Quote of The Day (in Armenian)

Highly recommend reading today's article by detained for his political views opposition editor Nikol Pashinyan. His trial is currently underway in Yerevan and Nikol is facing up to 8 years imprisonment. Below is what I consider truly a Quote of The Day (in Armenian):

"[...] Եթե իսկական Եղիշե Չարենցից վերցնենք մտքի ազատությունը, ըմբոստությունը, արդարամտության զգացողությունը, հանուն գաղափարի զոհվելու պատրաստակամությունը, ամենադառը ճշմարտությունն ասելու ուժն ու խիզախությունը, դրան ավելացնենք մի քիչ վախկոտություն, հարմարվողականություն, ամպուտացիա անենք այդ Չարենցի ողնաշարը, կստանանք մի... այնպիսի Լեւոն Անանյան, որին նույնիսկ օրիգինալը կնախանձի: Սրանում է մեր իրականության ողբերգական առանձնահատկությունը. բանաստեղծները ուզում են Չարենց լինել, բայց շողոքորթել իշխանություններին, հոգեւորականները ուզում են Հիսուս լինել բայց չխաչվել, գիտնականներն ուզում են Ջորդանո Բրունո լինել, բայց չայրվել խարույկի վրա, նկարիչներն ուզում են Վան Գոգ լինել, բայց գլուխ չունեն ածխահատների գործադուլային շարժման հետ: [...]"

Read the article in full here: ԼԻՆԵԼ, ԲԱՅՑ ՉԼԻՆԵԼ. ԱՅՍ Է ԽՆԴԻՐԸ

Terrorist-like threat to Armenian government: silence the writer

Group of Armenian ultra-nationalists, a copycat of Russia’s and others’ neo-nazi, united under the so called Hayrenik (‘Motherland’) movement, published a post on their website threatening the life of Armenian author writing under the name Dori An. Dori An is the author of award winning gay-themed short story in Yerevan. In one of his posts, he also touches the recently headlining issue of gay Charents (prominent Armenian poet). This outrages ultra-nationalists which call it a “war against Armenian nation, therefore against us”. Of course, according to them, all is planned from the “outside” to “demoralise” our society. [This is in line with the recent surge of homophobic and hate attacks in Armenia, including some local media and comments in Armenian sector of Facebook.]

They provide Armenian government with the ultimatum type message: either you silence Dori An, using “legal means”, or we will do it by our means and methods. ‘Message’ is accompanied by Al-Qaeda terrorist-like picture, or its poor copycat.

[...]

Failing to produce any ‘results’ by ‘fighting external enemies’, and failing on all fronts, these ultra-nationalists try to create ‘internal enemies’ to justify their very own existence.

This is a direct threat to person’s life and the right for free speech, the very basic human rights protected under Armenian constitution. After all, this is effectively a terrorist-like ultimatum to Armenian government, and law enforcement agencies in Armenia should take up the case for further proceedings.

For more and comments - see Unzipped: Gay Armenia

*photo of Russia's neo-nazi, via San Francisco Sentinel

Parajanov, Charents and Hrant Dink on… Dashnak posters in Yerevan. Have they (Dashnaks) lost their mind?

Tert.am reports about posters in Yerevan by ‘opposition’ turned ‘former’ ruling coalition member nationalist ARF Dashnaktsutyun party. They say that these posters have nothing to do with the upcoming mayoral elections in Yerevan, but rather a reflection of party’s position in relation to Armenia - Turkey rapprochement, with typical Dashnak-style slogans.

That’s not the bizarre bit. Dashnak posters are illustrated by famous Armenian faces from the field of arts, literature, sport etc. Guess who they posted there?

If some choices, like the actor Sos Sargsyan, raise no doubts, photos of the composer Tigran Mansuryan and chess player Levon Aronyan are misleading. Mansuryan never been known to be fan of Dashnaks, and chess player Levon Aronyan, when contacted by Tert.am, expressed his displeasure of using his photo without his permission or prior knowledge. Tert.am tried to find out – unsuccessfully! - from the party itself, whether they obtained the consent of the people depicted on the posters, or whether those very people support(ed) Dashnaktsutyun ideology?

The most hilarious examples are not the above ones. Among others on Dashnak posters are… Parajanov, Charents, Hrant Dink… (!!)

Parajanov who belongs not only to Armenian culture, but also Georgian, Ukrainian, and reflected Azerbaijani culture in his works too. Not quite the nationalist figure Dashnaks would like to portrait. In fact, as far from it, as one can get...

Charents who was in a complete opposite to Dashnaks camp, and who infamously wrote anti-Dashnak poems…

Hrant Dink who was a champion of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation…

Is this the way Dashnaks trying to re-assert their newly declared ‘opposition party’ credentials? Based on lies? As Tert.am rightly points out, this is a totally failed attempt by the party, to put it mildly.

*poster - via Tert.am

James Russell’s commentary on Charents homoerotic poetry and more

... We are lucky that never before published homoerotic poetry by Armenia’s cultural icon Yeghishe Charents did not reach Soviet style 'Charents specialists', and thanks to James Russell and some others we now have Charents unzipped. (For more background info, read Yeghishe Charents unzipped – nation’s favourite gay poet)

There were stormy discussions in Armenian literary circles following a publication by Inknagir magazine of gay-themed poems by Charents. In response to this ‘controversy’, with the kind permission of the author, I posted on Unzipped: Gay Armenia a copy of James Russell’s letter to the readers of Inknagir magazine. James Russell is a professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of number of Armenia related works, covering history, religion and literature. He has a special interest in the great Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents.

Read it here.

Yeghishe Charents unzipped – nation’s favourite gay Armenian poet

One of the greatest, most prominent, nation’s favourite Armenian poet… These are only few of epithets widely used to describe Yeghishe Charents.

Armenians are proud of their famous representatives. They are proud of Parajanov, they are proud of Charents...

Still, only minority is aware of Parajanov’s sexuality. Even less people, very few in fact, are aware that their favourite poet is gay. It’s not ordinary Armenians’ fault. They simply do not know. It’s a classic example of hypocrisy of those in literary circles or so who for decades shut out this fact from his biography. Luckily, we have taboo breaking literary Inqnagir magazine (editor Violet Grigoryan), and we have taboo breaking journalists/writers like Vahan Ishkhanyan, who never shy away from tackling ‘difficult’ subjects, minority issues, alternative scene. I would also add here Armeniapedia which was the first Armenian online publication to post a list of famous LGBT Armenians.

Vahan Ishkhanyan is working with ArmeniaNow. Recently he started blogging on Tert.am. I recommend his blog (in Armenian).

In his latest entry, Vahan Ishkhanyan writes about hypocrisy in Armenian literary circles and gay Charents posting an extract from never before published in Armenia gay-themed poem by Yeghishe Charents. Full story with gay-themed poems by Charents are available in Inqnagir literary magazine (5th edition). It’s not available online yet, but you may get its printed copy.

*For more details - Unzipped: Gay Armenia

**Portrait of Yeghishe Charents by Martiros Saryan