gyumri

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Haykuhi has been working as a tailor for almost 50 years. Photo: Nellie Petrossian/OC Media

1988 Spitak Earthquake

Life after an earthquake: a tailor’s story

by Nellie Petrossian

•6 min read

In 1988, an earthquake devastated northern Armenia, destroying towns and cities and killing at least 25,000. In Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, the impacts of the tragedy are still felt by Haykuhi Galstyan and her husband over 30 years later. Haykuhi Galstyan is nothing if not resilient. With an energy belying her age, the 63-year-old runs a bustling tailor’s workshop from the small home she shares with her husband, Volodya Sargsyan. Cheerful and hard-working, Galstyan gives no ind

Armenia

Russians change Gyumri’s rhythm

by Armine Avetisyan

•4 min read

The war in Ukraine drove tens of thousands of Russian citizens to relocate to Armenia. While most have settled in Yerevan, high rents in the capital have pushed some to seek out other options. Since the start of the war, Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport has been as busy as ever; incoming flights, however, don’t only bring in tourists who want to relax in the picturesque mountains of Armenia, but also thousands of Russians who intend to settle in the country. According to official nu

Armenia

Voice | ‘In my hands, a weapon has become a work of art’

by Anahit Harutyunyan

•5 min read

Artist and jeweller Artak Tadevosyan from Gyumri gives new life to used bullets and casings, turning them into jewellery. ‘I am an artist by trade, but I have had to earn money in many different ways: including in retail and doing home renovations. For some time I worked abroad, but then I returned to Gyumri, my hometown, where I now live with my wife and two daughters.’ ‘For a long time, my wife Ayarpi and I couldn’t find a job, until she began to weave dolls and I copper wire jewellery.’

Old Gyumri. Photo: Anahit Harutyunyan/OC Media.

Armenia

In pictures | Life under quarantine in Gyumri

by Anahit Harutyunyan

•5 min read

On 10 March, Gyumri, the second-largest city in Armenia, was listed by Forbes among the 17 best spring destinations for 2020. Local residents were delighted by the news, and tourism operators and entrepreneurs began to prepare for a large influx of tourists. However, a few days later, that expectation was replaced by uncertainty. The first case of coronavirus infection was already confirmed in Armenia on 1 March. The number of people infected quickly increased, as the infection spread across

Armenia

‘I lived in hell’: life in a psychiatric hospital in Armenia

by Armine Avetisyan

•6 min read

A recent report by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia suggested that instead of receiving the help they need, patients with psychiatric illnesses were often met with poor conditions and human rights violations in Armenia’s psychiatric institutions. ‘I lived in hell for one year. True, they didn’t beat me, they didn’t commit physical violence against me, but my soul was always in pain; I was psychologically tortured.’ Gayane (not her real name) spent a year as a patient in one of Armenia

Armenia

When Armenian students go to battle

by Armine Avetisyan

•7 min read

From 13 April, marches, meetings, and other acts of protest took place across Armenia as part of the ‘My Step’ initiative from the Civil Contract Party, and their leader Nikol Pashinyan. Protesters were struggling against the premiership of Armenia’s third President, Serzh Sargsyan. In the weeks of demonstrations, students made up the bulk of the protesters committing acts of civil disobedience, throughout Yerevan and beyond. The beginning of the struggle Before the start of the 13

Armenia

The two faces of Gyumri

by Armine Avetisyan

•7 min read

The devastating earthquake of 1988 has left a lasting mark on Armenia’s second city. Despite reconstruction projects, Gyumri’s ‘temporary’, dilapidated trailers are still home to thousands. As these families remain unable to break the cycle of poverty — the city centre is receiving an expensive facelift. Living in squalor Nine square metres of living space, no toilet, semi-dilapidated walls, and a roof — the Grigoryan family’s house is like 3,000 others in Gyumri erected after the ear