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Turkey Reverses Decision Barring Children From Armenia From Istanbul’s Armenian Schools
INTERVIEW: For 14 years, children from Armenia living in Turkey have been allowed to attend Istanbul’s Armenian community schools under a special “guest student” system, giving them access to an Armenian education even though, as foreign citizens, they cannot enroll on the same terms as members of Turkey’s Armenian community. That arrangement was thrown into uncertainty this month when inspectors from Turkey’s Ministry of National Education visited Armenian schools and told a
The Armenian Report Team
6 days ago
Azerbaijan Destroys Stepanakert Cathedral and Irreplaceable Armenian Sacred Art
The destruction of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert also wiped out significant works of Armenian sacred art, including a set of handcrafted entrance doors created specifically for the church by artist and sculptor Robert Askaryan. The cathedral was completely destroyed sometime between March 3 and April 2, 2026, according to satellite monitoring cited by Artsakh Cultural Heritage Ombudsman Hovik Avanesov. Among the works lost were Askaryan’s entrance doors, whi
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 29
Armenia Opens AI-Powered Greenhouse Using Robots to Grow 20 Tons of Tomatoes a Day for International Markets
A new high-tech greenhouse in Armenia is using artificial intelligence and robotics to monitor thousands of tomato plants, detect disease and pests, and track crops before they are harvested and shipped to international markets. The greenhouse complex officially opened in Nor Yedesia, a village in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province. The facility currently produces about 18 to 20 tons of tomatoes a day, with exports going to Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, the United Arab Emirates and o
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 27
Ararat-Armenia Makes History as First Armenian Club to Reach Europa League Main Stage
Ararat-Armenia made history in Yerevan on Thursday, defeating Romania’s Universitatea Craiova 2-1 to become the first Armenian club to reach the main stage of the UEFA Europa League. The Armenian champions secured the breakthrough at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium after the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw. The result sends Ararat-Armenia into the Europa League league phase, marking a first for Armenian club football in the competition. Portuguese head coach Manuel Tulipa na
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 27
Robert Kocharyan Detained Hours After Pashinyan Vows Family’s Wealth ‘Must Be Returned’
Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, were detained Tuesday in a sweeping corruption investigation, less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stood in parliament and publicly challenged the source of the Kocharyan family’s wealth. The timing puts one of Armenia’s most prominent political families at the center of a case involving allegations of bribery, the acquisition of state property at below-market prices and finan
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 25
The Untold Story Behind ‘Monte’: How Seda Melkonian’s Blessing Opened the Door for the Film and Its Final Battle Scenes
Before Nono Sargsyan could make a film about Monte Melkonian, she needed the blessing of the person who knew him not as a commander or national figure, but as a husband. Seda Melkonian’s approval became the first and most important step in bringing Monte to the screen, Sargsyan said. She had been warned that obtaining it would be difficult. Others had approached Melkonian’s widow over the years, she was told, without success. Still, Sargsyan made the call. “I knew that if yo
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 22
71 Years After Albert Azaryan, Artur Avetisyan Wins European Rings Title for independent Armenia
Armenian gymnast Artur Avetisyan has become the first athlete representing independent Armenia to win a European title on the still rings, ending a decades-long wait in one of the country’s most celebrated gymnastics events. Before Avetisyan, the last Armenian to win a European championship on the rings was Albert Azaryan in 1955. Azaryan, one of the most accomplished figures in Armenian sports history, competed for the Soviet Union at the time. Hrant Shahinyan, another Armen
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 21
Pashinyan Appoints Jewish Studies Scholar, Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellow Ani Avetisyan as Deputy Foreign Minister
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has appointed Ani Avetisyan, a Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellow and scholar of Jewish history, Hebrew and Middle Eastern studies, as deputy foreign minister. The Aug. 20 appointment brings an academic with years of research on Jewish communities, Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts and Hebrew language studies into Armenia’s diplomatic leadership. Avetisyan, 34, was born in Yerevan and studied Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University, earning ba
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 21
Khachkar Studios Launches Masterclass #3 to Revitalize Armenian Churches Worldwide
Khachkar Studios has launched NEW Masterclass #3, “Revitalizing Churches Worldwide,” featuring the case study “Armenian Churches Joining the Movement,” a program the organization says lays bare the current state of Armenian Christianity and charts a course toward major, Biblically grounded change. The most cited statistic: just 7 per 1,000 U.S. Armenian women ages 18–29 attend church on a typical non-holiday Sunday, with 246 attending versus 34,181 who do not. That leaves U.S
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 21
14-Year-Old Armenian Chess Player Tigran Hambardzumyan Defeats World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen
Fourteen-year-old Armenian chess player Tigran Hambardzumyan defeated world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on Tuesday, scoring one of the biggest wins of his young career during the Aug. 18 Titled Tuesday online tournament. The Chess Federation of Armenia announced Hambardzumyan's victory over the Norwegian star, who has spent more than 16 years at the top of the world rankings. Hambardzumyan holds the FIDE Master title and has been steadily building a name for himself in international
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 18
Firebird AI Opens $500 Million AI Computing Facility in Armenia, Plans 70,000 NVIDIA Chips
Firebird AI opened a more than $500 million artificial intelligence computing facility near Hrazdan on Saturday, launching a project that is expected to bring tens of thousands of advanced NVIDIA chips to Armenia and turn the country into a major regional center for AI infrastructure. The facility is already operating and represents the first phase of a planned 300-megawatt computing campus. Firebird expects to install more than 70,000 NVIDIA Blackwell and Vera Rubin GPUs by
Judge Withdraws From Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II Minutes Into First Hearing
A judge withdrew Friday from the criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II just minutes after the first hearing began, delaying proceedings against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and six senior clerics. Judge Hakob Manukyan recused himself after initially closing the hearing to the public. A new hearing will be scheduled once another judge is assigned to the case, defense attorney Ara Zohrabyan told reporters outside the courthouse. The case charges Karekin II wi
Arman Tsarukyan to Face Mauricio Ruffy After Charles Oliveira Withdraws From UFC Fight
Armenian UFC contender Arman Tsarukyan will face Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy instead of former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira after Oliveira withdrew from their scheduled bout for personal reasons, setting up a pivotal fight that could determine the next challenger for the UFC lightweight title. The matchup gives Tsarukyan another chance to prove he belongs at the top of one of the UFC’s deepest divisions. A victory would likely move the Armenian closer to the championship
Senior U.S. Officials Meet Pashinyan in Yerevan to Advance TRIPP Corridor Project
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's Senior Adviser Aryeh Lightstone met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Wednesday to discuss progress on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project. Also present at the meeting were Konstantin Sokolov, head of the U.S.-backed TRIPP investment fund, and Ambassador of the United States to Armenia David Allen. According to the Armenian government, the discussions focused on implementing the U.S
System of a Down’s John Dolmayan Says He No Longer Supports Trump, Cites Gaza War as Turning Point
INTERVIEW: System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan says his views on President Donald Trump have changed, telling The Armenian Report that while he once supported many of Trump’s policies, he can no longer back him because of what he described as Trump’s support for Israel during the war in Gaza. Dolmayan’s comments came after System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian suggested in a recent interview that his longtime bandmate may no longer be a Trump supporter. Speaking to Rollin
Armenia's New Parliament Opens With Historic Church Snub, Opposition Clashes, and Pashinyan's Fourth Appointment as Prime Minister
Armenia’s newly elected National Assembly opened its first session Sunday following the June 7 parliamentary elections, beginning a new legislative term with sharp exchanges between the governing majority and opposition lawmakers. The day also brought the formal reappointment of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the unprecedented absence of Catholicos Karekin II, who was not invited to address the opening session. The 105-seat parliament convened at 10 a.m. under Armenian la
Six Israelis Detained After Being Caught on Video Spitting on Armenian Monastery, Throwing Stones at Armenian Woman
Six Jewish Israeli men were detained early Sunday after allegedly targeting the entrance of the Armenian Patriarchate's Saint James Monastery in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter, in the latest reported attack against the city's historic Armenian community. The incident occurred at about 1 a.m., according to Jerusalem-based Armenian reporter Kegham Balian, who said the group gathered outside the monastery and repeatedly spat at its entrance. The confrontation escalated when the me
UFC Star Arman Tsarukyan Submits Indian Fitness Star in 2 Minutes in Yerevan, Challenges Dillon Danis
UFC star Armenian Arman Tsarukyan delivered a dominant performance in front of a home crowd in Yerevan on Friday, submitting Indian wrestler and fitness influencer Ankit Bayanpura in just two minutes to headline the Hype Armenia grappling event. The Armenian mixed martial arts star wasted little time asserting control. Competing under grappling rules, Tsarukyan locked in an armbar early in the match, forcing Bayanpura to tap out and ending the contest almost as quickly as it
Day 40: Armenian POW's Family Still Waiting for Proof He's Alive
Forty days have passed since Armenian prisoner of war Ludwig Mkrtchyan last spoke with his wife, and his family still has no information about his whereabouts, his health or whether he has received medical care. The prolonged silence comes despite an urgent humanitarian appeal submitted by his attorney, Luciana Minassian, to Azerbaijan's Commissioner for Human Rights, Sabina Aliyeva, requesting immediate intervention. Minassian told The Armenian Report on Wednesday that she h
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 29
Armenia's Top Church Leader, Catholicos Karekin II, to Stand Trial for First Time in Modern History
For the first time in Armenia's modern history, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church will stand trial after prosecutors referred a criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and five senior clerics to court, deepening an already bitter standoff between the government and the country's most influential religious institution. According to Armenia's Datalex judicial information system, Karekin II and five members of the Supreme Spiritual Council are accuse
The Armenian Report Team
Jul 29
