Armenian History

Armenian History
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Slavik’s Cataract Surgery

Slavik was working in his workshop with an angle grinder when the disc broke and hit him in the eye.

“Right away I felt a severe pain and my eye became dark,” Slavik said. “I was taken to the hospital and there, the doctors told me that my cornea was damaged. I have already had several eye surgeries in Russia. Coming to Armenia was my last hope.”

The surgery was performed a week before we met Slavik. Before the surgery, he had only “light perception,” which gave him just the ability to tell light from dark and the general direction of a light source. But on the day after his surgery, Slavik could see lights and differentiate between objects.

Armenian Carpets

The art of carpet-making has existed in Armenia since the fifth century BC, but perhaps the most noteworthy period of Armenian rug-weaving is that of the 13th century. The great “dragon” rugs showcasing indigenous designs that resemble highly stylized dragons woven into a latticework of plant and animal forms were created during this period. They are among the most original and abstract creations in textiles. Early in the 19th century, when the sultans of Turkey wanted to establish rug-weaving around Constantinople, it was the Armenian master weavers who they called upon to do so.

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Shant’s Medical Observership

Twenty-three-year-old Shant Korkigian, a second-year student at the Medical School of the Michigan State University, never thought medicine would be his calling. While one might think that following in his father’s footsteps — a successful physician — would be the obvious choice, Shant says, “I wanted to make my own career selection.”

“I did not want it to be predestined or a field that was pre-determined by my parents,” Shant continues. “I was very hesitant about going to medical school because I wanted it to be my choice. I made the decision to go into the field of medicine only after a number of experiences led me in that direction and I realized that helping people as a physician was something that I really wanted to do for a lifetime.”

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Armenian Government

Armenia is a parliamentary democracy with a strong executive branch. Many political parties have formed and disappeared in Armenia’s first decade of independence, and the parties are often based on the popularity of one leader, or dislike of a current leader. There are also some political parties which formed over 100 years ago, and represented in the Armenian government in 1918-1921, have survived in Diaspora communities and have come back and reestablished themselves in Armenia after independence.

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Where We Work

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