citizens. Taking advantage of this new opportunity,

anything about

community seem to have lost their contact with their mother tongue. "Some of the

Patriarch Kazanjian has become the "great

younger parents who have moved their families to Istanbul are now learning

completion of work on the patriarchate's reception hall where loud and contrasting

population in Turkey should be viewed as more than a lost tribe. Indeed, despite the obvious hardships, these modern-day

Armenian from their children who are attending Armenian schools," explains Kazanjian. There are l0 elementary schools, four high schools and fivejunior colleges, or "lycees." These schools are all under the supervision of Turkey's Ministry ofEducation, which requires that language,

history and geography instruction be conducted by Turks in Turkish.

The issue of how Turkish a private Armenian school should be was the focus, not too long ago, of an embroiled battle between the Armenian community and the Turkish government. The problem began whenreckless rumors circulaied stating that all instruction, with the single exception of fumenian language, would have to be in Turkish. The rumors, whoseoriginal source remains suspect according to many in the

community, spread rapidly and the patriarchate was soon flooded with calls.

Echoing the sentiments of callers who prefened closing the schools altogether ratrerthan opting for instruction in Turkish, Mutafian noted, "It is imperative that we

instruct [our students] in Armenian to

preserve Armenian identity."

The community's reaction was fierce and vocal and the rumor was put to rest. The

patriarch played no small role in the resolution of the potentially volatile incident. Making some well-placed phone calls to the Ministers of Interior and Education, Kazanjian, who does not relish his de facto role ofpolitical leader, secured their pledge to find a quick solution. Unquestionably, the steadfast support of the community is crucial for its institutions, since there is no such thing as a govemment

grant for religious or educational

renovator." He recently oversaw the

the

Armenian

heroes have managed to maintain

colors on the walls and ceiling were

pronounced Armenian identity and

replaced by softer and more regal hues . The floor of this great room is now covered by an enormous carpet donated by a wealthy

presence in a nation whose policy toward

its minority groups is defined more by oppression than

opportunity.

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AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

A MATTEROF D IALOGUE

By SUSAN PATTIE

n the

Middle East,definitions and issues

has learned to mute her

whirlwind energy

and enthusiasm when necessary, adding diplomacy and patience to her repertoire of

international law, rules of monitoring, possibilities of legal intervention. Eskidjian also promotes the teaching of conflict resolution , education for peace and human rights, and uses of the media. "The way you go

Nevertheless, for

in matters with political In spite of these problems, the

involved

implications."

delegate to the World Council of Churches Armenia Round Table in June 1993 where the needs for interchurch aid were discussed

and tasks were proposed in the fields of mission and education.

says

outside

not in harmony with their own beliefs. At the same time,some Christians in the region are concerned about being involved in issues of human rights, feeling that it may be embarrassing to the majority or might upset established relationships with them. Some church circles are not yet fully open to Christian organizations like ours being

returnees during their stay in the camps awaiting repatriation. Eskidjian was a

Eskidjian."Wework from within. This is not something that wecanimposefrom

"In theMiddle East,theprevailing socioeconomic problems, issues of national security caused by internal changes and wars and foreign intervention constitute obstacles to thepromotion ofhuman rights. Some governments consider human rights work as an action against them or their national security. MiddleEastern societies, on the other hand, are in many ways still religious,especially in the Islamic context, emphasizes criteria and principles which are

the human rights situation of Asian

about the work is

important,"

skills.

and think that human rights work

practical nature. During the early stages of theGulfCrisis,she was in Jordan,assisting

organizations. She also helped to monitor

documentation and credibility, and

surrounding human rights are highly controversial and Salpy Eskidjian, Coordinator of the Justice. Peace and Human Rights (JPHR) Program for the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC),

In addition to conference work and training, Eskidjian's work is often of a

in coordinating international aid administered through ecumenical

and instruments of

mechanisms

talked and talked and eventually became

friends."

some, human rights indeed appears to be

outsider's

concen,

a new stick with which thewest

can beat Middle Eastern states which

fall out of step and Eskidjianrecognizes

that her

work

straddles a fine line. Part of her job is to teach others about

theMiddleEast.The first year Eskidjian attended the annual

National

Prayer

Breakfast

Washington, DC, as

a member of the Cyprus delegation,

she also gave

commitment of the area's churches can

overview

the

readily be seen in the very existence ofthe

Cyprus problem at a

JPHR Program. The MECC, based in Cyprus, is made up oflocal churches from Orthodox and Apostolic to Catholics and

meeting on Capitol Hill. Following the

Maronites, Protestants and Copts. Eskidjian was born in Cypms and that is where she retumed after receiving a BA in

Breakfast meetings, Eskidjian was invitedto aconference where

1994

Prayer

Sociology from George Washington

the subject was equally close to home:

"There is a growing concem in Middle Eastern societies for democratization and

Church

promotion

University.

Armenians." During the 1994 meeting,Eskidjian was assigned a roommate from Turkey. She remembers feeling uneasy atfirst and says, "We were initially both surprised to find each other. What would we talk about? But itbecame a very personaljourney. She knew so little of the Armenian genocide- and,of

When she began in 1989, human rights work was already part of the MECC's mandate. Since then, she's been active in helping the region's churches develop humanrights advocacy programs.Eskidjian initiated an annual course, linking Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, training churches and non-governmental organizations to become involved. Training includes getting to know the

in War and

"The Conflict: the

course, her perspective on the Cyprus situation was completely different. But she was very open to knowing my story and we

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

of human rights.

Among

Christians, weperceive an increasin. g interest in interreligious dialogue. The MECC works

with both religious and secular forces in society. Bearing in mind the diversity of cultural and religious perspectives in the Middle East. we raise issues within the framework of mutual respect between communities, not as open condemnation, aiming atdiscovering through theirrespective heritages, a cornmon ethical ground for the basisof anew

society."

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first in division three. In 1993 the Sahagian senior soccer team ranked fifth in the Division I Provisional League Cup-the

By ARA PIRANIAI{

Presently, Sahagian's senior league soccerteam is in fifth place, again, among

20 teams throughout Australia. The

attraction and social event

competition is tough and Senior Team

Armenian

Manager Bedros Gelgec made a realistic estimate that the team will indeed finish somewhere in the middle.

for

the

Community Sahagian Sporting Club of Victoria, Australia. Presently, 120 players, ages ranging from seven and up, participate in theclub.

The club's annual budget is about AU$40,000, most of which is raised at

o Etc.. Pleasâ&#x201A;Ź rofer to page 76 fot a sample lisling.

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AIM at (818) 246 7979

ARI|ENIAf.I TE.EVISION PRODUCnONS, D{C.

"Armenians from all over the world play with us," says President Artin Goc. The Sahagian club, in Victoria, started

1972 when Apraham KuYumcian immigrated from Istanbul, Turkey, to Melbourne, where he established the club with the assistance of Nerses Kiremitcian. The name Sahagian came from the school

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dinner dances. Goc says that they are working towards acquiring a soccer field

will save a considerable amount of money in rental fees. The club is

of their own,which

presently using the city council soccer grounds.

"Fundraising

is tough for

organization like ours with no umbrella body to fall backon. But, we're working on

in Istanbul, where Kuyumcian was a student. Most of Australia's 25,000 to

every angle, including encouraging

35,000 Armenians are from Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.

Goc notes.

At the time of Sahagian's establishment, only a handfu I of Armenian families existed in Melbourne. Now there are about 6,000 Armenians who live there.

"The formation of Sahagian brought together all newly anived immigrants from Turkey and othercountries. Now there were two places Armenians could meet each church and the soccer field," other

-the saidGoc.

Since its establishment, Sahagian has participated and placed in the Elizabeth Cup, Monash Cup, Monbulk Cup and the Provisional League Cup at Middle Park, Melbourne, where in 1990 Sahagian came AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

overseas membership in our organization,"

"Every single person at Sahagian is a volunteer. Parents of the children .ue very involved and we all keep ourselves busy to keep the kids together. We hope that the children will follow their parents' example and do the samething fortheirchildren one day," said Goc. And when the season's over? Well,

Sahagian isn't just grueling athletic competition. Goc boasts that l50maniages

have resulted since the

club's

establishment. "Sahagian's goal is to keep

Armenian youngsters and community together. We want to accomplish this through sports," Goc

said.

PULLING

At about this time he began to crystallize

plans for quartet, an idea he had long harbored as a student playing chamber

ATTHERIGHT

music. Musicians were auditioned and the preparations finalized when "as a last fling" he entered a competition in Munich, Germany. This was a much stiffer test of Chilingirian's ability but again he came out

STRINGS

on top.

"There were people competing that we

Tho Ghltlngiritn Stdng Quartet'r Intornetionel Pull

had actually heard of, who had already been on the circuit of competitions and concerts.

It was a big but very pleasant surprise," he

By TOIIY

HAtPlll

rather have played football." Today the Chilingirian Quartethas tours

said.

The result was to catapult Chilingirian on to the international stage, with concerts

of six continents and an impressive

I I

here is a fitting symmetry to the factthaton the day I interviewed

Levon Chilingirian, a young

Armenian musician was practicing in the next noom. The leading figure in one of the world's forcmost string quartets, Chilingirian owes his musical career to the great uncle who survived the Armenian Genocide. The culturalconnectionpassedinexiledownthe generations is now turning full circle in Chilingirian's own nurturing of talent from

thenewrepublic. The link is appreciated by a man whose own parents had their suitcases packed, ready to move to Soviet Armenia in 1946 if the chance came. Instead, they stayed in Cyprus and the infant Levon encountered great uncle Vahan. Something of a one-man music school to youngsters on the island, Vahan Bedelian

Chilingirian to the violin. Irwas, recalls, 'simply ordained' that he would

intnoduced he

learn, coming as he did from

a family whose musical talents included his uncle Manug Parikian and his cousin Harutiun Bedelian, considered the dean of Cypriot musicians. "Ijoined the conveyor belt at the

age of five. I enjoyed it but I didn't particularly consider it my vocation," said Chilingirian. When the family emigrated to England seven years later, Chilingirian almost ensured it never did become more. Snuggling to come to tâ&#x201A;Źrms with his strange new life, theadolescent immigantdecided violin practice was one trial he could live

without.

However. he had not reckoned with uncle Vahan who visited six months later and, shocked to find no practice taking place, orderedaviolinbeboughtand lessons resumed.

It was a crucial intervention which set Chilingirian back on the path towards the highest levels of musical achievement.

"I don't know whether I would have

missed itenough to come back to it if he had

notvisited. This was onething Icouldhave done without at the time, I would much

in Germany, Holland, France and Switzerland. Thus was born his dual career

catalogue of nearly 40 recordings to its crâ&#x201A;Źdit. It is guartot-in-rcsidence atlondon's

Royal College of Music, gives an annual series ofconcerts at the city's Queen Elizabeth

Hall and Wigmore

Hall, and makes coastto-coast tours of the United States and Canada each year. Its performances are regularly broadcast by the BBC, US National Public Radio, and TV and radio throughout Europe.

It has been a hardwon success for quartet

which will soon be marking its silver anniversary. But

thoughts ofa glinering career were strongly tempered as the 18year-old Chilingirian

l,l ,.i,

prepared to study atthe

:]ii:i1111;.,,,,1 I'

Music, by his uncle

;{;.1;

Royal College of Manug's advice on the pitfalls that lie ahead.

:,':,:t'. r

"He told me by all means have a go but you have to reconcile

younelftobeinghappy

when you come out

Lcltto rlght: Chlllnglrlan, Rowlanddones, vlola,

Serusrl. recond vlolln.

into the profession with playing on the back desk of the second violins of a provincial symphony orchestra. It was sobering, even harsh, advice and Chilingirian admits now that he could not have tolerated such an outcome. However, it focused his attention and he recalls an enormous weight lifting from his shoulders

with the decision to dedicate himself to music. If he had any fears, they were to prove unfounded. While still in his final year he entered and won a Beethoven competition organized by the BBC, which lead to concerts in London and performances for radio. AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

De Groote,

soloist and with the quartet. Within a week of winning the contest, in October 197 I , the Chilingirian Quartet held its first rehearsal. The contrast with his thriving solo career could hardly have been as

greater. "It was an extremely unclear and risky situation. We had no concerts. we had no promise of any concerts. We didn't know if anybody would be interested," he said. Despite envious glances towards those who could afford to buy a car thanks to their

jobs on the second violins of provincial

orchestras, the quartet persevered and made

their debut concert in February 1972.

However, there was never anv

temptation to ditch the quartet and

concentrate on his solo career, partly because he prefers the widest possible

repertoire and partly because of a feeling that he lacked the "thoroughbred" training to strike out on his own. "I am actually doing more concert work now than when I was 21. I have grown into

it and I love doing it." '"Ihere was no contest at all, it seemed an absolutely perfect combination to give

Quartet won and duly made their New York debut, in 1976.

prize--just the chance to perform on a huge network of radio stations across Europe. The exposure they received led to many concert invites from all corners of the

This opened the door to them in the United States but they nearly had to pass up the chance through lack of funds. "We were in England and it was out of the question to go to America to audition, we couldn't afford it. It was only by sheer freak that we were offered some concerts in Spain, where we really thought there was a

continent. The second was an audition process run by Young Concert Artists inNew York. The winner gained aplaceon the rosterof artists run by a non-profit agency which would

promotetheirearlycareer. TheChilingirian

some recitals as a solo violinist and at the same time try and build up this incredible

possibility of the all-embracing repertoire as a quartet player." Chilingirian speaks with evident warmth

BAHT

offeeling about his quartet. Just as well for a group which meets virnrally every day,

PESO

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playing as many as 120 concerts a year. _On iop of that, there are rehearsals, more than

30 evenings of teaching at the Royal College, and summer courses in England

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and Europe.

Two of the original members---cellist Philip De Groote and viola player Simon Rowland-Jones - are in the current line-up, Rowland-Jones returning to the ensemble two yean ago after 14 years away. Charles Sewart is the fourth member, coming in as

socond violinistwhen MarkButlerreturned to Canada after2l years with the group. It is rare for such partnerships to remain

Yen

Franc Pt*^dl Franc

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creative for so long, history being littered with examples of musical ensembles which grow stale and complacent. Chilingirian is alive to the dangers and puts their good

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instilled into them. "That I think is more important in many ways than getting on. If you basically play in the same way and have been brought up to thinkof music in the same way then you are not going to argue very much. But if the way of making a sound is so different from

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on6 person to the next because of their

training then it's rather like having

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which helped the quartet in its gradual ascent to fame. Ironically, both were competitions - a form of talent spotting

which he delests. "It must be possible for that great talent to come through by other means than by some great gladiator battle." Their first big break was a European Broadcasting Union contest in Sweden, which he described as an "anti-competition competition". Each member country send aquartettorepresentitanddlere was no first

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mistake in the fee they were going to pay us, that there was a zerotoo many in thepesetas. "It was only when we got paid and it was

correct, did we work out that we would afford to go across to New York to audition." The quartet hassince gone on to earn global recognition, with tours to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Africa and Japan adding to their continued success in Europe and North America. But it is the future of Armenian talent that has exercised Chilingirian more recently.

With his wife Susan, he has been a central figure in helping gifted young musicians from Armenia come to London to broaden their education. Violinist Lilit Tanielian and cellist Alexander Chaushian, the one practicing in the next room, have both gained from Chilingirian's help and teaching. It is a task made all the more important by the collapse of the Soviet system of

musical training, which produced

formidable line of classical talent. Now. without access to the best teachers. a generation of new artists is in danger of being cut off. For the 46-year-old Diasporan, it is an

opportunity both to help the young individuals blossom into better musicians and at the same time bridge

divide with the

homeland.

The disappearance of the rigorous classical method of the old system, even though elements still survive in Yerevan,

combined with the near impossible conditions for study in winter are catastrophe in his view. "To say that I feel sorry about it is an understatement. The training that was and

is being given in Armenia is every bit as good as they would get outside if they AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

had the opportunity to

teach

in the winter months," he said. However, there is an upside to this gloomy picture. Though highly proficient technically, the young products of the formerregimehave a rather narrow musical outlook, Chilingirian believes. The chance for them to study abroad offers up the prospect of a "fantastic combination" of technique and flair.

Mindful of the debt they owe,both

teenage students have given benefit concerts in London to raise monev for the Tchaikovsky school in Yerevan, where they were taught. Chilingirian hopes thar they will still view the city as their home in the

future when they have developed

international music careers. It is this combination of resources from homeland and Diaspora, each drawing on and

complementing the other, that Chilingirian hopes can be the basis for the future. "Now the balance is very much in favor of the diaspora musicians helping tlre ones in Armenia. But I think an equal relationship would be the ideal one.

"Intheolddaysitwastheotherwayaround and I resented that very much. I remember very clearly being given the impression that musicians in Armenia were superior to the ones outside. I resented that because I knew

loomanygreatmusiciansintheDiasporawho were every bit the equal of the ones in Armenia." Itdoesn't makehim any morccomfortable to know the shoe is on the other foot. His efforts are an attempt O redress thebalance and carry on into the next generation the musical legacy handed to him.

Whatever else the future may hold, it's pretty. safe to say that it will not include appearances

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THE AMERICAN

wowed the audience with his speech. It wasn't just what he said that they liked. It was also how he said it-in Armenian.

CHADERJIAN'S MAGIC KINGDOM

Ambassador Harry Gilmore is one of the lucky few: He not only has to answer to the folks back at the State Department, but he also has a "constituency" at home. As US ambassador to Armenia, he is one of the few American Ambassadors to the CIS . if not

"Armenia has often been a land of tragedy and tears. But thanks to the hard work of

tapeless news radio operation in the

IN YEREVAN

Armenians and Diasporans, it can again become a land of promise and hope. I am

the world, with a real vocal. active

expatriate community-in his case, the Armenian-American. During

Fresno and people are not informed on

Armenians who seldom hear about Armenia

And he has. From eyewitness accounts by recent visitors to Karabakh. to local Fresno farmers involved in agricultural developments

helpful in humanitarian assistance and developmental aid."

Gilmore had served in Eastern Europe and Turkey before being nominated to the

out crowd of over 600. the Ambassador

day

through the networks don't have a clue about the region. And as a journalist who is aware of these events, I feel I should make information available."

programs I'm trying to encourage are being promoted by the Armenian-Americans through their various organizations and through Congress. It's been particularly

to study Armenian. At a benefit dinner for the American University of Armenia, attended by a sold-

to day basis," he said. "Armenians are unaware of their homeland, and non-

"Basically, many of the same

post in Armenia first by US President George Bush, then again by Bill Clinton. While waiting for confirmation, he began

nation-that's where Paul Chaderiian is Managing Editor. At KMPH in Fresno, Chaderjian,28, oversees 20 writers and editors and produces the Fox TV weekend news in California' s third largest market. "There's a 40,000 plus population in

visit to Los Angeles in June, the career diplomat did not seem to be complaining. " By and large, it makes my job easier," a

he observed.

The first completely compr.rterized and

Armenia Chaderjian

has made the airwaves

available to people with a story.

hopeful that the tears of the future will be tears ofpride andjoy. I hope and believe

that we will all live to see that day," proclaimed the Ambassador, sounding like a cross between Bill Clinton and Hovhanes Toumanian.

Chaderjian graduated from the University of Southern California Film School at 2l and started working as a producer for Disney, Paramount and Fox television.

In May of 1989, Chaderjian helped launch the Armenian National Committee's Horizon television program in Los Angeles

and soon became executive producer.

really thought we were on the verge of utilizing the medium of television to establish communication among diasporan communities," he said.

Chaderjian left Horizon in

l99l

and

went home to Fresno. In aperfect world, he says he would love

to live in an Armenian village in the

mountains and write fora living. Until then, will continue to use radio as a medium to

help establish communication among all communities. Nlna

AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER I994

Momlan

GOOD NOTES FOR PETROSSIAN Composer, conductor and pianist, Konstantine Petrossian, completed

tour

the United States, with stops in Boston, Massachusetts and Houston, Texas, on behalf of the Vice-President of Armenia's Peace Fund. Petrossian's visit to Houston was highlighted by the formation of the Arax choir for adults, which, together with the Komitas Children's Choir, held several public performances in a community that numbers 500 families.

Having served as the president of the International Music Information Center of

the

Composers Union

Armenia,

Petrossian's ultimate task is to foster

global appreciation of Armenian culture. Petrossian hasbeen

strong advocate for

Armenian artists, helping themgain access to new trends in the West. He has established a program which arranges

sponsorships for artists to allow them

greater focus on their craft. Along with ten

rnfo

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composers, conductors and musicologists, compiled 150 biographies of current music artists in Armenia which will be

he has

published in Armenian and English. A graduate of the Romanos Melikian

College of Music and the Komitas

Conservatory, Petrossian has composed a variety of works from instrumentals to vocals. Over two decades, he's performed in more than 40 countries. Harout Hessesslan

AVERY, HARD ACT TO FOLLOW He was born Sebouh Der Abrahamian, yet, as Val Avery, he has been seen in more than 300 television dramas and some 110

motion pictures. With a career spanning some 45 years and still going strong, Avery

is a walking history of the American entertainment industry. With atheatrically versatileface, Avery has played "every kind of ethnic from Indians to Mexicans, Jews to Greeks to Italians." Says Avery, "I've done sleazy,

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He even received his competition package

late, a mere five days before his planned

departure for Texas. A required work, Morton Gould's "Ghost Waltzes," written especially for the competitiorq had to be leamed and memorized in only a few weeks. The fall tour , which will include BosOrq Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Montreal and Toronto, is jointly sponsored

by the Van Cliburn Foundation,the

Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association and the Armenian General Benevolent

Union-Arts. Ara Arakellzn

gunned, thrown off buildings or into acid, garroted, shot, stabbed. " A forty-year veteran , Avery's first role was in Humphrey Bogart's last film, Ifte HarderThey Fall.He has appeared with

countless Hollywood notables, such

ARME]IIIAN BISHOP LEADS AUSSIE CHURCH GOUNCIL

Laurence Olivier and Sophia Loren. Ironically, his versatility as an actor also landed him a role as Talaat Pasha who was

assassinated by genocide avenger Soghomon Tehlirian, in the ArmenianAmerican production, A ssignment Berlin.

His most recent television appearance was as General

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WilliamTecumseh Sherman in

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JanetSamuellan

THAWED TALENT READY TO TOUR Check the skies. According torespected

music critic James Keller, Armen B

abakhanian

may "ascend into the firm amentof worldclass pianists." Embarking this

fallon a17-ciry American tour, this 26-year-old

pianist from

Armenia was hailed as the "Overwhelming

talent

the

Ninth Cliburn" Intemational Piano Cunpetitiqr in Texas in 1993, and received prizes in the Dublin

Sardarabad Armenlan Book Selwlce 8L8-500-0790

International and the William Kapell

A five-day meeting of the National of Churches in Australia

Council

unanimously named Archbishop Aghan Baliozian

ie nextpresident for a three year

term.

The 48-year-old Syria-born prelate has been head of the Armenian Church of Australia and the Far East since 1981. The

inter-faith meering, which included of all denominations from

churches

Australia and New Zea.Iand, tookplace in July of this year, and washeld in the Aussie capital ofCanberra. This first+ime electio'nof an Armenian comes at a time when various social issues face the religious community. Although

careful to stay away from theological

Intemational Piano Competitions.

questions, the Ausualian clerics regularly

The musician who, according to Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung, ha,s "imagination and phenomenal pianistic technique," spent the preceding months in

examine questions of morality and address family concems, problems of migrans and refugees, as well as humanrights issues and land rights of indigenous peoples.

Armenia, relying on a kerosene lamp while practicing in near-freezing temperanues.

Bogcr Kupcllan

AIM, AUGUST. SEPTEMBER 1994

SERGE

ing with dark brown and

r^\

black leather, he created subtle variations on basic

;

GANJUMIAN

nouser,jacketanddress

ih 1:/

ANDT}IE UNTAMED

ASSEMBLY

here are many fash-

rible"PacoRabanneheadedan t

ionshowsaroundthe

intemational panel judging the

fashion designer Serge Ganjumian, lj

has {} and i ,'r \-* nadir.ThisAprilsaw \ \ the fourth annual [ ,l

the Riga event been both apex

;

wet, stringy hair and applying

to'sit injudgment'-and he did. Ganjumian, a slim, dark, in-

bruises and scars to their sullen

tense, and (by fashion

dards) young man, brought thosepersonal qualities

ohis

current collection. Work-

faces. Repetitive, beat-driven music accompanied their aggressive-defensivewalkdown therunway.

Ganjumian's show proved tobe the scandal ofthe Assembly, as Paco Rabanne, seated across the runway fromtheFrench delegation, beganpoint-

edlycheckingthetimeandtappinghis watch, When Rabanne left his front row center seat

on the Baltic Sea. "A weekof crcative anatthy," "a

and walked out two-thirds of the way through

vital international meeting

theshow, theaudiencereacted with amixnre of shoclq titters and scattoredapplause. Athis press conference the following morning, a conhiteRabannepublicly apologizedto anabsent Ganjumian, blaming his badbehavioron his direct and impulsive Basque nature. Rabanne took pains to stress that he appreciated thequality anddesign of theclothing, and was reacting rather to the show's choreography, which had the models re-entering repeatedly in the same costumes. Ganjumian made no directcomment; however. rumors floated that the disasuous choreography was due to inadequate rehearsal time and enors by the sound technician. But the damage had been done, with unfortunate consequences for a serious designer trying to create aviably commercial collection. As part

place," and "a marvelous experience," rave past participants. Since is first presentation in

the summer of 1990, the Untamed Fashion Assembly has Serge

Ganjumian's avant garde creations. The quality and craftsmanship ofhis fashions earned him a choice solo show at this spring's Assembly. Ganjumianbegan his studies of artand architecture, painting, sculpture and national

Armenia, graduating form

YerevanPolytechnic in 1985. By 1989hehad begun to establish himself through appearances at Armenian Avangarde Exhibitions; later thatyearhe moved to Lithuania and the Vilnius Art Academy. A steady stream of

of the final

weekend's highlights, Ganjumian's show was viewed by a plane-

Baltic fashion festival showings followed: Tallinn Fashion Days in Estonia, Vilnius' In Vogue fashion fair, and of course annual

load of French fashion journalists, businessmen and industry insiders. The Rigaproduction livedup !o its name and reputation-untamed behavior from its famousjury member, a dose of backstage anarchy and an unforgettable experience. Whether or not Serge Ganjumian returns for a fifth appearance in Riga, his name and memory will live on as part of the high drama

shows atRiga's UntamedFashion Assembly.

1992, Ganjumian joined the Lithuanian joint stock company Oda Lux. Next he ftavelled to Austria to show his collection at

Offline Vienna, presented in the imperial Hofburg Palace. Shortly before this spring's Riga event, he was in Frankfurt am Main for

of 1994.

the German show, Fur and Fashion.

This year's Untamed Fashion Assembly

a sort of

\ [\

world stan-

capital,

was both

leatherwear were em-

Rabanne would still be there,

;;-;Ft"t_-fiii"'S amajorportclty

tough, under-

world aspects of

phasized by oudiaing bottr male and femaie models with

ranks of contestant to become prestigious soloist,

gatheringinthestately i

costumes

had graduated from the

sombly. And for

rcgularly featured

,l l\'lli,ffi::'H; *l

shows. And although Ganjumian

tamedFashionAs-

diagonalzippersandlongish, full skirts with dissected mid-thigh with

lines.Therichtexture of the fabrics and the fine quality of the workman-

well as a major event. The renowned haute couture designer and innovative former "enfant ter-

world,butnone quite like Riga's unique Un-

favorable notices included trousers inter-

tressed, shreddedhem-

Ganjumian

ilEILS

By GATHY

designs. Individual piecbs which elicited

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'homecoming' for AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

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ARMENIANS AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

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words,reference material thatdoesn'tneed

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dictionaries and encyclopedias, in other

rarat Software I, recently published by Nerses Ingilizian

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all translated into Armenian-from Homer's lliad and Odyssey to

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also the entire Armenia volume of the Haykakan Sove tekan Hanragitaran (the Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia). Ingilizian scanned the texts frombooks

massive storage space ifprinted on paper. CD-ROM publishing an

is still

inexpensive way to disseminate large volumes of information to personal computer users. They are a reference librarian's dream, and a publisher's utopia. Paperless, each CD is l/50 the size of a typical telephone book, thus eliminating warehouse storage and bulky mailings. They're easy to update, and inexpensive to duplicate. CD-ROMs are storage media for digital text, moving or still images and stereo sound, in a4.72" (12 cm) disc format. They can be accessed via a personal computer and a CD-ROM drive.

and microfilm, saved them in picture format, and published them electronically. This is not a multimedia CD: the texts can only be zoomed for close-up viewing and printed (at 100 percent); the users cannot copy or paste the text into a word-processor

for manipulation. An English-language cookbook, on the same CD,with over 6,000 Middle-Eastern recipes, is in hypertext, so that any word, such as "hummus," can be searched.

Ingilizian's disc is shipped with a wellwritten manual. However, the instructions contain some technobable which requires that the reader be somewhat familiar with computer lerminology.

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Ingilizian's CD, with its text and still graphics, does not take full advantage of multimedia - a shortcoming he says he will correct in future releases . Although only 30 copies ofthe first version have been sold so

far-and

that at a mere US $59.00-plans already exist for an interactive Armenian language teaching tool, and another volume of litorature to include Armenian classical

texts. Although this particular CD-ROM was made for the DOS environment, it should not discourage Macintosh users who can access it via DOS emulation software such as Access PC.

CD-ROMis the ideal mediumforstoring

Armenian art history, multi-lingual AIM. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

ome works would benefit

greatly from multimedia

publishing. There is the new

Rdpertoire des Monastbres

Arminiens (Index of

Armenian

M o nas tar i e s) by Michel Thierry, a 249 page book containing pictures, diagrams,

location and description of Armenian monasteries, or, Bemard Coulie's 280-page

Rfpertoire des Catalogues et

des

Bibliothiques de Manuscripts Arminiens

(Index of Catalogs and Libraries of a list of all libraries-by location, subject and

Armenian Manuscripts) containing

collection

- where Armenian manuscripts can be studied. Coulie is also preparing a Master List of Armenian Manuscripts, which would be a perfect candidate for database or hypertext search.

rmenians need to enter the electronic age. Some already have.

The Association Internationale des Etudes Arm6niennes (AIEA-

International Association of Armenian Studies) has two ongoing projects whichare

actually using computers. The first is an Album of Armenian Paleography by Michael Stone of Hebrew Universitv. Jerusalem, Henning Lehmann of Arhrls University and Dickran Kouymjian of

California State University, Fresno. The

projectuses only manuscripts with genuine colophons bearing both date and place of copying. The database already contains

3,000 specimens of dated Armenian manuscripts, with 500-600 scanned

pictures.

The second AIEA project, begun in 1982, is the Leiden-Jerusalem Armenian database, containing text from manuscripts from the classical and medieval periods, all

in electronic format. This medium greatly facilitates the comparative study of texts. Early on, these two projects had to deal

with many computer issues such as Armenian encoding, laser fonts and keyboard set-ups. AIEA developed its own spell-checker, and, "Transliterate!"- a program which transfers an Armenian text

entered with a Macintosh from one keyboard setup to another. The Oxford University Computing Service prepared a program for the AIEA called "Collate," which compares up to 100 manuscripts.

I I I I

fArmenianshavebeen somewhatslow

in developing and using software technology for informational and educational needs, in the field of

electronic communication things look much

better. At a time when mail delivery throughout the world, and especially to blockaded Armenia, is at best uneven, fast electronic information transmittal between Armenia and the Diaspora is already a fact for computer users.

I !f I

DavidDavidianhasbeenmonitoring electronic news groups since 1987,

and keeping track of Turkish

revisionistliterature since 1988 (AIM,July 1990). His efforts led Armenians on the Internet to meet and create Hayastan,the first Armenian electronic list, in late 1990. Davidian currently keeps watch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

reports concerning Armenia and its surroundings, and reports daily on Groong.

1-1

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Hayastcn has a current membership of 201 users whO "chat" electronically

on Armenian topics. Hayastan's

offspring, Groong, with

(ot

l--6

-t

membership of 521 , carries news

distributions from AGBU-AIS (Armenian Information Service),

/--tt7'7/,-.-

Aragil (A Digest of Armenian Press), the Armenian Assembly,

Noyan Tapan, RFE/RL and Azerbaijani and Turkish news summaries. In addition to these rePorts

and other postings, members can automatically download archived fi les using simple computer commands.

l-.1

St.Andrew Armenian Church in

fil:'f#r:s3ffi1f::f'*?3$

Information Network (SAIN),an electronic AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994

RWANDAALERT!

Armenian information center accessible around the clock by anyone with a modem and a computer. SAIN's on-line concept began in order to provide an "Armenian presence on the information superhighway,

according to its founder, Father Vazken Movsesian. SAIN's current 500 users dial in toread, post public bulletin board announcements, upload or download files, read daily news from and about Armenia, and send or receive electronic mail. Parish members can communicate with the church office and its

organizations. A couple actually made wedding plans with the pastor, strictly via electronic mail.

SAIN has back issues of several

periodicals such as the Window Quarterly, the Bugle Newsletter, downloadable files such as parish council meetings,Armenian church history, Armenian shareware fonts, as well as Genocide documentation and reference material . Internet users can access these files from any Internet connection. The project also maintains an electronic

As People who have repeatedly experienced and still are experiencing afocities and catastrophes, we Armenians should be willing to help others in similar circumstances. An estimated four million Rwendan refugees have fled across the border into Zaire and other neighboring countries during the past few days overwhelming the local population and creating one of the worst catastrophic situations that human history has ever witnessed. Reports say

hundreds are dying every hour from Choler4 Bubonic plague, and measles, due to lack of food, clean water, shelter and sanitation facilities.

As an expression of Christian concem and solidarity, The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) is calling upon fellow Armenians and concemed individuals and organizations to help the RWANDAN REFUGEES. Please be as generous ils you can as you fill the coupon below and send in your contribution in response to this critical need.

pen-pal list between Saint Andrew Friday school students andtheChamlian Armenian school in Glendale, California, as well as other students in Ottawa, Canada and in Idaho. l-l The Armenian Engineers and

!l L

Scientists of America, Inc., has formed a Computer Standards

committee which recently conducted

survey to help "define astandard Armenian

character set to be used in Armenian information processing." The survey was distributed electronically and in print to individuals and associations which deal with Armenian computing. The results of

the survey

will

be made public at

conference in Los Angeles in September.

f-'l The Armenians-on-Line group was recently created on America Online !f (AOL), a commercial service. ^-. Members found

each other on-line bv

searching for profiles containing the

wori

"Armenia." The group then successfully lobbied AOL and got its own "private"

lobby room which it named Ararat. The first

Armenian Missionary Association of America 140 Forest Ave. Paramus, NJ 07652 Tel. (201) 26$2607 t2608

1 !l .L

Yes, I would like to help the RWAIIIDAN REFUGEES

Enclosed is my gift of

meeting was held in late June and participants met and discussed Armenian issues "live." A virtual "coffeehouse?"

of Armenian Information Professionals started

The Association

the first Journal dedicated to

Armenian computing issues in May 1994. It is available in print and in electronic formats (ASCII and Macinrosh PICT). To subscribe to Hayastan send

$--------

Name

ubscribe to Groong s end e-mail to Groong-

request@usc.edu; To reach SAIN, dial (408) 257-1846 and login as "new".To reach Lola Koundakjian, who enjoys roanting in cyberspace, send e-mail to

Address

lolak@aol.com. 78

e-mail to

Hayastan-Request@think.com; to

AIM, AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1994