Book Presentation: "War and Memory: The Problem of Commemorating the Second Artsakh War"

On May 6, the presentation of the book War and Memory: The Problem of Commemorating the Second Artsakh War took place in the reading hall of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography (IAE) of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. The book explores public and official processes of remembrance related to the Second Artsakh War, providing examples of commemoration practices for both the war and its victims. The authors of the book are Mihran Galstyan, Head of the Anthropology Department of Social Processes and Institutions at the IAE, and researchers Garik Atanesyan, Gayane Hakobyan, and Lusine Angelush. Their research was conducted in the border regions of Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, Ararat, and Syunik between 2021 and 2024, forming the foundation of this significant work.

Opening the event, M. Galstyan shared the story of how the book was created and the challenges the authors encountered during the research. At his suggestion, the audience observed a minute of silence in honor of the brave individuals who died in all the Artsakh wars.

Yuri Suvaryan—Economist, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Armenian Studies and Social Sciences of the RA NAS, and member of the Presidium—and Arsen Bobokhyan—Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography and Doctor of Sciences—both emphasized the importance of the book for both the present and future. Co-author Garik Atanesyan presented the structure of the book, which consists of four chapters: War, Mourning, and Memory; Actors of Memory Policy; Territory of Memory; and Practices of War Commemoration. The book was published as part of the 21T-6A136 scientific project, funded by the Committee for Higher Education and Science.