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URBAN CULTURE OF YEREVAN – 2011-3

Perspectives of Social Stratification and Reproduction of Cultural Capital Forms: Problems of the past 20 years

Summary

Aghasi Z. Tadevosyan

The social structure of the population of Yerevan significantly changed in the years of independence. Owing to the reforms of the 1990’s main parts of the population of Yerevan unexpectedly fell in to poverty. Poverty influenced urban processes in a very negative way. The range and diversity of people’s speres of activity decreased critically. As a result, the main part of the population of the city was alienated from the Hansition processes. Poverty especially limited their opportunities of participation and investment in the exchange processes and the transformation of their capacities into various forms of financial, cultural and social capital. That influenced the reproduction of the cultural capital of vulnerable strata negatively, decreasing their chances to overcome poverty and threatening with the transformation of poverty into a self-reproductive phenomenon. The policy of social transfers is not sufficient for the prevention of such a perspective. First of all, investments are needed for cultural capital’s quality improvement and its dynamic reproduction.

A NEW EXAMINATION OF THE OLD MODELS OF ARMENIAN AND TURK RELATIONS IN Z. PIPERYAN’S NOVEL, “LKRTATS” – 2011-3

Summary

Hovhannes K. Yeghoyan

Zaven Piperyan’s creation was a new voice in modern Turkish-Armenian literature. The great writer understood profoundly the meaning of the new era of national literature, and his own accountability before time. For the development and progress of highly valuable literature, Z. Piperyan considered the psychological examination of wide swaths of society as a precondition for social perception, for the universal depth of beauty within the constant influence of the lessons of the national past.

The novel, « Lkrtats » which is one of the best examples of Western Armenian fiction writing, presents Turkish life and post-war misery of the past century. It is a reflection of the new process of Armenian-Turkish relations, in light of the redrawing of tragic historical memory. The Armenian woman, Kyulkun becomes the victim of Ali the butcher’s passions who slaughters her with the call of “old blood” with “equanimity” just as his ancestors and comfortably removes himself toward the city’s Asian section, the hint of which, from a historical perspective, is transparent. The feature of the new era is reflected in the novel; however Z. Piperyan’s literary commitment in TurkishArmenian life is the aspiration to overcome the inculcated fear of national existence and its complexities.

OLD TBILISI AND THE CREATIONS OF GABRIEL SUNDUKYAN – 2011-3

Summary

Aram G. Alexanyan

Soviet literary criticism assessed the historical context and cultural calling of Gabriel Sundukyan as an expression of opposition to market capitalism. This understanding of research during the Soviet era came to rest on extremes and a failure to understand, because it was dictated by the Marxist theory of class struggle.

To explain the historical and cultural context of Sundukyan’s creations with Marxist postulations is not scientific and disregards the principles of historiography. In reality, Sundukyan’s creations are penetrated by a dramatism typical of a transitional era. Values characteristic to the new capital made by traders and money-lenders are in contraposition to Christian morality, the understanding communal justice and to the necessity of the restoration of man’s essence. Thus, Sundukyan’s creation in its historical-cultural calling is multi-layered and extremely original.

A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ETHNIC AND POLITICAL HISTORY OF THIS SO-CALLED AGHVANK (ALBANIA) – 2011-3

Part II: Political-Historical Issues in the Context of Ethnic Belonging

Summary

Babken H. Harutyunyan

The historical geography of all the Eastern part of the kingdom of Great Armenia is discussed in the article, it illustrates that Colthene (Konqhnhv) Claudii mentioned by Ptolemy corresponds to the region of Great Armenia’s Kaspk’(Կասպք) or Caspiene (Kasphnhv).

The information given by Movses Khorenatsi about the governorships of Utik’, Gardmanatsik’ and Tsavdeatsik’ and about the principality of the Gargaratsik’(Gargarians) is elucidated through the source study examination. It is clearly illustrated that the rule of the Gardmanatsik’ was to be found on the left bank of the river Kura, the name Utik’ in Armenian simply means Ovits (Ովիտք), something which due to the development of the language became Utik’ (Ուտիք) and the name Tsavdek’ originated from the name of the Southern Armenia’s region called Tsavdek’ ( Ծաղդեք).

It was also examined the issue of how many names of 26 tribes of so-called Albanians mentioned by Strabo were preserved. Comprehensive research has shown that only the name of the Caspians was preserved, and the purely Albanian declared Gargarians (գարգարացիք), Udins (ուդիններ) in those days lived in the Northern Caucasus, outside of the borders of Albania. It is illustrated also that Ouitioi (ուիտիները/վիտիները) were not found in Armenia and have no connection with the region of Utik’. The Greeks knew it very well; if the Uitis were called [Ouitioi, then Utik’ was called [Wthnh. Rich factual material shows that the name of muvkoi has absolutely nothing to do with Mukan (Մուղան), whose old Armenian form Movkan is preserved in Georgian as a loan.

Through the comparative study of the dates by Curtius Rufus and Arrianus it becomes clear that these so-called Albanians did not participate and could not have taken part in the famous Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. Their name is simply confused with the Massagets – Mazkuts who had invaded the left bank of the river Kura and who had taken over the Albanian kingdom, whose fellow Mid-Asian tribsmen had participated indeed in the Battle of Gaugamela. The article shows that the Albanian – Massaget confusion also was to be found in the works by Plinius Secundus and Solinus.

It is proved that ’Alarodioi are not Albanians, they belong to the Iranian-speaking Saspeir tribes, which have taken the way to the georgianisation. It is also shown very clearly and objectively that only the Achaemenid Persia’s XIII satrapy was situated in the territory of Armenia, and the XVIII satrapy occupied the territory of the Eastern Georgia and the left bank of the river Kura, and included Matiens, Saspeirs and Alarodis.

The basic conclusion of the article is that the name Albania given by Greek and Roman authors and the name Aghuank’ given by Armenian historiographs has a purely Armenian origin and means “Country of fertile field”. And as the left bank of the river Kura was the continuation of the Armenian fertile | eld, the state formed there was called by the Armenians Alobank’ (Ալոբանք), which through the development of the Armenian language became Aluank (Aghuank’), and in the Greek – Roman world the Armenian “Alobank’” was associated with the Celtic toponym of Albania, and thus was transformed to Albania.

THE BASICS OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ABOUT NATIONAL MENTALITY – 2011-3

Summary

Karlen A. Mirumyan

During the breakthrough stages of the development of society, a necessity arises to reevaluate the old value system, the principles of world views, and to develop new critical directions. These issues are extremely important including also for independent Armenia. However, its solution demands a serious, based on the creation of a methodological doctrine, which would be in the position to relate to the Armenian nation’s past and present; to view Armenians as a complete system. To create such a methodological doctrine it is necessary to choose, cultivate a baseline concept.

In the opinion of the author, the concepts of nation and national entity can play a role. In addition, put forward in the article is the idea that each nation that has a rich spiritual cultural history must create just like its history, the history of the mentality; studying their own methodological thesis, surely accounting for the existence of theses in international sciences. The other primary idea is not that methodological theory has to be “put” onto a concrete historical process, but the opposite. The methodology has to come from the study of a concrete (national) history.

ONCE MORE ABOUT RAMIZ MEHTIEV’S “MASTERPIECE” – 2011-2

Summary

Artashes I. Shahnazaryan

The obvious distortion of historical facts and events in the publication “Goris 2010, a Season of the Theatre of the Absurd,” signed by Ramiz Mehtiev, the chief of staff of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan are revealed in this article. “Scientists” are contributing to the ongoing anti-Armenian hysteria in Azerbaijan by ignoring the content of Armenian lithography and other original sources by “revealing” “dukes” and duchies in Medieval Artsakh, by appropriating the works by Armenian historians and their attempts at subterfuge are refuted by Arabic, Armenian and Georgian original sources.

Illustrated here is the latest incursion against Armenian history and Armenian culture by Azerbaijani “scientists,” which is intricately connected with that country’s consistent policy, since independence, of the massive destruction of Armenian monuments and the distortion of medieval place names and serves as a so-called “scientific basis” for such crimes.

Also elucidated here is their latest attempt to artificially present the time period of the formation of the Azerbaijani people older than it actually is and to connect them with the old and medieval history of the region.

THE TERRITORY OF ANCIENT ARMENIA IN THE 6TH-4TH CENTURIES B.C. ACCORDING TO MOVSES KHORENATSI – 2011-2

Summary

Hovhannes G. Khorikyan

Movses Khorenatsi’s, “History of Armenia” contains information which reflects events and phenomena connected with Armenia in the 6th-4th centuries B.C. The comprehensive investigation of the “History of Armenia” provides the opportunity to make accurate historical-geographical definitions, and clarify its scope. The information provided by Movses Khorenatsi about Hayk and the first Haykides shows that the Armenian Highland, long before the Achaemenides, was mainly inhabited by Armenian tribes. In the article, we conclude that according to Movses Khorenatsi, Armenia till the 6th century B.C. had a large territory and its main territory, according to ancient sources, entered into the structure of the 13th satrapy of Achaemenid Persia. Satrapic Armenia was one of the largest and richest parts of Achaemenid Persia in the 6th-4th centiries B.C.

THE BIBLICAL “MOUNTAINS ARARAT” ACCORDING TO CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS – 2011-2

Summary

Dimitry N. Sargsyan

In the Hebraic manuscript of the Bible the mountains, upon which Noah’s Arkested, were situated in the country whose name was written with the ‘RR’T consonantal root. This is in accordance with the Country Urartu mentioned in Assyrian cueniform inscriptions. That Country Urartu was called Armina in Persian and Elamitic cueniform inscriptions, and in the Latin trnaslation of Indo- European origin of the Bible, it was called Armenia. The Greek translators of the Bible added the first letter ‘a’ of their alphabet to the consonant of the ‘RR’T consonontal root and got the Ararat country name. In fact, the mountains upon which Noah’s Ark rested were situated in Urartu-ArmeniaArarat country. But the Armenians were curious to know which was the mountain where Noah’s Arkrested in that country. The Armenians of the different provinces of UrartuArmenia-Ararat country composed different traditions; in this way they tried to show that the mountain upon which Noah’s Arkrested was situated in their province. In the traditions composed by the inhabitants of the Province Kordvats that mountain was Judi-Dagh. Pavstos Buzand, S. T. Yeremyan and G. Sargsyan followed that opinion. But in the traditions of the inhabitants of most of the provinces, Masis is considered to be that mountain because Masis was the highest mountain of the Country Urartu-ArmeniaArarat upon which rested Noah’s Ark and saved human race from the great flood. In later eras, after the V-VII centuries, Armenians influenced by the aforementioned names of their country, also called the mountain Masis in the name of Ararat, which carries the meaning of Urartu, as well as, is equivalent to the name, Armenia.
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THE MYTHICAL PERIOD IN THE ESSAYS BY MUSHEGH GALSHOYAN – 2011-2

Summary

Davit V. Petrosyan

The mythical period, one of the core ingredients of the mythical aesthetic structure, has received prominent expression in the three essays by Mushegh Galshoyan: “Crow Stone,” “The Torch of the Illuminator,” and “Where Are You Going, Old Man?”

With this objective in mind, the article examines one of the core understandings, which is specific to the mythical period and which is described as a transmission from timeliness to untimeliness. Thereby, a number of distinctive features of the inner world, which was specific to the spiritual time period, of Mushegh Galshoyan’s heroes are revealed.

There are a number of interesting parallels in the essays between mythical time and space, thanks to which different periods of time are revealed on the same plane and uncover new areas of mythical untimeliness.

The period, cyclical repetitions of time have also found their unique personification in myths. In this context, M. Galshoyan’s thinking goes back to the creative origin and finds parallels with the mythical period typical with the telling of the Bible.

The writer’s literary search in these essays clearly laid the foundation for the birth of his collection, “The Clouds of Mount Marouta.”