Publications
18.04.2025
Thoughts
“In Armenia, You’re a Different Person”
-webp(85)-o(jpg).webp?token=73d3404653d36af24d1f9891ef896e51 "“In Armenia, You’re a Different Person”")
At the end of 2021, Repat Armenia launched its Armenia Works 4U program, welcoming 50 Lebanese-Armenians. A year later, the program expanded to include 40 more participants, this time from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Moscow: A Lucky, Random Story
Ani Harutyunyan is one of those who moved to Armenia through this program. She's an art historian and journalist. She first studied at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema, then journalism at the Caucasus Institute. At 20, she left for Moscow to continue her studies.
“I never thought I’d stay for 15 years. I went for my dissertation at GITIS (the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts). I actually wanted to write about American musicals and study in New York, but then I got an offer from Moscow. That’s where it all started.”
Moscow opened up new opportunities: she worked with cultural institutions and a documentary studio that filmed Armenian diasporas around the world. “We traveled a lot – Argentina, Africa, Israel. I was doing my dissertation and exploring Armenian communities. Later, I spent a few months in the U.S. to finish my research. I never thought I’d stay in Moscow after that, but one job offer led to another. Eventually, I joined the Pushkin Theatre, working with director Yevgeny Pisarev.”
Yerevan: A City That Once Had No Choice – and Now Does
Ani admits she always loved Yerevan, even when she didn’t like living there. Back in 2008–2009, it felt limited and stifling. “There were so few choices in everything. Now it's changed. There's a multicultural vibe. Jazz? Sure. Contemporary music? That too!”
She believes the wars and global shifts of recent years shaped the city too. “People with different cultures have influenced Yerevan. We live in a world where people need choice – not just in food, but in culture and freedom. Yerevan feels less judgmental now. Maybe we all live in our bubbles, but it feels more open now.”
The War Changed Everything
Ani is certain that COVID and the war in Artsakh pushed her to change course. “I remember the day the war ended. I was on the phone with my sister in the U.S. We were both crying. Meanwhile, neighbors were setting off fireworks. For some it was tragedy, for others a win. But what kind of victory is that? That’s when I realized I wanted to return to Yerevan.”
The war changed Ani deeply. She realized that everything inside her, everything she had invested in, was slipping away – and she asked herself, what can she give back to Armenia?
Moving with Repat Armenia & Working with iGorts
Ani did a lot of soul-searching before returning. She reached out to friends and found out about Repat Armenia. Thanks to their help, she relocated quickly. She joined the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport as an expert on the iGorts program. She also taught classes and got involved in various projects.
“I worked in the contemporary art department with Arayik Khzmalyan. We handled cultural and educational projects, and I connected with local theatre professionals. Moscow was way more bureaucratic. Here, it’s different. But the experience has been amazing. I’ve worked with ministries in Moscow too, but it doesn’t compare. If you survive the Armenian public sector, you can survive anything,” she laughs.
Teaching from Experience
Ani now writes for Armenian, Russian and American media, does research and teaches journalism and directing at the Russian-Armenian University. “Slavonic University is like a cozy corner for me after Moscow.”
In September 2024, she was invited to become Dean of the History, Theory and Art Management faculty at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema. “In Armenia, small steps matter more than big ones. I give students knowledge they won’t find in Soviet-era books – it’s based on my own experience. We use modern translated texts and focus on practical tools.”
As Dean, she also invites international experts to lead workshops and help shape new programs. “I listen to students and try to understand what they really like.”
She wants education to equip students with real-life skills and help them find jobs. “I never tell my students that leaving is bad. I say, ‘You’re not a tree. You can have roots in many places.’ It’s good to have different experiences.”
Becoming Someone Else
Ani says she used to be a very tough woman in Moscow. She had her life planned out to retirement. “I was obsessed with control and thought I knew what I wanted. Then things changed. I stopped wanting those things.”
Coming back to Armenia helped her reconnect with small joys: a blooming flower, a chat with a taxi driver, a walk up the Cascade before work. In Moscow, it was all about professional achievements. In Yerevan, life feels different.
The Need for Dialogue
Asked about Armenia’s cultural future, Ani says if change is needed, it will come. “I’m more worried about apathy. We need to fight indifference and build dialogue. Culture is about human relationships. Artists like Yervand Kochar or Martiros Saryan didn’t just create art – they talked to people. That shaped mindsets. I really miss that.”
… and Finding Your Identity
Ani believes every diaspora Armenian should explore their identity. “That’s what makes us Armenian. Like Diana Abgar or Zabel Yesayan. I don’t believe in huge communities anymore. I believe in individuals. My biggest hope? Armenian women! No matter how much I study Armenian culture, I never stop admiring their strength—that strength that helped them survive the past hundred years, through everything.”
Here, You’re a Different Person
Ani never advises friends to follow her path. “If I had listened to others, I wouldn’t be here. But I say: if you don’t have this experience, try it. Maybe you’ll love Armenia, maybe not. Maybe you’ll go to a third country. Life is a process. You can’t plan it all. But I believe this country won’t let you down.”
“People ask me, ‘You’re a top specialist, what are you doing in Armenia?’ I love this question. Sometimes I ask myself the same. But I don’t regret a second of being here. I’ve met incredible people. My life changed. I changed. I found love here – in the broadest sense. I didn’t know this version of myself existed.”
By Nare Bejanyan
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