My Armenia

Peter Balakian captures the spirit and landscape of Armenia. It's a must-see travel destination for anyone seeking amazing landscapes, history and a welcoming people. The food and the vibe among the people is amazing!

What a magnificent people to create such beauty!

Such a a most beautiful piece! Now I have to go. And to know a bit of what it takes to get there, makes it miraculous and a great testament to humanity. Thank you Prof. Balakian! Healing never means erasing the past, and it oft comes by emersion in the present, respect for all life as it is. You're doing that. Perhaps one of the most powerful and profound books I've ever read is Peter Balakian's translation of his great uncles work, a priest, Grigoris Balakian, "Armenian Golgotha". It's not just survival, but a testament to a capacity for forgiveness i've never been tested with, a reflection the highest aspects of civilization shown forth in one man, a miraulous example of beyond endurance, of the deepest trust and faith in not only a tested God but the best in each other, Turk or Armenian or anyone...... A mighty true story, that I have kept by my bedside, ever since reading it years ago. It lives there reminding me to do my best with each day, with love, no matter how bad things may seem. He would so love this travel review! He can taste every morsel, with that sense of gratitude, forever. Thank you!

What a lovely portrait of our homeland and an excellent thumbnail history. Thank you Peter! The young Armenians who fueled this revolution are industrious and smart. And you point out here, reject the old Soviet-style culture of corruption and laziness. Armenia is destined for incredible things. Nonetheless, the country is stuck between a rock and a hard place: it must continue its alignment with Russia. It has no choice. And it is landlocked with limited natural resources. Still, Armenia will survive because despite the intense animosities along its borders (specifically Turkey, Azerbaijan) it serves as a buffer between major states. And it is packed with Armenians who are literate, intelligent and hard-working, (if argumentative).

I was in Armenia in 1967 - curious to understand the rage of my Armenian friends about the massacres and whether that history was being acknowledged in the Soviet Republic of Armenia, grateful that the Armenians may have been that they had at least some spot of land on which to land...(Very little information...indeed in the museum, history seemed to start in 1920. But, I was lucky to meet the underground artists of Yerevan who took me to places that the typical tourist does not see. One was to a cemetery...spread over a dry hill..spanning distances. Visiting the graves, were elders who were honoring their ancestors with prayers and flowers..(an example of the continuation of religious expression despite the atheism of the State). But, more poignantly to me, was that on the burial hills where shepherds also grazed their sheep, were scattered small shelters...about 10 feet in diameter..with domed roofs -- places where the shepherds could go for shelter when lightning struck...But as domed structures, these little "temples" had extraordinary acoustics and with head tilted back and up, my poet friend/guide, sang with fully explosive heart, ancient Armenian liturgical songs -- their vibration off the dome, scored the music through my bones--& I reverberated with its power and beauty...and the sense of the spiritual history through music of the culture.

Let's be honest about Pashinyan - he's a neoliberal installed by a Western (US & EU) revolution. The common goods of Armenia will be sold off to foreign bidders to the exception of Russia. This is part of the US's program to derail Eurasian integration (see, e.g. the recent Caspian Sea Accord). That said, Armenia deserves attention, it's a beautiful country, its people are wonderful, etc. Visit it and see for yourself. I especially love your amazing red wines.

I have to say I'm very inspired to visit Yerevan because of this well-written article but also because my maternal Grandfather was born there in 1903. I'm of Russian heritage though, not really Armenian thanks to the complicated history of the Caucasus region. I'm also a travel blogger so this article inspires me in another way too! (How to write a compelling article) ;) !

Correction: Cafesjian Center for the Arts aka Cascade is on Tamanyan Street, not Tumayan.

I was there in May with Road Scholar, and extended my time in Armenia to visit some Peace Corps volunteers (retired, not young, signed up for their second stint with the Peace Corps: I knew them from our recent PC volunteer time in Moldova.) They're in Gyumri: a unique city that tends to be ignored by tours. My time in Yerevan was meaningful and pleasant (pretty much like the main photo for this story) because the Armenians were celebrating their other birthday, and at the same time celebrating their recent Velvet Revolution. Best wishes to Armenia as continue to move on from the Soviet era and lay down the foundations of a healthy, democratic society.

Armenia stole my heart during the two years I lived there 2015-2017. Yerevan is an amazing portrait of transition. I second the comments here about the Opera house in Yerevan, where I saw the phenomenal pianist Tigran Hamasyan play to a home crowd. And the intrigue only grows the farther you stray from Yerevan, towards Dilijan in the north or Tatev in the south.

Thank you, Peter Balakian for this beautiful poetic article about Armenia. (I had the same feeling when I visited Armenia this summer). It really sounds like your wonderful poems, one of which I have translated into the Armenian.

Thank you, Peter Balakian, for this beautiful poetic article about Armenia. (I had the same feeling when visited Armenia this summer). It really sounds like your wonderful poems (one of which I have translated into the Armenian).

My brother travelled to Yerevan many times while a college student in the 1980's as one of his roommates' family lived there. He remembers with fondness the warmth and the hospitality of the family and pretty much everyone else in the country.

This story sings to me. I've visited Armenia five times since the 1990's, most recently this summer. In a world overrun by manufactured tourist attractions Armenia is genuine. The food & wine are superb. There are so many real places to experience. Yerevan's streets, named for poets & composers, became the places where people, in a march that began in Gumri, gathered peacefully to overthrew the corrupt past creating a future you can feel. Go! Armenia will sing for you.

I lived in Yerevan for nine months in 2009-2010. It's a delightful city, especially if you enjoy dining "al fresco." One thing the author did not mention were the performances at the Opera House. You would be hard pressed to see such excellent ballets, concerts, etc. anywhere in world at such a reasonable (rock bottom in 2010) price. Finally, if you every want to see a whole city in celebration of life and Armenia-ness, go to the city's birthday party on the 29th-30th of next month. Much of the center will be closed to traffic and there will be concerts of every description and dances and puppet shows and dances ...

I visited Armenia briefly last year and said at that time that I wanted to go back some day and spend more time there. This reminded me why. It's a beautiful country. Thank you to Peter Balakian for a well-written and informative piece.

I am currently serving with about 80 young people as Peace Corps volunteers in Armenia. Your article was so beautiful and so true. This country is beautiful with amazing people. Landlocked, it is not the first place people think of for a vacation, but the historic venues are so amazing. The Armenian people are trying so hard to build their government and their economy. I am proud to be assisting in their community development through the U.S. Peace Corps.

Thank you for this article. No one described Armenia that ditaled and warm, as you did. I remember Armenia in Soviet time, and I've seen and observed it in this time. Lot of changes. Sometime not a good way. After many years I came to Yerevan back in 2004, and was upset. This city, I knew in the past, was something different, I used to know. Then every year after 2004, I had a chance to visit Armenia several times a year, traveling all over the places. It makes me happy. I saw how fast everything changed around. Can not say I liked everything, but a lot of it. Vernisage my favorite place. I can spend hours to walk and watch all crafts and antics, sometimes buying old pices and enjoing talking to the people. City sites as well as suburbans got better and more intersting for tourists. Thanks again for this article. I felt in Armenia again.

Wonderfully written article/travelogue. Have experienced all the sites, scenes, tastes mentioned and Professor Balakian is on point on all of them. One European journalist recently called travel through Armenia "a pilgrimage of the soul"

I am going to visit Armenia this September for the first time, this article sounds like a great condensed guidebook. Thank ypu!

Thank you, Mr. Balakian, for this amazing tour. My paternal grandmother immigrated to the US around 1900, thankfully before the genocide. My family often enjoyed her native cuisine. I have never been to Armenia, but, as part of a Mediterranean cruise I enjoyed a day trip on the Sea of Marmara. To my surprise, I heard the guide call attention to a cluster of buildings high above us - Robert College! This is an American college attended by my grandmother and her sisters! I later discovered that a college professor of mine once taught there.

"I found the city has become a hip place, with wine bars, microbreweries, cafes, art galleries, boutiques selling crafts and carpets, an ever-new array of restaurants, as well as upscale hotels and clothing stores." Why isn't that just so like Williamsburg Brooklyn--in not a good way that is.

Impressive, I moved to Yerevan 4 years ago, having visited it several times since 2005, I know its beauty and I love it, Still, thru this article, I discovered further array of delights that Armenia has to offer, than I have known. Very well written, informative, and at the same time poetic. Does justice to the country.

Peter, what an outstanding, real and well-rounded coverage of Armenia, its new era and rich history. You described what each of us has experienced visiting our country. Your story will interest so many people to visit, explore and have the same deep connections with Armenia's history, people, art, science, nature, food and hospitality! Thank you and write more ...

Armenia is now on my bucket list of places to visit. Thanks!

Armenians are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own sovereign nation. I wish them the best of luck as they navigate hostile neighbors and treacherous international politics to found their own country.