This publication represents the first attempt to examine the new challenges threatening Armenia’s security through the lens of montological research. It is shown that after the loss of statehood, the use of the physical and geographical features of the Armenian Highland ensured the preservation of centers of collective Armenian existence on their հայրենի land.
Through a critical analysis of historical experience, it is demonstrated that the most combat-ready and resilient segments of Armenians who settled in the mountains became the key actors of the Armenian liberation struggle in the modern and contemporary periods, and later also ensured military solutions for the restoration of Armenian statehood.
On this basis, the importance is emphasized of applying the new cognitive horizons and tools of montology (mountain science), which in recent decades has been developed in a number of advanced countries based on a broader understanding of the physical-geographical, socio-economic, and spiritual-cultural characteristics of mountainous regions.
These scientific achievements open a wide field of work for scholars in Armenia — the country of mountains — as the application of montological research results will allow transforming Armenia’s border mountainous regions into an impregnable barrier for ensuring national security, as well as preventing economic and ecological challenges.
For this purpose, it is necessary to consider the physical-geographical characteristics of the country’s natural environment, the possibilities for economic activity within it, and the unique spiritual-cultural environment of mountain dwellers as a unified whole. This is a prerequisite for ensuring Armenia’s security and for the development of its mountainous regions.