My Experience
17.03.2025
2 min
Repat Story
At Home with Herself – in Armenia
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Living in Russia with Armenian roots
Elena Kurchavova inherited more than just her grandfather’s Armenian eyes – she also picked up his love for art.
“My grandfather, Nerses Vartanovich Markosyan, was born in the village of Zargeran. I was only five when he passed away, so I didn’t really get to know him. But there are a few photos of us together. We granddaughters take after him, especially around the eyes. And I think I got his love of painting and color too – he used to copy artworks,” Elena says.
Elena’s path has taken many turns – she has been a teacher, decorator, and trained restorer of oil paintings. She once worked at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, and later shifted her focus to textile interior design and creative workshops for kids.
Searching for Roots in Armenia
Elena’s first trip to Armenia was about 15 years ago. She came looking for her roots, but did not find much. “Nobody really knew anything,” she says.
Even so, the journey left a lasting mark.
“We were staying in Garni, and a man we met invited us into his home. That kind of warmth – when someone sees you on the street and says, ‘Come in!’ – it’s something I’ve only experienced in Armenia. You sit down for tea, then coffee, then barbecue and before you know it, you’ve spent the whole day. When you go hiking, you keep running into old monuments and little pieces of history. To me, Armenia is wide-open space, fresh air, big skies, mountains – and so much color.”
New Projects After the Move
Elena has been living in Armenia for two years now, having moved here in December 2023 following the well-known events that altered the region.
“There came a point when I knew I had to leave Russia. I needed a different reality, something new to grow into.”
She found what she was looking for in Armenia. “At first, I looked for Russian-speaking projects, since I didn’t know Armenian. I worked at a private kindergarten, then connected with the Perspektiva Education Center. I still work with them, running my own craft and design workshops for kids.”
Her course is called Fabric Wonders. “The kids come up with their own ideas, sketch them, make the patterns, and sew everything themselves. We use leftover fabrics – clean scraps that just weren’t cut right for industrial use. An Armenian environmental group, LATE, gives us the materials. They promote upcycling, and I even made decorative banners for their festival in Areni. Environmental education is a big part of what I do.”
Elena feels upcycling is not really common knowledge in Armenia yet. “Young people organize cleanups and bottle cap collections, which is great – but there aren’t many programs for younger kids. In Russia, there are big centers with regular programs. I think here, people just don’t have enough information. That’s why I want to open my own textile creativity center.”
Decorating the Interior to Feel at “Home”
Another of Elena’s courses is called The Decorator’s Nest. She runs it at a private studio established by Russian entrepreneurs in Yerevan. The course helps newcomers adapt both mentally and practically – making them feel more at home, quite literally.
“I want to show people how to settle in and feel cozy, without tearing down walls or painting everything. You don’t need to drill holes to make your place feel like yours. A lot of people tell me they don’t really connect with the Armenian interior style – it doesn’t feel like home. Everyone has their own sense of what’s ‘comfortable.’ This course helps repats settle in and adjust. It could even turn into a hobby or a useful additional education.”
“It’s actually quite a serious course – we go into color theory, composition, proportions. I adjust it based on feedback. Lately, we’ve added carpet work, for example.”
Bringing Playback Theatre to Yerevan
Elena is not just into crafts – she is also into theatre. In Russia, she studied playback theatre, a form of social, unscripted performance, at the Central Playback Theatre School.
“It’s a type of theatre where people tell real-life stories, and actors act them out on the spot – no script, no rehearsals. It’s all about connecting through emotions. And honestly, I feel like Armenia could really use more of this.”
“People here are warm and kind – they invite you in, offer you tea – but they don’t really talk about personal stuff. That stays behind closed doors. I don’t know if there are therapists here, or drama therapy, or gestalt groups. But this form of theatre is part of that world – it’s healing.”
“You get to look at your own life from the outside, like watching a play. Maybe you learn something. Or maybe you just enjoy it. I recently did my first solo show – Living in Yerevan – and people loved it. They shared their stories and left warm, kind feedback. Now I’m planning a new performance at Mamajan cafe on March 30 at 19:30.”
“I love bringing creativity into everyday life – color, balance, joy. I want to help people feel inspired, confident, and grounded. I’m looking for other actors in Yerevan. If I don’t find them, I’ll start a training group myself.”
Parallel to all this, Elena seeks job opportunities with architects and designers she worked with in Moscow, appearing like a ‘fairy of beauty’ to finish projects. She goes hiking and is learning Armenian: “mi kich gitem” (a little). She took courses at the Repatriation and Integration Center, and now wants conversational practice in clubs.
At Home with Herself
Elena says Armenia is where she truly feels at home – people help, you belong, and both people and monuments speak to something within you. She dreams of creating a textile center in this vibrant country to fully showcase her projects.
By Nare Bejanyan
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