Publications
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-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=c0f0551af3130d899b6dc77b637c5cdf "From Marshrutkas to Buses: How Public Transportation in Armenia Has Evolved")
Opinions11.09.2026If you visited Armenia back in the early 2000s, you’ll definitely remember what the public transportation looked like: Those nostalgic “Gazelles” with doors that slammed like guillotines, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the right one to pass by, squeezing your eyes to read those cards with the numbers and destinations… And who could forget the ritual of paying the drivers? Sometimes you had to pass coins forward through several rows of strangers. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=1843afddee0d5ac04daf74839f86f9d5 "Taran-Taran: Weddings in Armenia, With a Few Practical Tips")
Practical Tips07.09.2026Cue the zurna and whip out the dhol! We’ve got a big fat Armenian wedding ahead of us. Wedding ceremonies in Armenia are on a whole other level. If you’re a repat who’s never attended one, you’re in for a treat. In this article, we’re going to talk about the happiest day in any couple’s life, what actually happens that day, and leave you with a few practical tips in case you’re planning on attending - or better yet - holding your own wedding in Armenia. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=c18051d9b6cfff83d6b0ec5ae26ac5eb "“Everyone Who Lives in Armenia Is Lucky”: Hasmik Tsghunyan")
Personal Stories31.08.2026Despite moving to another country at an early age, Hasmik Tsghunyan always maintained a strong connection with her homeland. She left Echmiadzin for Grenoble, France, at the age of 4, but from the age of 6 she returned to Armenia every year and attended Armenian language and dance classes in France. Her parents had a clear position: they were Armenian, and their children had to know their mother tongue and remain connected to their homeland. That connection grew stronger over the years, which is why Hasmik transferred from the Faculty of Finance to the Faculty of International Relations, hoping that her future profession would also become a bridge between Armenia and France. -
-webp(85)-o(png).webp?token=b7fed1b46c52438479d9560ff75265d9 "Love Through Discovery: The Story of Musician Vigen Hovsepyan")
Personal Stories24.08.2026I first met the hero of today’s story in 2014 in Moscow at the “From Sea to Sea” music festival. Vigen had come from Barcelona to take part in the festival with his band, while I had come from Rostov-on-Don to treat my ears to some quality music. In 2015, we both moved to Yerevan and finally met in person at a concert in Dilijan. Vigen Hovsepyan was born in the Armenian SSR and grew up during difficult years for our generation — war, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and unemployment. In the 2000s, his family left for Spain in search of a better life: “Back then, almost everyone in Armenia dreamed of leaving. First my father left, and then my mother and I joined him. I was happy to leave; at the time, I didn’t understand what a homeland really meant. We weren’t taught to love it, either at school or within our community. We had no reason to love our homeland; we weren’t given the opportunity to truly discover it, because in order to love something, you first need to know it. We didn’t understand where we were living…” -
-webp(85)-o(png).webp?token=610e0b62c196b15a4edc3ea7b8a7fc71 "Chasing a Dream: Inesa Rubinyan-Nersisyan")
Personal Stories17.08.2026“I will only be happy when I return to Armenia.” These are the words Inesa Rubinyan-Nersisyan wrote in her diary after leaving Armenia for Sweden and finding herself surrounded by customs and ways of life that felt completely unfamiliar to her. Inesa was born in Metsamor, spent her childhood in Yerevan, and at the age of 13 left to grow up in Europe. The need to quickly learn a new language and adapt to a new city “forced” her to accept reality and begin fighting for her place in the world. -
-webp(85)-o(png).webp?token=da8ad6d16e014cd77008d904f929e6d1 "Repats Without Restraints - A Talk with Aram Khachadourian")
Personal Stories09.08.2026Music has shaped every chapter of lifeguard-turned-classical singer Aram Khatchadourian's life. Born in Aleppo, Syria, he discovered his passion for music as a child, first through piano and later through classical singing. His talent earned him international recognition early on, before his journey eventually led him to Armenia. Today, Aram is a baritone, a graduate of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, and a member of the Armenian State National Academic Choir named after Hovhannes Chekijian. From performing the role of King Afrasyab in Rustam and Sohrab to bringing Figaro to life on stage, he continues to build a career while remaining deeply connected to Armenian musical heritage. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=7aad6e8d81073c02fecf6cc44abff7d4 "Study in Armenia After High School: Universities, Tech Programs and Language Options")
Practical Tips05.08.2026Finishing high school is already a major transition. Choosing to continue your education in another country? Now that's a bigger decision. For young Armenians raised abroad, studying in Armenia can offer something that a summer visit rarely does: the chance to experience the country as part of everyday life. -
-webp(85)-o(png).webp?token=41872952ac8ecd8ebf7ef9451c538479 "Building Cultural Bridges Between Armenia and Iran: Michel Allahverdian")
Personal Stories27.07.2026It so happens that in my stories I mostly write about people who have made a permanent move to Armenia, found their own place here, built a home, raised their children, and established their work and daily lives. But I believe it is equally important to tell the stories of those for whom Armenia may not be their final destination—at least not yet—but is still a place where they want to invest their skills and experience, and a country they want to connect with another through a “bridge” that can create new opportunities for Armenia’s development. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=6925acc4b793e5c64da6b5169b7c9c0e "From Tourist to Repat: How to Use a Summer Trip to Test Life in Armenia")
Opinions27.07.2026Well, well, well! Summer is already here, and with Armenia safe from record heatwaves, it looks like a trip might be a good idea. A summer holiday in Armenia can easily become a highlight reel on Instagram: evenings in Yerevan, weekend trips to Lake Sevan, fresh fruit at local markets, and long meals with wine or brandy on the side. What’s there not to love? But could you actually live here? -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=1764640c99be429eaf0b142edd0ae6d3 "Discover Armenia While Running…")
Personal Stories21.07.2026In recent years, alongside cultural and educational tourism and gastronomic tourism, mountain and ski tourism have also been developing particularly actively in Armenia, making the country an attractive and accessible destination for active travel enthusiasts. But what about running tourism? -
-webp(85)-o(png).webp?token=b6cce71654034d180f0b10f6d92a33b6 "Repats Without Restrains - A Conversation with Anais Abedi")
Personal Stories16.07.2026In the early 2010s, when I was still a visiting tourist in Armenia, I was invited to spend Easter night in the home of my childhood friend, Anais Abedi. Once we had our fair share of food, Anais asked whether I’d be willing to help her with a “patient” downstairs. I couldn’t say no. Long story short, I ended up in a small makeshift pet clinic in their yard, helping Anais save a kitten’s life after it had been hit by a car. -
-webp(85)-o(png).webp?token=dd77c88fa3f0fbfd6447f3f4b597902d "Choosing an E-Wallet in Armenia in 2026: A Comparison of Services, Terminals, and Transfers")
Practical Tips13.07.2026By 2026, Armenia’s e-wallet market has matured, branching into two primary solutions: "all-in-one" universal services and specialized wallets tailored for specific tasks. If you need a single tool for daily operations, ranging from utility payments to international transfers, universal solutions are the way to go. However, if your priority lies in QR payments, cash handling, or digital cards, your choice may differ. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=148ab853ec8ef8bc6125110ae1d1910e "Symphonic Folk – Serouj Baghdassarian's Anthem of Returning to His Roots")
Personal Stories08.07.2026The triumphant journey of the “Symphonic Folk: The Epic Sound of Armenia” concert by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and music producer Serouj Baghdassarian (C-Rouge) continues. The music, which was first premiered in July 2025, has become, for many, a reminder of the Armenian people's genetic code, and for others, an anthem of returning to their roots. In a short period of time, Symphonic Folk has become not only a highly successful concert eagerly awaited by audiences around the world, but also the beginning of a new chapter in Serouj's relationship with his homeland, Armenia. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=bd1525b5cb7877f8c5093b1952e99b2d "To Plant an Orchard Is to Believe in Tomorrow!")
Personal Stories30.06.2026On an early May morning, when it seems that only Yerevan’s sparrows are awake, I am getting ready for a meeting with a repatriate that is quite unusual for me. What is unusual is not only the time of the meeting, but also the place — this time I decided not to limit myself to the hero’s story in the Repat Armenia office, but to travel with him along his daily route from Yerevan toward Etchmiadzin — to wheat fields and pistachio orchards, to a greenhouse of evergreen avocado trees… After a long, several-day-long saga of searching for the phone number of Ara Dakessian, a repatriate from Lebanon, we drive with him along the M-5 highway toward a plot of land surrounded by the snow-white Ararat and Aragats. Behind the gates await the hero’s stories about his decision to return to the homeland and grow tree species on its soil that are not widespread in Armenia. -
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=20e0676a186cce95a29a5b22c3752224 "Where to Buy Tickets for Concerts and Events in Armenia in 2026")
Practical Tips26.06.2026You can buy tickets for concerts, theatre performances, festivals and sporting events in Armenia online in just a few minutes. This is especially convenient for tourists, foreign residents and repatriates who are not yet familiar with local ticketing services or do not know where to find up-to-date event listings. Several major ticketing platforms, mobile apps and official websites of cultural venues operate in Armenia. They differ in terms of event selection, payment methods, user interface and electronic ticket format.
