Hidden for centuries under whitewash, the paintings of the apse of Ani Cathedral, one of the most famous of Armenian churches, were barely known by scholars. Image software technology has now brought many more details of the composition to light, enough to identify the scene as a beautiful Vision of Ezekiel. It has also revealed an apse inscription on the south wall.
Lecture given in memory of Dr. Moorad Mooradian, NAASR Board Member, 1991-2004 at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02478
At a time when there is great concern over the apparent decline of liberal democracy around the world, in 2018 Armenia seemed to be a notable exception and was hailed as “badly needed good news for democracy” by the Washington Post.
Mark Malkasian discusses Gha-ra-bagh!The Emergence of the National Democratic Movement in Armenia, which chronicles the initial stages of the former Soviet Union's first mass national democratic movement. The popular ground swell, which came to be known as the Karabagh movement, transformed the political consciousness of Soviet Armenians and led them to challenge the legitimacy of the Soviet system.