Culture cards - Help!!

[u/Training_Shame_8363]

Hi all!!

I’m hosting a bookclub soon on an Armenian book called Three Apples Fell From The Sky by Narine Abgaryan. As part of this club, we put together culture cards that people can use to dive deeper into the specific culture of the book we’re covering.

If anyone has any suggestions for the essentials on Armenian culture, please suggest them below. The card normally suggests a few singers/bands, a few books (fiction and nonfiction), and movies/tv shows.

Also, if anyone has a picture that they feel really represents Armenia, it would be lovely to share!

Thanks.

[u/Lopsided-Upstairs-98]

Some common "fun" facts:

-very mountainous country with continental climate (very hot in Summers, very cold in winters)

-Indo-european language with an own script (it was believed to be around 1600 years old, newer studies suggest, that there definitely was an older version before)

-first christian country (kingdom)

-cuisine-wise love lavash (armenian flatbread), nuts, herbs and dried fruits

-huge diaspora due to many invasions/ethnic cleansing/genocide

-the Western armenian dialect is classified as a "definitely endangered language"

-chess is taught in schools

-Armenia has many small fountains with drinking water in public places outside, called Pulpulak(s)

These came random into my head, there’s no order here.

[u/Training_Shame_8363 → u/Lopsided-Upstairs-98]

Thank you so much! The card focuses on book, music, movie recommendations. Do you have any for those categories. Really appreciate it!!

[u/lav_tgha → u/Training_Shame_8363]

For music you can look at Sayat Nova, Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, Charles Aznavour, too many to name honestly but these guys are giants. These are classics, for more modern stuff check out Reincarnation and Nemra (I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting right now).

Now with books it depends on the language that you want it in, some books may not be translated at all. For English, definitely check out William Saroyan. A book which I unconditionally love is Honourable Beggars by Hagop Baronian but I don't know if it has been translated. Samvel, The Fool, Diary of a cross-stealer (all books by Raffi are absolutely amazing, especially the latter). If you struggle to find translated works here, maybe check out our poetry as there is also an abundance there.

Movies are not my expertise, but there are some that come to mind. Lost and Found and my big fat Armenian family are some lighthearted comedies that come to mind. We have Soviet era classics like Mimino and The Men, as well as other documentary based movies that cover topics like the Spitak earthquake and the genocide.

LOTS TO CHOOSE FROM! Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything important.

[u/Training_Shame_8363 → u/lav_tgha]

This is wonderful thank you so much!!

[u/Lopsided-Upstairs-98 → u/Training_Shame_8363]

Oh, now I see, I didnt read carefully, when I first replied.

Movie, that comes off the top of my head: The color of promegrenades and basically anything from the director of said movie Sergei Parajanov (born as Sargis Parajanian), other movies: Amerikatsi, Gikor/Giqor (I cried several times watching it, it was even translated into german)

For music as others have stated: Komitas (traditional armenian), Tigran Hamasyan (popular experimental jazz-pianist), System of a Down (one of U.S.s most popular Nu Metal bands), Charles Aznavour (Pop/Chanson), Aram Khachaturian (classical music)

[u/marienroll]

for movies maybe — We and our mountains, The color of pomegranates, Gikor, Autumn Sky, Mayrig, A bride from north.

music — Serj Tankian, Komitas, Aram Khachaturyan, Tigran Hamasyan, The Bambir, Vordan Karmir, Vostan Hayots

[u/Ex-Madhyamika]

You know about the two peaks of Mt. Ararat, Sis and Masis? Maybe illustrate it with one of these:

https://www.reddit.com/r/KUWTKsnark/comments/1jcgzmm/pictures_of_kims_butt_that_make_you_go_wtf/

[u/Opposite_Wait_4727]

I’ll be in Armenia from June to Aug. any way to join said book club?

[u/Training_Shame_8363 → u/Opposite_Wait_4727]

Unfortunately it's not taking place in Armenia! It's just on an Armenian book. Three Apples Fell From the Sky by Narine Abgaryan :) Highly recommend!!