Articles by Christian Garbis

About Christian Garbis (34 Articles)

Christian Garbis is a writer and experimental filmmaker born and raised in Greater Boston. He received his BA in English and Certificate in Film Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has been contributing to the Armenian Weekly since 1994 and has served as an assistant editor for the paper. He lives in Yerevan with his wife and son and maintains two blogs documenting his impressions: Notes From Hairenik and Footprints Armenia. His first novel is partly based on his experiences in Armenia.

Clara Russian, Genocide Survivor, Dies at 101

WATERTOWN, Mass.—Clara Russian of Arlington, Mass, one of the last Armenian Genocide survivors and past active member of the Watertown Armenian community, passed on Oct. 5. She was 101 years old. Clara Russian Clara Movsesian Russian was born on Oct. 28, 1914, in the village Yegheki, Kharpert [more...]

October 11, 2016 // 2 Comments

Questions Remain Unanswered for the Fate of Confessed Killer of Gyumri Family

Special for the Armenian Weekly YEREVAN—Tensions run high and sorrow besets the Armenian nation one week after the senseless killings of now seven victims in Armenia’s second largest city of Gyumri. Valery Permyakov, who confessed to murdering the Avetisyan family, remains under arrest on the [more...]

January 20, 2015 // 7 Comments

Yerevan’s Bus Fare Protests: A Timeline

July 18: Fares for public transportation by bus or minibus are scheduled to increase from 100 to 150 dram. The owners of 48 companies operating privatized transportation routes had filed petitions with the Yerevan municipality to increase the fares, citing high maintenance costs and price increases [more...]

July 29, 2013 // 6 Comments

Garbis: After the Elections

Now that the dust has settled it’s time to reflect upon the Yerevan municipal elections as an attempt to understand what unfolded and what went wrong. Diasporan repatriate Babken Der Grigorian documents two people approaching the voting booth together. (Photo by Eric Grigorian) The elections held [more...]

May 14, 2013 // 12 Comments

On the Electoral Process and Democracy

The Yerevan municipal elections are right around the corner, scheduled for May 5. Many political parties that are in opposition to the government or still on the fence are putting their faith in these elections, hoping that democracy will work in their favor this time around and system-wide reform [more...]

May 1, 2013 // 0 Comments

Barevolution at a Crossroads: Thoughts on April 9

When Raffi Hovanissian addressed the crowd of approximately 10,000 at Freedom Square just after noontime on April 9, he repeated the same rhetoric he had been stating for months—power to the people, the nation belongs to the people, the people will be victorious, the corrupt, dishonest leaders of [more...]

April 11, 2013 // 21 Comments

‘The People Will Guide Me to the Summit’: An Interview with Raffi Hovannisian

It is just after 9 a.m. on day six of Raffi Hovannisian’s hunger strike in symbolic Liberty Square, in protest of the elections the opposition believes were stolen from the Armenian people—who Hovannisian insists are the victors. A few of the thousands of visitors he will receive throughout [more...]

March 17, 2013 // 36 Comments

Armenians Show Indifference to 2013 Presidential Elections

The insouciant vibe in Armenia just a week after the official start of the presidential campaign is a stark contrast to the energy surrounding the 2008 election. The excitement displayed then by frequent rallies and gatherings of the Armenian National Congress pushed other parties, both [more...]

February 1, 2013 // 20 Comments

ONNIK: Portrait of a Legend

The setting is the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, where the All-Stars are playing for the AYF Olympics Grand Ball. The band is just getting into the groove during the first of several sets to come. It’s just after 10 o’clock and the ballroom is mostly empty, although some impatient [more...]

November 13, 2012 // 17 Comments

Dressed for Death: Demonstrators Remember Beating Victim Vahe Avetyan

YEREVAN (A.W.)—On June 30, several hundred people participated in a candlelight vigil held at the Harsnakar restaurant in Avan, Armenia, where three military doctors were beaten on June 17. One of the doctors, Major Vahe Avetyan, died on June 29 from severe head trauma. Photo by Anush Khachatryan [more...]

July 2, 2012 // 12 Comments

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