The Armenia Project

22/08/2025

On a recent trip to Syunik, TAP intern Martha Gathercole discovered Zhora’s extraordinary Garden of Eden in Meghri, perched beside the Araks River on the Iranian border.

After decades abroad, Zhora returned to his childhood city with a dream to revive the abandoned land and turn it into a thriving fruit garden. The work was far from easy, but step by step he planted, nurtured, and rebuilt what is now his Garden of Eden.

Today, peaches, pomegranates, and kiwis ripen under the Meghri sun. Each morning, Zhora greets Iranian fishermen across the river with a cheerful “Salam Alaikum,” trading smiles and words that bridge the border.

Read the full article here on Civilnet: https://shorturl.at/7fmQL

20/08/2025

Armenia’s tech ecosystem is gaining momentum. Startups are scaling, investments are flowing, but the real test lies in whether the country can cultivate the talent to match this growth.

In a piece published on EVN Report, TAP intern Michele Crestani takes a closer look at Armenia’s higher education system, its gaps, its promise, and the urgent need for reform.

“Armenia clearly needs to address its labor market skills mismatch. A major challenge is the outdated higher education curricula, which don’t satisfy the demand of skilled workers in High-Tech.”

🔗Read the full piece here: https://shorturl.at/1cUs5

18/08/2025

📰During a recent trip to the region of Syunik, TAP intern Charlotte discovered how life in Nerkin Hand, a small village on Armenia’s southern border, is impacted by landmines. Families here face a constant threat that most outsiders may not fully grasp or ever witness.

“I don’t like politics, but I like truth,” says Hasmik, a longtime resident. “We were born here and we’re going to stay here.”

Even amidst these dangers, life continues. Her 12-year-old grandson, Rafael, walks down to the nearby river for a refreshing swim, pointing out paths he can no longer take because of landmines. Yet the family finds ways to embrace daily life, holding onto its small joys while showing resilience and hope in the face of uncertainty.

This story was reported by TAP intern Charlotte Snoonian for Mediamax.am.

🌐Full story here: https://shorturl.at/AJhcc

18/08/2025

A few weeks ago, TAP international interns traveled to the Syunik region to explore it with their own eyes and a different perspective. They met locals, asked questions, uncovered stories that had not been told before, and captured moments that reflect the heart and resilience of this unique part of Armenia.

Their time in Syunik was about listening closely to people’s stories and learning about their lives, struggles, and hopes.

Thanks to the TAP interns’ hard work, these stories from Syunik will very soon be shared with you.

Stay tuned!

14/08/2025

When Armenians had only weeks to leave Artsakh after the 2020 war, a small team from TUMO Studios raced to preserve what they could, making 3D scans of monuments.

Years later, those scans became the heart of a project at the Armenian Pavilion - La Biennale di Venezia: “Microarchitecture Through AI: Making New Memories with Ancient Monuments.”

The exhibition shows how memory, technology, and art can come together to keep culture alive. “I hope it encourages people to take their heritage that is extremely valuable, and transform it as a resource for further creation and innovation,” says Hulé Kechichian.

TAP intern Charlotte Snoonian wrote this story for CivilNet, bringing the project and its people to life for readers everywhere.

🔗 Read the full story here:
https://shorturl.at/TfBOx

13/08/2025

"Life gets easier when you work on something,” says Narine Hakobyan, a female entrepreneur from Artsakh.

Despite the pain of leaving everything behind, women from Artsakh are finding strength in starting over by reviving their old businesses now in Armenia or launching new ones from scratch. For some, it meant survival. For others, a way to hold onto their past.

TAP intern Minahil Arif wrote and published this article on CivilNet as part of her TAP internship program.

🔗 Tap to read the full article.
https://shorturl.at/snQ3p

11/08/2025

Silky pink dresses, piles of n**e dolls, paintings, medical encyclopedias, cameras, mechanical spare parts, family albums, high school graduation CDs — Qrchi Bazaar offers it all. And every Sunday, Hrazdan Stadium turns into a maze of memories.

In their latest piece for EVN Report, TAP interns Michele Crestani and Lilith Margaryan take you inside Yerevan’s flea market, meeting the people, the treasures, and the stories that keep this living archive alive.

Full article read here:
https://evnreport.com/lifestyle/salt-flea-market-of-memory-renewal/

07/08/2025

TAP intern Martha Gathercole has been featured on Հետք. She traces the journeys of Russian relokants who arrived in Armenia after the war in Ukraine, and stayed.

Her piece explores how temporary moves turned into long-term lives, and how people are shaping a new kind of community in Yerevan.

🔗 Read the full story here:
https://www.hetq.am/en/article/176048

06/08/2025

🎙️ “To be heard is everything.”
– Narine Mirzoyan, a mother displaced from .

Written by Hannah Ray and published by Pulitzer Center, this feature explores the resilience of the Armenian people as they rebuild their lives after the 2023 forced displacement from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

Since then, the 120,000 Armenians continue to live quietly - out of the headlines - but not off the hope, that they will not be forgotten. Artsakh refugees have opened businesses, found jobs, and built legal institutions, all while trying to preserve their unique dialect and documenting what was lost.

🔗Read the full article here: https://shorturl.at/tBCST

30/07/2025

Big thanks to Mediamax.am for the collaboration.. and what a moment seeing our intern published!

23/07/2025

Dolma, identity, and a first trip to Armenia.

Charlotte grew up in Boston, far from any Armenian community and even farther from the language. But one thing always brought her closer: dolma.

This summer, she came to Armenia for the first time through the TAP journalism internship. Her first story explores how food became the bridge to a heritage she’s only just beginning to rediscover.

“Whether I’m eating dolma at home, in Armenia, or at my Italian grandmother’s house, it’s something I can always count on to take me back to my roots, and it feels like home no matter where I am. Dolma is more than just a delicious dish for me. It’s a family tradition, a bond with my father, and the main tie to my cherished Armenian heritage.”

Her article is now published on GastroVino by Mediamax.am, where she’s spending the summer as an intern.

🔗 Read her story of how a simple dish can hold generations.
https://shorturl.at/kmf87

22/07/2025

🇦🇲In her latest piece for Lonely Planet, travel writer Sandie Ketsell explores Armenia not through landmarks, but through moments: mountain views that defy directions, ancient winemaking revived, and human connection that reveals identity.

📖 Read the full piece on our bio.

Imagine a country where chess is a mandatory school subject, pulpulak water fountains are ubiquitous and the Christian heritage is the oldest in the world. Add…