Suddenly a borderland: The new borderization between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Gerard Toal, Nareg Seferian
The word “borderization” is a relatively new one, but in its short life it has acquired multiple meanings. At root, it refers to the establishment of physical infrastructure to demarcate a borderline and prevent the free movement of people. The erection of border fencing, the deployment of barbed wire, or simply the posting of a border sign are examples of borderization.
This Tarkmanchats, let’s celebrate Armenian names
My name is Nareg Hovsep Seferian.
It ends in “-ian” – characteristic for most Armenian surnames, also with its other spelling, “-yan.”
“Seferian.” That means “traveler.” My ancestors were probably merchants. Little surprise there for any Armenian. The sefer part is ultimately an Arabic root, but it surely became a surname for Armenians under Turkish or Persian rule. “Safarian” is another version. So, alongside the Armenian suffix, that surname reflects the mark of medieval and modern empires and neighboring cultures.
“Hovsep,” my middle name, is Armenian for “Joseph” – a name from the Bible, Hebrew via Greek. This is an indication of how Armenians have long formed part of the broader cultural landscape around the Mediterranean and Middle East. It also indicates the Christian heritage which forms a significant part of the Armenian identity. It is my father’s name. And my nephew’s name – the first-born grandson of my immediate family. That tells you something about naming practices prevalent in Armenian culture.
Երբ Երեւանում կար ընդամենը 402 հեռախոսահամար. 1927 թվական
Մոտակա անցյալում առցանց հանդիպեցի 1927-ի մի հրապարակման, որը Հայաստանի Ազգային Գրադարանի աշխատակիցները թվայնացրել էին: Փաստաթուղթը այս պահին առկա չէ գրադարանի շատ հարուստ առցանց նյութերի շարքում, սակայն առ ի հետաքրքրություն արժի այն ներկայացնել:
Կոչվում է «Ցուցակ Յերեվանի Հեռախոսային Բաժանորդների»: Ինքնին մի կողմից շատ պարզ՝ անգամ պարզունակ գրքույկ է: Մյուս կողմից արտացոլում է մոտավոր անցյալը՝ մի ժամանակ, երբ նոր երկիր, նոր կարգեր, անգամ նոր ինքնություն էր արմատավորվում, եւ նոր արհեստագիտական (տեխնոլոգիական) հնարավորություններ էին բացվում:
Մի քանի նկատառում դրանից, ուրեմն:
Erdoğan and Pashinyan look forward as public opinion looks back
On July 11, 2022, Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan held their first phone call ever. The leaders not only exchanged polite wishes for the month’s religious holidays, but also released identically-worded statements in which they “emphasized the importance” of the normalization process between their countries.
As the governments of Turkey and Armenia take cautious steps towards normalization, public opinion appears unconvinced by the process, with recent polls on both sides of the border underlining long-held negative sentiments between the two nations despite the recent progress. Along with the possibility of Russian and Azerbaijani influence on negotiations, the ongoing Turkey-Armenia talks will be no easy task, and the public knows it.
Shifts in Territorial Discourse over Southern Armenia
On November 16, 2021, clashes erupted between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces near the town of Sisian in southern Armenia, in the province of Siunik. This episode of fighting was notable as the worst altercation since the end of the Second Karabakh War of 2020. The Armenian side reported six soldiers killed and 13 taken captive, with 24 missing, while seven killed and ten wounded was the official count from Azerbaijan. Russian mediation resulted in a halt to the hostilities.
What happened in Siunik – indeed, what has been happening across that border region since May, 2021 – is directly related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh has numerous complexities. One is the inter-play between claimed borders and effective control. The unrecognised authorities in Stepanakert claimed the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) of Soviet Azerbaijan, plus the Shahoumyan region to the north. Following the cease-fire in 1994, though deprived of some slivers of NKAO territory in the east and north-east, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic or Artsakh had at the same time effective control, in whole or in part, over seven additional districts of what used to be Soviet Azerbaijan proper – the areas marked in light beige on the map below outside the lines of the former NKAO.
For the third time in three decades, Ankara and Yerevan are trying to normalize relations. In a region plagued by rivalry, distrust, and historical grievances, this will be no easy feat. In #TOPTALK, Rusif Huseynov discusses the topic with Nareg Seferian, a U.S.-based Armenian scholar, whose expertise covers the Armenia-Turkey ties among others.
Սյունիքի անվտանգությունը, մարդիկ ու տնտեսությունը․ զրույց հետազոտողի հետ
ԱՄՆ-ի Virginia Tech համալսարանի ասպիրանտ Նարեկ Սէֆէրեանը ներկայում աշխատում է «Սյունիքի՝ պատերազմից հետո ի հայտ եկած նոր սահմանները» աշխատության վրա։ ՍիվիլՆեթի Գևորգ Թոսունյանի հետ զրույցում նա խոսում է Սյունիք կատարած այցի ընթացքում կատարած իր ուսումնասիրությունների մասին։
Անվտանգության զգացումը պակասել է
ԱՄՆ «Virginia Tech» համալսարանի ասպիրանտ Նարեկ Սէֆէրեանի հետ զրուցել ենք Սյունիք կատարած նրա այցի նպատակներից։ Զրույցի ընթացքում շոշափել ենք նաև հասարակության շրջանում տիրող տրամադրությունների մասին որոշ հարցեր։
SAS Podcast #56 – Alakananda Nag
Alakananda Nag (Photographer, Filmmaker, Creative Director), Armenians of Calcutta (Calcutta: Alakananda Nag, 2021)
Interviewed by Nareg Seferian (School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech).
Today is Armenia’s independence day – the thirtieth anniversary, in fact, of this latest manifestation of a place called Armenia on the world map. It has not been an easy three decades, and the last twelve months and more have been marked with a pandemic and a devastating war and its aftermath, among other challenging phenomena.
For the past two weeks now, I have been in Kapan, in the province of Siunik in the south of the country, doing fieldwork for my dissertation. So far, I have conducted about a dozen interviews and had numerous conversations with locals about Siunik and the experience of the new geography of the province and the country since last year. That’s the over-arching theme of the dissertation. Although I do not have many substantial conclusions to draw as of yet, one common theme that has appeared is indigeneity. It is a prevailing part of Armenian discourse that the Armenians are the original inhabitants of this land, their historical homeland.
naregseferian.com 