Nyree Abrahamian

Art therapist Armineh Arakelian opens lines of communication through the language of art

Mar 27, 2009: Armineh Arakelian is an art therapist who works at the International Child Development Center in Yerevan. A painter and ceramicist, she has been working with children for 20 years, and focusing specifically on children with special needs for the past nine years. Nyree Abrahamian has a profile.  more...

The Hovsepyans are a testament to the strength of a mother's love

Mar 26, 2009: Meet the Hovespyan family. Mother, 67-year-old Larissa, 15 adopted children from all over the world, and six grandchildren. Nyree Abrahamian has the story.  more...

The age-old tradition of Armenian drama continues at Sundukian National Academic Theater

Mar 21, 2009: Nyree Abrahamian visits the Sundukian National Academic Theater and puts its history in the context of the age-old tradition of Armenian drama.  more...

Armenia’s Hasmik Karapetyan charms audiences around the world with her distinctive style

Mar 14, 2009: One of the brightest stars of Armenian pop music, singer-songwriter Hasmik Karapetyan exudes talent, confidence, and elegance at 31.  more...

Shushanik Kurghinian, a voice for the voiceless

Mar 05, 2009: Shushanik Kurghinian (born in 1876) was a pioneer in the development of Armenian feminist and socialist poetry. Nyree Abrahamian presents two of her poems, translated by Shushan Avagyan.  more...

This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate Zabel Yesayan

Mar 05, 2009: Zabel Yesayan was one of the strongest voices of Armenian feminism, Nyree Abrahamian writes. Her novels, short stories, and essays explore orientalism, exile, conflict, and love from the perspective of women.  more...

Inspired by life: Kara Avedisyan’s jewelry is eccentric, unique, and utterly playful

Feb 28, 2009: For Kara Avedisyan, one of Armenia's premier jewelers, art imitates life, Nyree Abrahamian writes. From teapots to telephones, from harmonicas to handbags, Kara has the unique ability to turn ordinary objects into extraordinary jewelry.  more...

The road that led to Hayakaghak: How Armenians ended up in Transylvania

Feb 28, 2009: Armenians have been living in Transylvania for over 300 years. They migrated there mostly from the historical region of Moldavia, where they had been living for at least 700 years, and built a city that they aptly named Hayakaghak (Armenian City). How did Armenians end up in Transylvania? How were they at one point numerous, organized, and powerful enough to build an exclusively Armenian city there? Nyree Abrahamian reports.  more...

Inga & Anush to represent Armenia at the Eurovision 2009 Song Contest with “Jan Jan”

Feb 19, 2009: Armenia chose Inga & Anush to represent it at the Eurovision 2009 Song Contest, Nyree Abrahamian reports from Yerevan.  more...

Nara sings because she means it – no compromises

Feb 02, 2009: Nara, who in 1989 became a soloist in the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra, is back after a long break to raise a family in Beirut. Her style is bold, fun, and flavorful, with a unique mix of sounds from the Middle East and Armenia, Nyree Abrahamian writes.  more...

Armenia: A winter wonderland, of sorts

Jan 30, 2009: I love Yerevan in the winter, [Nyree Abrahamian writes]. “Are you crazy?” asks David, my local fruit vendor. “The snow, the ice, the cold…. Who needs it?” But there’s a special something about this city in the winter, something that doesn’t necessarily disappear, but that gets lost in the shuffle of the loud, sticky, sizzling, crowded days of summer.  more...

The Matenadaran: Restoring manuscripts and reviving Armenian history for centuries

Dec 26, 2008: The Matenadaran, located in the heart of Yerevan, is one of the richest book depositories in the world. It has a collection of over 17,000 manuscripts including all areas of medieval Armenian culture and sciences, as well as manuscripts written in many foreign languages. In medieval Armenian, matenadaran means ‘manuscript store' or ‘library'. Many ancient texts whose originals were long lost have been restored in their mother tongues based on their Armenian translations, which were safely stored at the Matenadaran.  more...

New book digs deep into history of West Bengal’s Armenians

Dec 12, 2008: Whereas the recent revitalization of Armenian churches in India has sparked renewed interest in the country’s Armenian community, Deacon Tigran Baghumian has been poring over the history of Indian-Armenians for years. His study, published in Armenian, is titled Armenian Clergymen Buried in West Bengal. Nyree Abrahamian has the story.  more...

“Real men don’t hit,” demonstrators say in Yerevan

Dec 06, 2008: The Women's Resource Center of Yerevan on November 25 organized its third annual silent demonstration to address the issue of violence against women, Nyree Abrahamian reports from Yerevan.  more...

Yerevan NGOs unite in a sea of red ribbons on World AIDS Day

Dec 06, 2008: A large group comprising a cooperative effort of several organizations gathered to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS on December 1, World AIDS Day, Nyree Abrahamian reports from Yerevan.  more...

“Kin” International Film Festival showcases films written and directed by women around the world

Dec 03, 2008: The Fifth Annual "Kin" International Film Festival, which showcases the talents of women directors throughout the world, took place between November 28 and December 2 in Yerevan, Nyree Abrahamian reports.  more...

Creating a haven of art in the homeland

Dec 01, 2008: Stepping into Artur and Maral Papazian's art salon, I felt like I was in a totally different world, far away from the noisy streets of Yerevan where I had been just moments ago, far away from anywhere. It was like entering an absolutely surreal new dimension, at the center of which lay an 1875 serpentine rosewood Steinway grand piano, where nothing existed but art.  more...

Gladzor University: A proud moment in Armenian history

Nov 30, 2008: If you could go back to one time and place in Armenian history, one that you're really proud of, what would it be? Nyree Abrahamian wants to revisit Gladzor University in the 13th century.  more...

Boycott backlash

Nov 13, 2008: In a lighthearted commentary, Nyree Abrahamian recounts her encounters with Armenia's fast-improving service industry and finds that the risk of losing business to the competition does not always motivate the management of Armenia's establishments.  more...

Artyom Manukyan: young, innovative, and a true musician in every sense of the word

Nov 13, 2008: One of the best things about living in Armenia is the music. With a tiny population of less than three million people, the amount of sheer talent and innovation coming out of this country is nothing short of remarkable. Yerevan has a vibrant, varied, and refreshingly unpretentious live music scene that's always full of surprises.  more...

Faraj Yeretsian brings new building methods to Armenia

Nov 13, 2008: Faraj Yeretsian served as construction manager for the American University of Armenia's Paramaz Avedisian Building, which was opened on Nov. 1. Born in Lebanon and educated in Armenia, he spent over a decade building and remodeling of schools and universities in Southern California. He moved to Armenia in October 2004 to start work on a challenging project: a state-of-the-art, earthquake-resistant, energy-efficient university building in the heart of Yerevan. Nyree Abrahamian has a profile.  more...

Noraduz medieval cemetery

Nov 07, 2008: Noraduz is a medieval cemetery with a huge collection of early khatchkars (Armenian cross stone carvings). Following the recent destruction of khatchkars in Julfa, Nakhichevan, by the Azerbaijani government, Noraduz has the largest surviving collection of khatchkars both within the present-day Republic of Armenia and throughout historic Armenia. The cemetery is located in the village of Noraduz, in Gegharkunik province near Lake Sevan.  more...

Three generations participate in Fuller Center build

Oct 25, 2008: Cynthia Erickson and three generations of her family came to Armenia to participate in building projects with the Fuller Center for Housing. Their three-week trip to Armenia was not just a visit to the homeland, but a mission to participate directly in its development. They acknowledge it was hard work, but well worth the effort. The Armenian Reporter’s Nyree Abrahamian traveled to the village of Voskevaz to talk to them. Families like Ms. Erickson’s are taking a fresh approach by actively participating in the shaping of today’s Armenia; they are affirming that their ancestry is not just a thing of the past, but living and thriving roots.  more...

The Hripsimian Virgins

Oct 25, 2008: It's easy to get "churched out" in Armenia. After a few days of touring the country's monasteries, it can start to seem like once you've seen one, you've seen them all. But to fully appreciate the value of our religious monuments, we have to know the stories behind them, not just their dates and architectural features. The stories are what set them apart and bring their ancient walls to life.  more...

A visit with Garig Poghosyan

Oct 25, 2008: Getting to ceramicist Garegin Poghosyan's studio can be a bit of a challenge, but once you're there, you'll never want to leave. The studio is perched at the top of a hill in Yerevan's Aygestan District, on the outer edge of the city center. "Just tell the taxi driver to stop in front of Nerkeri Ashkharh" is how Poghosyan typically directs guests to his place. Upon reaching the landmark paint store, you'll trek up a winding road and a couple of haphazard footpaths to finally end up at the magical recluse that is Poghosyan's studio. Its walls are lined with shelves displaying the artist's colorful work - from daintily ornamented vases to plates decorated with pictograms and abstract forms, and coffee cups with pomegranate motifs.  more...

The blessing of the Muron: Behind the ritual

Sep 23, 2008: Nyree Abrahamian explores the history and symbolism behind the ritual of blessing the Muron -- the holy chrism.  more...

Maestro Aram Gharabekian strives for excellence

Aug 30, 2008: Armenian-American conductor Aram Gharabekian received a special invitation from Armenia's minister of culture in 1997 to come to Armenia. At the time, the Armenian State Chamber Orchestra was merging with the Yerevan Chamber Orchestra to create the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia. This new organization needed a director with vision, experience, talent, and determination. Gharabekian was conducting in Germany, but had returned home to Boston because his father had fallen very ill. He was faced with a difficult decision. He knew he had to be there for his family, but he also remembered his father's lifelong dream to move the entire family to Armenia. "My father would always say, ‘If Armenia is calling you, you have no right to decline,'" recalls Gharabekian, and in the end, his father's words are what made up his mind. Since 1997 he has been the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (NCOA).  more...