Birthright Armenia Alumni Newsletter Spring 2013 Content • Announcing the Launch of “Pathway to Armenia” • Professional and Academic Achievements • From Our In-Country Alumni • Staff Corner • Sharing Stories • En Español - The Latin American Corner • Weddings and Babies • Hurrah! to Alumni Donors in 2012 • Take the Quiz, win a prize • Famous Figure: Artem Mikoyan
PATHWAY TO ARMENIA APARTMENT READY TO GO! We are proud to announce the launch of Pathway to Armenia, a new program designed specifically for you! It will facilitate alumni employment-based returns to Armenia by providing lodging assistance and employment search assistance. Pathway to Armenia is designed to encourage that longer-term return and further engagement by our alums, to deepen the roots that were planted during your volunteerism. You can think of it as direct, on the ground assistance from us to our alums who are ready to take the leap to find work in Armenia. The Pathway to Armenia apartment that will house participants has been newly renovated and is ready to host our first three alumni. Yes, many of you will recognize a resemblance via the photos below to our old BR/DH office, which served our humble beginnings very well from 2005-2010. We simply converted it back from office space to living space! You can click here to learn more about Pathway to Armenia, the application process and eligibility criteria. And in terms of employment opportunities, we wanted to be the first “client” of the program, by proudly announcing a new position we are creating, that of Alumni Program Coordinator. The position will be based out of our Yerevan office. If interested, please visit our web site here full the full job description.
Click here to fill out the application and be the first ones settling in!
Professional and Academic Achievements Last October Grace Yacoubian Wiegner (AVC ‘04) made her fifth trip to Armenia, deepening friendships with old friends and doing working tours of orphanages with the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR), of whose Atlanta chapter she is the president. Together with two other Birthright alumni, she enjoyed meeting the current volunteers and sharing a little of her perspective gained over the past eight years. A few months after returning from the Fatherland, she and her husband Utz launched a heritage preservation project about the fathers themselves. They From Whom We Come will be a collection of custom-written memoirs of our Armenian parents and grandparents. With a little luck, the volume will be published in time for Christmas. You can write to grace.yacoubian@zoho.com if you’re interested in including one of your loved ones in the book.
In Los Angeles alum Patrick Bairamian (SOS Children’s Village ‘12) has started a new online outdoor retail company: www.castlebrookltd.com. The goal of the company is to eventually help export Armenian wool outdoor products from Armenia, and use “Castle Brook Ltd.” as the channel to do that.
Likewise in Los Angeles, Edgar Martirosyan (AVC ‘05) is now the Principal and Managing Counsel for Martirosyan Professional Corporation (“MPC Legal”), a boutique law firm providing a range of legal consulting and representation services in the areas of commercial disputes, business litigation, personal injury and employment law.
Congratulations go out to alum Levon Kevorkian (AAA’05) who just opened his own criminal defense practice in Los Angeles after working as a prosecutor for the past year.
After returning from Armenia in the fall, Christina Mnatzaganian (YSMU ‘12) started working for the University of Hawaii-Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy as a Junior Clinical Specialist Faculty member. The college is located in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s a great mix of working with patients and teaching pharmacy students.
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Professional and Academic Achievements
In the medical field, Johnny El Chemmas (ACYOA ASP ‘05) is now Pharmacist-in-Charge at CVS Caremark Corporation in the Greater Detroit area.
Back in Armenia, Garine Palandjian (Glendale Community College” ‘05) has been hired as the Student Services Coordinator at the AUA, where she will develop the Center for Academic Excellence which provides AUA students a supportive environment in fostering academic and personal development. You can likewise see her research article done within the framework of the Individual Advanced Research Opportunities (IARO) fellowship. In the fall of 2012 Taleen Khoury Moughamian (AVC ‘08), a women’s health nurse practitioner in Philadelphia, traveled to Armenia. Working with the Children of Armenia Fund, she conducted health exams, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, and provided contraceptive counseling. She published a blog post about her work in Armenia in the “Our Bodies, Ourselves”, Here is the link to her article.
In the academic world, Nare Kupelian (AYF Youth Corps ‘12) is currently a first year, Ph.D. student at UCLA in Middle Eastern History. Her research interests focus on the development of ethnocultural and national identity and the origins of ethnicism in Ottoman minorities. Since November, she has also been working as the Director of the Armenian National Committee of America - San Gabriel Valley. For community service, she works with the All-Armenian Student Association, in developing networks between Armenian college students in various schools and organizations in the USA and soon, Canada.
Tatjana Crossley (AVC ‘10) is about to wrap up her studies at Rice University’s six-year program for a BA in Architecture and is excited to continue her education at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in the fall. She is currently completing her final semester studying abroad in Paris, France: focusing ideas on the hybrid building, researching and attending lectures dealing with designing towards a more sustainable future.
Lily Abagyan (Bars Media ‘09) got accepted to the UCLA MBA program. “I don’t know where I’d be today without my experience in Armenia, but I do know that I love how it’s shaped who I have become. And, I know I’m not the first alumni who was accepted into a top graduate school after participating in Birthright....so thanks on behalf of all of us!” says Lily.
Aleek Kahramanian (AYF ‘06) was recently accepted into American University’s Master’s in Public Administration program, in Washington, DC. She is excited about this opportunity as she will be able to do a joint-concentration in non-profit management and health policy. 3
STAFF CORNER A big welcome to the newest members of our Yerevan staff. Joining us are Hayk Vardanyan and Tigran Gevorgyan as Operations Specialists. Please join us in wishing Hayk and Tigran the best of success helping Birthright Armenia and AVC blaze new trails. And we thank departing team members Asqanaz Hambardzumyan and Arpine Kozmanyan for their strong dedication and efforts to make BR/DH a quality experience for all. We wish Asqanaz safe, green pastures in his work in Artsakh with Halo Trust, and wish Arpine the best in her graduate studies in Astrophysics!
FROM OUR IN-COUNTRY ALUMNI After almost a year of volunteering and several months of assisting in the coordination of the Birthright Armenia program in Gyumri, alum Allegra Garabedian (AVC ‘11) made a decision to move to Armenia. Allegra is now working as an Assistant for the Advancement Department at the American University of Armenia. Allegra has recently received a ten-year residency. Below, Allegra shares her impressions.
“A funny thing happened last week—I got an Armenian passport. It wasn’t something that I had been particularly looking forward to; if anything I was indifferent. When I applied for residency, I was expecting to receive a small laminated card, throw it in my wallet, and forget about it until some faroff day when I was leaving the country. However, as the OVIR worker handed me a stiff new passport and flatly stated “shnorhavor,” I found myself strangely overwhelmed. I know that I am not alone in having arrived in Armenia with no language skills past “barev” or any real awareness of an Armenian identity. I don’t remember any particular feelings upon arriving at Zvartnots for the first time two years ago other than a vague sense of disorientation. I did not feel at ease for a very long time here. I spent months losing myself in the cryptic alphabet, gracelessly fumbling my way through the unspoken etiquette of public transportation, and blushing at every stranger who stared at me on the street. I couldn’t have felt less at home when I arrived. However, in many ways, my life here isn’t that different from the life I would be leading if I had stayed US. I work 9-5, fret over my heating bill, and hate grocery shopping. I have an office, an apartment, But I also see Mount Ararat on my walk to work, I drink haykakan surj in the mornings, and “going out ing” usually involves at least a little shurjpar. My life is normal, but with a distinctly Armenian
in the a cat. dancflavor.
This is not the Homeland for me as it seems to be for so many others. But I have built myself a home, and that is a great feeling. Every day I am reminded of my status as a foreigner in this place, and I probably won’t stay here forever, but Armenia is still my home, albeit one of several. Holding that passport in my hand, I started to reflect. I don’t think I feel a connection to this place because I am Armenian. In fact, I think it’s just the opposite. I feel a connection to this place because my upbringing was undoubtedly American, and in spite of that, I have found a home here.” 4
Journey of Self-Discovery: From Engineer to Life Coach By Shoghik Chilingarian (YSMU ‘08)
“The year 2009 marks a transformational period in my life, where I began my Journey of Self-Discovery. It was a time when many transitions were happening in my life. It all started in January 2009 when I interned in Armenia with the guidance and sponsorship of Birthright Armenia. Second, in March 2009 I started my Engineering Program at California State Polytechnic University of Pomona. Finally, in September 2009, I met Dr. Kudaverdian who is the founder of Ark Family Center, Inc. and International Institute of Professional Coaching (IIPC). How exactly have these stepping-stones influenced me to fall on a career path that speaks to my soul and also allows me to fulfill my life’s mission? Keep reading my story and I will tie it all together. Not long ago, in December 2012, I graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with my Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. At this stepping point in my life, I asked myself, now what? Everyone around me, family, friends, acquaintances congratulated me and asked me the same questions, “What are you going to do next?” “Have you lined up a job in the industry yet?” Somehow, I couldn’t quite figure out how I was going to fulfill my life’s mission, which is to contribute to the growth and development of Armenia. It was the mission that my grandparent’s generation stood for when they left behind their comfortable lifestyle in Beirut, Egypt, Iran and other countries and made the transition to Soviet Armenia in order to be part of Armenia in the 1940s. It was the same mission that my parent’s generation stood for when they marched in Hraparak in 1988 for the Independence of Armenia, an idea that seemed impossible at the time. It is the mission I have been surrounded by all my life and last week on February 20 when my grandmother passed away, I realized that the responsibility of continuing the mission to make a difference for Armenia has grown even greater for me because the older generation who taught me to be Armenian is being replaced by a new generation. I feel a deep responsibility to pass down the messages that my grandparents passed to me. With this great responsibility, it’s difficult imagining my career working in an industry where I would be processing oil, an important career path, which we could not do without in a modern society. I originally began my studies in Engineering hoping it will provide me with tools to contribute to the development and growth of local communities. Although there is lots of room in Armenia for infrastructural development, I am discovering that there is an even more powerful way. In 2009 when I participated in Birthright Armenia, I became aware of a deeper cause that I want to be part of, which has to do with emotional awareness and development. It was not a coincidence that in September of 2009, I also met Dr. Kudaverdian, the founder of IIPC International (International Institute of Professional Coaching), who specializes in Emotional Intelligence and his mission is to stop the transmission of trauma or limiting behavior from passing down from generation to generation. Through my involvement in various training programs and courses at IIPC International, I have discovered a new career path and profession, called Life Coaching, which is allowing me to fully serve my life’s passion to make a difference in local communities. Now that I have completed the Certification for Professional Life Coaching Program (CPLC), I recognize that this additional certification is an excellent tool that allows me to 1) Support individuals to explore their life, wishes, and dreams, to plan and set goals, 2) Clarify where individuals are in their life and where they want to go. Then support them to set manageable and achievable action steps to get there, 3) Provide accountability, a fresh perspective, and trust individuals to make their own decisions. Today I choose to support Armenia through the development of Emotional Awareness, which I have learned allows human beings to explore and connect deeper to our roots and to identify the core cause of our limitations. There are many stories I have to share about how emotional development has impacted my life. I feel fortunate to be involved with Birthright Armenia’s Professional Alumni Network, where I can share more of my experiences with emotional development and where I can dialogue about how to impact our local Armenian communities. I am inspired by Confucius’ quote: “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” Imagine the impact if another 50 of us start this process of emotional development for our Diasporan and homeland communities. Those of you who hear my message or relate with my cause, call me or email me at 888.770-4150 ext 104 or shoghik@iipcinternational.com. I would love to hear your message and chat.” 5
While talking to local Armenians and those who have come from different countries, you get more about your Mother Land, the culture and most importantly you re-examine yourself, you discover all the things which had not noticed before. Like today I remember the moment when I first arrived to Armenia and entering Birthright Armenia Office, I saw lots of people totally different from each other, but at the same time united by the same desire to discover Armenia. Just in 5 weeks I made friends from around the world: Canada, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Syria, UK etc.
By Regina Ovakimian (AVC ‘12) –
OUR FIRST PARTICIPANT FROM OUR NEIGHBOUR GEORGIA “The first time I heard about Birthright Armenia was when being a member of the 2012 AHEI summer program. Following a meeting between AHEI participants and members of Birthright Armenia and Armenian Volunteer Corps, I was inspired by the AVC and Birthright Armenia mission and decided to apply for a volunteer position in the fall. Since that time my life has changed radically!
So many friends I had not made during 21 years spent in Georgia. I was happy to meet most of my new Armenian friends already in Georgia- despite the tough schedule and life routine we always find time to keep in touch, because there are so many things uniting us. Birthright Armenia brought us together to show who we are and give the opportunity to take care of our future with the combined forces. From the end of March I am going to participate in the ”Teach and Learn with Georgia” program, according to which I will be teaching English to Armenian pupils in the region, where there is a shortage of local English teachers. And I hope that volunteering in a public school in the remote area will help me contribute to the development of Armenian pupils, which will open the door of possibilities to them.”
So, almost eight months have passed since I have left my Mother Land, close friends and returned to Georgia. You will ask me, if I wanted to?! I will answer confidently: ”Yes, I did”. Indeed I wanted not because I disliked the time spent in Armenia, but, on the contrary, I wanted to come to Georgia in order to go back to my Homeland, Armenia again. Each day, minute, second spent in Armenia resembled a fairy tale for me. In your Homeland you feel completely different, you are more open, cheerful and brave. Your people are on your side!
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We are happy to see the number of our Latin American participants increasing year by year. So far we have hosted 30 volunteers from Argentina, 6 volunteers from Brazil, 3 from Uruguay and 2 from Chile.
En Español
TH LAT E AM I ER N CO ICAN RN ER
Below alums María José Karamanian (YSMU and AVC ‘12) from Argentina and Micael Nalbandian (AVC ‘12) from Uruguay share their post-volunteerism feelings and memories.
«Դու, իմ Հայաստան, դու այս բոլորն ես՝ սեր, ոգի ու հող» By María José Karamanian (YSMU and AVC ’12) “Hace un año llegaba por primera vez a Armenia. Y también hace un año que no hay un día en el que no la piense. Si bien fui alumna de escuelas armenias, participé de las actividades de la colectividad y siempre tuve un sentimiento muy fuerte por todo lo armenio, el viaje como voluntaria hizo que esto se acrecentara. Viajé colmada de expectativas y también con una opinión formada sobre la Armenia actual. Al principio, debo reconocer, tuve una sensación ambigua. Por un lado estaba contenta de pisar aquella tierra, y por el otro sentía un choque con mi estilo de vida en Buenos Aires. Me alcanzan los dedos de una mano para contar cuántos días me llevó adaptarme. Al comienzo de la segunda semana ya me sentía parte del lugar. Recuerdos tengo muchos. Anécdotas de las excursiones, del día a día, de las salidas nocturnas. Tuve la posibilidad de estar presente en Pascuas, para el 24 de Abril, para las elecciones parlamentarias, para el Aniversario de la Liberación de Shushí y para el Aniversario de la Primera Independencia de Armenia. Tuve también la posibilidad de vivir con dos familias (en Yereván y en Gyumrí) que me llenaron de amor. Y también de trabajar en dos hospitales rodeada de una gran calidad profesional y humana. La experiencia me sirvió para muchas cosas… Para aprender cómo se siente vivir el día a día en Armenia, para conocer personas de todo el mundo (y aprender la manera en la que viven y piensan acerca de determinadas cuestiones), para estar en contacto con armenios locales y hablar con ellos sobre los más variados temas. 7
Sirve como inyección de compromiso con Armenia. De saber que el fin del voluntariado no es más que el principio de futuros proyectos. Sirve para empaparse el corazón de tanta cultura, tanta historia, tanta calidez. Sirve para encontrarse con uno mismo. Para entender por qué cuando hablamos de Armenia algo nos desborda desde el fondo del pecho y no nos alcanzan las palabras, ni los gestos, ni las sonrisas para describir lo que sentimos. Sirve para saber que Armenia está andando, está creciendo. Que tiene sus cosas buenas, pero que también tiene sus cosas para cambiar y mejorar. Pero sobre todo, sirve para formar una opinión propia y real sobre la situación de Armenia. Entender cuáles son las prioridades para ellos y cuáles sus intereses. Siempre nos ocupamos de opinar con muchos kilómetros de distancia qué tendría que hacer Armenia para solucionar sus problemas o afrontar las dificultades que surgen, pero nunca nos ponemos en el lugar de ellos. Por eso, la experiencia me sirvió para ponerme en el lugar y dejar de hacer juicios a la distancia. Sirvió para entender el por qué de muchas de sus formas de actuar. Y sirve también para plantearse volver. Volver con un proyecto establecido. No sé todavía bien cuándo, ni por cuánto tiempo. Pero volver para formar parte del crecimiento de esta República que nos está esperando. Porque “uno vuelve siempre a los viejos sitios donde amó la vida”.
No más un cuento de hadas… Una realidad… By Micael Nalbandian (AVC ’12)
“Para los armenios que nacen en la diáspora dentro de una comunidad armenia la pregunta “¿Qué es Armenia?” es muy fácil de responder. Armenia es el Ararat, es el General Antranik, Kevork Chavush, Serop Ajpiur y todos sus fedaís. Es Gars, Sasún, Sepastia, Mush, Van, Alashgerd y Ardahan, son el millón y medio de mártires de 1915. Es el Lehmeyun, kefte, humus, Dhol, zurna, duduk y bailar kochari. Pero, ¿Qué es la Armenia actual?. Ah, la Armenia actual es el Lago Sevan, el Dzidzernakapert, Hor Virap, Mer taghe, la ópera y la plaza de la república, un lugar para pasarla bien. Ir a Armenia fue algo que siempre tuve en mente. Sabía que algún día iba a ir, aunque sea a participar del campamento Hama-homenetmenagan de scouts que se hace una vez cada cuatro años. Pero por febrero de 2012, un amigo me hizo recordar la posibilidad de ir a través de Depi Hayk y estar en Armenia un par de meses como voluntario. Luego de unos meses y de varias charlas con amigos que ya habían participado del programa, tome la decisión. Es así que un día sin pensarlo demasiado, me senté en la computadora y llené los formularios de la “ página de Depi Hayk. Casi sin darme cuenta el 24 de Mayo de 2012 estaba sentado en un avión rumbo a Yerevan. De esta forma desembarqué en una gran aventura que en un principio iba a ser de 3 meses y terminó siendo de casi 8. Es que cuando uno está ahí no puede dejar de 8
Mi experiencia cuenta de al menos dos grandes etapas: la primera en Gyumrí y la segunda en Yerevan. Al llegar a Armenia me sucedió algo muy raro, sentí como que no hubiera llegado a ningún lugar especial. Esa sensación de extranjero o de turista no la sentí en ningún momento de los 8 meses. Desde un primer momento sentí como si toda mi vida hubiera vivido ahí, fue algo muy extraño pero muy lindo a la vez. Gyumrí… A los pocos días de llegar me llevaron a Gyumrí. Ésta es la segunda ciudad en importancia de Armenia, queda al noroeste cerca de la frontera con Turquía. La experiencia en esta ciudad fue increíble por la sencillez de su gente, su amabilidad y su hospitalidad. Los voluntarios que conocí allí nunca los voy a olvidar, varios de ellos son grandes amigos míos ahora. Nunca olvidaré los momentos compartidos en los viajes en mashutka o tren a Yerevan, los atardeceres que veíamos al final de la calle Paruyr Sevak, las tardes de guitarreada compartiendo historias y unos oghi. Tener la oportunidad de charlar con la familia que te alberga, escuchar sus anécdotas, sus experiencias y la forma en la que ellos ven a Armenia. Es difícil mencionar una anécdota en particular el conjunto de todo lo que hacíamos ahí lo hizo especial. Yerevan… A partir del cuarto mes me radiqué en Yerevan, y puedo decir que es una experiencia totalmente diferente a Gyumrí. Está muy bueno estar en la capital. Yo personalmente vi cosas que nunca antes en mi vida había visto. Pero luego de haber estado en Gyumrí, en Shushí y en una serie de pueblitos, puedo decir que Yerevan es la falsa Armenia. No porque la gente sea falsa, la gente es muy parecida al resto de Armenia y se puede aprender mucho hablando con los Yerevantsis. Pero lo que se ve por las calles no es fiel a la realidad del país, y menos si uno se queda siempre en el centro, entre la Cascada y la estación Sasuntsi David. Es por esto que recomiendo a los futuros voluntarios que traten de tener una experiencia aunque sea de un mes fuera de Yerevan, su vivencia en Armenia se va a enriquecer cien veces. En general… En general es una experiencia que nunca voy a olvidar y estoy convencido que todos los jóvenes armenios de la diáspora tienen que vivir. Sin duda lo que voy a guardar por siempre en mi memoria son además de los amigos que uno hace, los momentos vividos con la gente de ahí, con las personas de Yerevan, Gyumrí, Shushi, Stepanakert, y tantos otros lugares en los que estuve y tuve la oportunidad de tener alguna conversación. Es que la mayor riqueza de un lugar está en su gente, y conociendo a esta gente uno llega a comprender su realidad. La realidad es que Armenia no es un país de leyenda, Armenia es un país que vive y sobrevive día a día. Que sus habitantes no son los fedayis del 1900, sino son nuevos fedayis. Éstos no sólo tienen que luchar contra los turcos, los azeríes o los kurdos, sino que tienen que luchar contra el sistema político, contra el hambre, la pobreza, la falta de trabajo, la corrupción y muchos otros problemas que afectan a todos los países de este mundo globalizado en el que vivimos. De todo lo vivido, he aprendido que Armenia es un país en el que se puede vivir con mucha tranquilidad, que es el lugar de los armenios en el mundo. Uno siente la energía de la tierra bajo sus pies y del Ararat que nos mira a la distancia. Lo más importante de lo que me he convencido, es que desde la diáspora se pueden hacer muchas cosas; pero si uno quiere realmente trabajar por y para Armenia, y para que Armenia sea un país donde todos los armenios del mundo quieran vivir, hay que trabajar desde adentro. Esto quiere decir que irse a vivir a Armenia es lo mejor que uno puede hacer por nuestra patria. Pero no irse así no más. Ir con preparación, con un proyecto, con un objetivo, con algo en mente para hacer. El cambio… El cambio que produjo en mi Depi Hayk no fue como yo pensaba, sigo siendo básicamente la misma persona. Lo que si me cambió fue la perspectiva que tenía hacia Armenia. La forma de verla, los pensamientos y las ideas que te genera. Luego del voluntariado uno se da cuenta que Armenia no es una tierra mágica de héroes legendarios, hazañas increíbles y horrores inimaginables. Armenia es un lugar real con personas reales y comunes, con las mismas preocupaciones que nosotros y que disfrutan exactamente de lo mismo que nosotros. En definitiva Armenia no es un cuento de hadas, es una realidad latente. 9
WEDDINGS AND BABIES We have three newlyweds and five newborns to celebrate this time! Wishing them all happiness, health and prosperity! Alum Colette Seter (AAA ‘05) married Brenton Elliott at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in Manhattan in October and was thrilled so many friends and fellow alums came from around the country to help them celebrate.
And in Sao Paolo Brazil, Cintia Astardjian (AVC ’10) walked down the aisle to marry fiance Hagop Sarkissian. The couple plans to live in Toronto.
On September 22, 2012, Johnny Elchemmas (ACYOA ASP ‘05) and Sevana Melikian tied the knot in Houston, TX. We wish them a long and happy marriage.
Nazarena Anush Arabean (AVC ‘10) walked down the aisle to marry Carlos Khatchikian.
Our dear Nairi Melkomian and Gabriel Meghruni (AVC ‘08) welcomed their first baby girl Astghik.
Armine Bazikyan (AAA ‘06) and her husband, Hovannes Khachatryan welcomed their first baby, Eliana Rose Khachatryan.
On January 5, Sonia M. Shahrigian (AVC ‘04) and her husband welcomed little Zaven into the family. Below is a recent photo of him with Ani, who is now almost three years old and quite excited about her new brother.
Liya Manukyan Stephanian (AYF ‘05) and her husband Ara welcomed their first daughter, Sofia Zabel Stephanian on October 29th. 10
ALUMNI DONORS IN 2012! A special shout out to thank all the alumni who donated to Birthright Armenia in 2012. We appreciate your generous contributions to the “Alumni GiveBack Fund”, most of which was matched dollar for dollar through the December challenge match thanks to the generosity of our founder Edele Hovnanian. In addition to your “pay it forward” thinking, thank you also for being active members of the Birthright Armenia network and continuing to spread the good word about us and our mission to others. Later this spring we’ll be starting the planning of our 10th anniversary events, that will be scheduled throughout 2014. Stay tuned for more details and how you can participate!
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QUIZ The winner of the last quiz, and a $25 gift certificate is Armine Sargsyan (AVC ‘11) whose correct answers were: 1. When (month and day) did the ancient Armenians celebrate the New Year and what month and day of the modern calendar does it correspond to? (August 11) 2. According to the Constitution of Armenia, how many years does a president serve in one term, and how many consecutive terms can a president serve for? (maximum of two consecutive five year terms) 3. In which city and which year did Armenia win the World Chess Olympiad for the first time? (in 2006, Turin, Italy) Here are the questions for the next quiz: 1. Which international organization did Armenia officially become member of on February 5, 2003? 2. Where is this place and what is it called? (see the picture on the right) 3. In which region is Armenia’s only wind power plant located? As always, e-mail all answers to info@birthrightarmenia.am and the winner will earn a $25 gift certificate for www.amazon.com.
FAMOUS FIGURE Artem Mikoyan
Artem Mikoyan (August 5, 1905 – December 9, 1970) was an Armenian / Soviet aircraft designer. He designed many of the famous MiG military aircrafts. Born in Sanahin, Armenia, he completed his basic education and in 1923 took a job as a machine-tool operator in Rostov, Russia before being conscripted into the military. After military service he joined the Zukovsky Air Force Academy, graduating in 1937. His first plane was the “Oktyabrenok.” He was named head of a new aircraft design bureau in Moscow in December 1939. Together with Gurevich, Mikoyan formed the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau, to produce a series of fighter aircraft. In the war period, they continued designing fighters. Early post-war designs were based on captured German jet fighters and information provided by Britain or the US. The first production model was the stop-gap MiG-9 of 1946. The I-270 prototype of German ideas and British engine became the MiG-15, which had variations such as educational-training fighters MIG-15 UTI and MI. Despite its mixed origins this had excellent performance and formed the basis for a number of future fighters with over 18,000 MiG-15s manufactured. Then in 1953 the MiG-17 was built, reaching the sound speed, followed by the famous MiG-19; the first serial native supersonic fighter. From 1952 Mikoyan also designed missile systems to particularly suit his aircraft. He continued to produce high performance fighters through the 1950s and 1960s. After Mikoyan’s death, the name of the design bureau was changed from Mikoyan-Gurevich to simply Mikoyan. However, the designator remained MiG. 12