Category Archives: Nagorno-Karabakh

Bari Janapar—strolling through Artsakh with Ara

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Liz Barron

In Vank village in Artsakh they built a wall with all their obsolete number plates after the war was won, and independence declared. The ‘A’ on the old tags stood for Azerbaijan. The Republic of Nagorno Karabakh issued its own … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Cross-cultural understanding, Environment, friendship, Nagorno-Karabakh, Soviet Union, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel | 3 Comments

Artsakh: a Northern Ireland woman writes

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Liz Barron

Show your passport and get your handwritten visa as you cross the border from Armenia to the Republic of Artsakh and discover this: some of humankind’s most hellish hating took place in some of the most beautiful landscape in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Cross-cultural understanding, Nagorno-Karabakh, Religion, Stalin, travel, war | 3 Comments

Interred of Tegh

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Liz Barron

It was snowing but not hard. Tegh’s dirt roads had become mud baths because of the melting slush, but still we decided to drive to the village church on one side of the gorge. Ara had never been to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Apostolic church, Archaeology, Armenia, Armenian art, Church, Cross-cultural understanding, Great weekends, History, Nagorno-Karabakh, Tegh, travel, Village life, Villages of Syunik, war | 2 Comments

Northern Ireland and Armenia: bordering on —well, what?

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Liz Barron

Above all else, politicians and peace-builders in Northern Ireland — not two completely overlapping groups— know that people find it hard to change. It is 20 years since the Good Friday agreement and many stumbling blocks to lasting peace and … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Armenia, Belfast, Borders, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, fear, Learning, life lessons, Millisle, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Northern Ireland, Peace Corps, Peace Corps Armenia, Terrorism, Things that make a difference, travel, velvet revolution, war, Women | 3 Comments

Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy?

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Liz Barron

It is always a white Christmas in my part of Armenia. Last year there was a meter of snow on the ground for the Apostolic celebration of Christ’s birth on January 6, and the first flakes fell back in October. … Continue reading →

Posted in America, apricots, Armenia, Beauty, Borders, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Cooking, Cross-cultural understanding, Food, Great weekends, History, identity, Islam, life lessons, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Nostalgia, Peace Corps, Politics, Religion, Soviet Union, Syunik Marz, travel, Village life | Leave a comment

Where Worlds Collide

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Liz Barron

J’s beautiful face is surrounded by the hijab she uses to cover her hair. Her hijab is the only one I have seen in Armenia. J speaks Farsi, Kurdish, Arabic and of course English. She glowed as she talked about … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Beauty, Christianity, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, International Human Rights Day, Islam, Language, Learning, life lessons, Literacy, Middle East, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Nature, Poetry, Religion, Rt, Syunik Marz, travel, Turkey Armenia relations, war, Wilfred Owen, Writing | 2 Comments

Taxi Talk

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Liz Barron

Ara taught himself English from an old phrase book. He was 10 years old and Armenia was at war with Nagorno-Karabakh. His world was an uncertain and dangerous place and Armenia’s economy was in tatters. In 1994 there was nowhere … Continue reading →

Posted in apricots, Armenia, Beauty, Cross-cultural understanding, Driving, Drugs, Environment, family, friendship, Great weekends, Household tips, Jermuk, Language learning, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syunik Marz, Things that gladden the heart, travel, Vacation spots | 1 Comment

Don’t hold the front page 

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Liz Barron

There are no newspapers and magazines to be found in Goris. And, now I come to think of it, there were none in the small local shops in my first village–although that was less surprising. In Yerevan, where I know … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Borders, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, General knowledge, Language, Language learning, Media, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Press, Refugees, Syria, Television, The Archers, travel, Writing | Leave a comment

Border Post: Part Two

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Liz Barron

May 9 is a public holiday in Armenia and is known as Victory Day.  The day marks triumph over the Germans in the Second World War, where Armenians fought as part of the Russian Army, joining the allies to defeat Hitler. … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Borders, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, identity, Nagorno-Karabakh, Northern Ireland, Politics, war | Leave a comment