New Partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation

In 2021 ARI Literature Foundation started a partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, as a result of which Anna Davtyan’s short story “Two Scenes” and Armen Hayastan’s short story “Silver Gates” covering the topic of memory of the Soviet Union were translated into German and included in the anthology of literature from Eastern Partnership countries. The anthology will be published in Germany in 2022.

In 2022 ARI and Konrad Adenauer Foundation started a new cooperation. Three researches will be carried out within the framework of the project “Cultural Memory. Soviet Past and Its Reflection in Armenian Literature”.

The topics of the researches and the research groups chosen are as follows:
  • “Literary resistance and intellectual freedom in 60s and 70s”, research group: Hrach Bayadyan and Mariam Karapetyan
  •  “Urban memory; vernacular Yerevan in the context of Soviet literature”, research group: Tigran Amiryan and Sona Kalantaryan
  • “Literature textbooks as a tool for creating Homo-Soveticus”, research group: Vahram Danielyan and Arthur Mirzoyan
The aim of the research is to study the culture of memory reflected in the Soviet and post-Soviet Armenian literature. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the memories of the period gradually disappeared, the achievements were forgotten, leaving only negative feelings and memories of the past.

The aim of the project is to find the traces of memory in works of fiction, literary press and  archives. The analysis of these materials will help to better understand the past, its impact on post-Soviet literature, will reveal why the Soviet countries chose their specific paths of development.

The results of the research will be presented to the public in the fall after the final conference held within the frames of the project.

Within the framework of the cooperation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation provided ARI Literature Foundation with technical assistance, including office equipment as well as necessary equipment for implementation of projects.