Cinema of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan cinema - an article about the cinematography of Azerbaijan. In general, since the nucleation film in Azerbaijan about 240 or more full-length 50 short feature films were also more than 1,200 documentaries

Early history
The film industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898. In fact, Azerbaijan was among the first countries involved in cinematography. When the Lumière brothers of France premiered their first motion picture footage in Paris on December 28, 1895, little did they know how rapidly it would ignite a new age of photographic documentation. These brothers invented an apparatus, patented in February 1895, which they called the "Cinématographe" (from which the word "cinematography" is derived). It is not surprising that this apparatus soon showed up in Baku – at the turn of the 19th century, this bay town on the Caspian was producing more than 50 percent of the world's supply of oil. Just like today, the oil industry attracted foreigners eager to invest and to work.

In 1915 the Pirone brothers of Belgium set up a film production laboratory in Baku. They invited film director Boris Svetlov from St. Petersburg (Russia) to work for them and produce The Woman, An Hour before His Death and An Old Story in a New Manner. It was Svetlov who also directed the film entitled In the Kingdom of Oil and Millions which later became so well known. The famous Azerbaijani actor Huseyn Arablinski played Lutfali, the main role in this film.

In 1916 The first version of the operetta "Arshin Mal Alan" was directed by Svetlov. During this era of "silent" film the musical selections were performed by in-house musicians. Two of the women's roles in the film were played by men. Gulchohra was played by Ahmad Aghdamski and Aunt Jahan was played by Y. Narimanov.

In 1919, during the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, a documentary called The Celebration of the Anniversary of Azerbaijani Independence was filmed on Azerbaijan's independence day, May 28, and premiered in June 1919 at several theatres in Baku.

Soviet period
After the Soviet power was established in 1920, Nariman Narimanov, Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema. The People's Education Commissariat, which functioned somewhat like a Ministry, created an art department which included a film section headed by Hanafi Teregulov and Muslim Magomayev, a notable composer and opera singer. In 1922 the government of Azerbaijan decided to create the first cinema factory which became the forerunner of today's film studio Azerbaijanfilm.

1920s
In 1922, the leadership of the Azerbaijani SSR decided to create the first film factory in the country, which became the predecessor of today's film studio Azerbaijanfilm. In the following year, the Azerbaijan Photo-Cinema Board (AFKU) was established by special decree of the Council of People's Commissars, carrying out measures to nationalize and unite photo-cinemas and rental offices of individual entrepreneurs. At AFKU at that time there were such cinemas as "Tejjare", "Edison", "Million", "Rook", "Medenci" ("Promyslovik"), etc. In 1924 on screens there was a two-part feature film " The Legend of the Maiden Tower", Shot by the director V. V. Vallyuzek. The filmmakers used oriental exotics when shooting.

Under the AFCU in 1925, on the initiative of Sh. Mahmudbekov, a studio was organized to train national acting and directing personnel in Azerbaijan. Jafar Jabbarli, M. Mikailov, A. Tairov, etc. were trained in this studio. In order to increase the artistic quality of films and the development of national cadres, well-known filmmakers such as VI Pudovkin, IA Shevchenko, NM Shengelaya, Mikhail Chiaureli, as well as cameramen GM Lemdeg, VR Lemke, AV Galperin, IS Frolov, Ya. M. Feldman, LL Kosmatov, VM Schneider and etc. Jafar Jabbarli, Abbas Mirza Sharifzade and others were involved in filmmaking.

In the years 1926-1930. AFKU was called in "Azgoskino", In 1930-1933. - "Azarkino", in 1933 it was renamed into "Azfilm", in 1934 - in "Azgoskinoprom", from 1935 to 1940 was called "Azerfilm", from 1941 to 1959 - "Baku Film Studio". Finally, since 1961, and to this day, the institution is called the "film studio Azerbaijanfilm named after Jafar Jabbarli ".

In the 1920s, the main theme in the Azerbaijani cinema was the struggle against religious fanaticism, the revolution and freedom of women. In those years, films such as Bismillah (1925, directed by Abbas Mirza Sharifzadeh and A. Valovo), Dom Above the Volcano (1929, directed by Ambartsum Bek-Nazarov), Gadji Gara (1929, directed by Abbas-Mirza Sharifzadeh). The image of the Azerbaijani woman fighting for freedom was reproduced in the film "Sevil" (1929, directed by Ambartsum Bek-Nazarov)

In these years, local and foreign film companies made newsreels and documentaries about urban life, oil fields. The first newsreel "Arrival of the IX Red Army in Baku" was created in 1920. In the same year the newsreel "The First Gurultai (Assembly) of Eastern Nations" was created. In subsequent years, reports were created related to relevant events: along with documentary films such as "The 3rd anniversary of Soviet Azerbaijan " (1923), "The Fire in Oilfields in Surakhani" (1923), "Funeral of Nariman Narimanov" (1925), Arrival M. Frunze in Baku (1925) and others films were made on scientific topics. In 1925, the director Abbas Mirza Sharifzadehfinished the shooting of the film "Journey to Azerbaijan", which tells about the cultural and industrial life of the republic. In the 1920s the "Azerbaijan Screen" (4-5 times a year) newsreel was published, introducing spectators to the achievements in the production and cultural life of the republic.

The 1930s. The appearance of sound
In the early 1930s, themes for feature films were taken from modern life. Films were also filmed for historical and revolutionary themes. They include such films as "Latif", "Ismet", which were shot respectively in 1930 and 1934 by the director M. Mikailov; "Almaz" (1936) and "The New Horizon" (1940), directed, respectively, by the directors A. Guliyev and G. M. Braginsky. In 1938, the film "Bakyllyar" ("Baku People") was shot by the director V. Turin. Among the silent films of the 1930s, the feature films "The Way to the East", directed by A. A. Makovsky in 1934 and "Azerbaijan Art", are especially prominent.

In 1935, the famous soundtrack by Boris Barnet on " Azerfilm " was filmed the first sound film of Azerbaijan " At the blue sea ". The film featured outstanding Soviet actors Nikolai Kryuchkov and Lev Sverdlin. In general, from 1936 to 1941, more than 10 sound films were shot.

With the advent of sound began to develop and documentary cinema. In 1935, B. V. Pumyansky and V. Yeremeyev, being the director and the author of the script, respectively, made a single-episode documentary chronicle "Glorious Azerbaijan". It was in this film, synchronously with the performances of the heroes of the essay, the narrative text was first transmitted. Beginning in 1939 under the new name "Ordonosny Azerbaijan" the "Azerbaijan Screen" newsreel began to be published. There were 36 issues a year.

1940s

Military years
In 1940 film directors Mikhail Mikhailov (az) and Vladimir Yeremeyev shot a documentary titled Twentieth Spring (az) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Soviet government in Azerbaijan. During World War II in 1941 and 1942 short sound movies "The Motherland's Son" and Bakhtiyar (az) (film director A. Guliyev), which were devoted to heroes of Kamal Gasimov and Bakhtiyar Karimov were shot. In the same years “Sabuhi” reflectin the life and activity of Mirza Fatali Akhundov were created by film director A.I.Bek-Nazarov and Rza Tahmasib. In 1943 film directors G.V.Aleksandrov, R.Tahmasib and M.Mikayilov shot the three-part "One Family" and "The T-9 Submarine".

These films were devoted to the heroism of sailors in the time of World War II. In 1940s a group of documentary film directors and operators went to the frontline and recorded soldiers' heroism. Between 1943 and 1945 "For Motherland" (I.Afandiyev), "Care" (A.Guliyev), and "Response to the letter” and "The Caspians" (G.V.Aleksandrov and N.I.Bolshakov) which was devoted Caspian sailors' heroism were shot. In 1945 film director Husein Seyidzade shot full-length documentary "Country of eternal fires" regarding with the 25th anniversary of establishment of the government of Soviet. In the same year musical comedy “Arshin Mal Alan” by U.Hajibeyov went on screen again. The film directors Rza Tahmasib and Nicolay Leshenko made a brilliant reality comedy keeping national style and sense of humor of Azerbaijan. The film achieved success not only in Azerbaijan and USSR, but in many countries around the world. “Arshin Mal Alan” was fetched the film directors R.Tahmasib and N.Leshenko, composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, and actors Rashid Behbudov, Leyla Badirbayli, Adila Huseynzade, Munevver Kalantarli and Lutfali Abdullayev an award USSR State Prize in 1946. In post-war years newsreel "Young generation" and "Soviet Azerbaijan"(former name "Order-bear Azerbaijan") began to be issued.

During the Second World War, films were mostly made on military themes. Thus, the director A. Guliyev was filmed the film novels "Son of the Fatherland" (1941) and "Bakhtiyar" (1942). The films were dedicated to warriors-heroes Kamal Gasymov and Bakhtiyar Kerimov, respectively. And in 1943, the director A. Ivanov was shot dedicated to the heroism of the sailors, shown during the war, the motion picture "Submarine T-9".

In addition, in 1942 the efforts of the directors AI Bek-Nazarov and Rza Takhmasib published a picture of "Sabuhi", which was devoted to the life and work of Mirza Fatali Akhundov. In 1943, was composed of three movie stars (directors Grigory Alexandrov, Rza Takhmasib and Mikail Mikailov), connected by a single storyline, " One Family ".

A group of filmmakers, such as A. Gasanov and cameramen (M. Mustafayev, M. Dadashov, S. Badalov, V. Ye. Eremeev, C. Mamedov, etc.) left the front line from Azerbaijan to these lines. There they made documentary films and went to demonstrate to fighters as special editions. Among the newsreels and film stories reflecting the heroic work of the Azerbaijani people during the war are known "For the Motherland" (1943, directed by A.Hasanov), "Care" (1943, directed by A.Guliyev), "Response Letter" (1944, directed by I.Efendiyev), "Brotherly Aid" (1944, directed by A. Dadashov), etc.

In 1944, the directors GV Aleksandrov and NI Bolshakov produced a full-length documentary film "The Caspian" ("Baku Film Studio" in conjunction with the Moscow studio of documentary films). The film tells about the heroism of the Caspian sailors. And in view of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, a full-length documentary film entitled "Country of Eternal Lights" was created (directed by G. Seidzade, 1945).

Post-war years
In 1945, the musical comedy of Uzeir Hajibeyov "Arshin Mal-Alan" was screened again. The directors Rza Takhmasib and N. Leshchenko created a vivid realistic comedy film in which the national flavor and people's humor was preserved. The film achieved great success both in the territory of the former USSR and in many countries of the world. The State Prize of the USSR for this film in 1946 was awarded to directors Rze Tahmasib and N. Leshchenko, composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, as well as to actors Rashid Beibutov, Leyla Bedirbeyli, A.Huseynzade, M.Kalantarli and L.Abdullaev. Beginning with this film, the desire for comedy genre intensified in Azerbaijani cinema. So, in 1955, the director T. Tagizade was shot comedy film "Meeting", and L. Safarov - "Favorite Song" ("Bakhtiyar"), the main role in which was played also by Rashid Beibutov.

In 1947, the director V. Dzigan produced the film "Fatali Khan", dedicated to the life of Guba's Khan Fatali. On the screens the film was released only in 1959.

At this time, simultaneously with the magazine "Soviet Azerbaijan", the "Young Generation" newsreel (4 issues a year) began to appear. From 1945 to 1950, screenwriters such as I.Kasumov, A.Gulubekov, directors Z.Kyazimov, L.Safarov, operatives A.Narimanbekov, T.Akhundov, H.Babayev, composers K.Karayev, T.Guliyev worked on documentary films. and etc.

In 1947, the feature film "Beyond the Araks" was shot (directors I. Efendiyev, E. I. Shub). The film talked about the struggle for the freedom of the Azerbaijani people of Iran in 1945-1946.

1950s
In the early 1950s, the "Baku Film Studio" mostly produced documentary and publicistic films. By the mid-1950s, national cadres of scriptwriters, directors, cameramen and artists had been trained. Most of them studied at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography. Among them are I.Kasumov, E.Mamedkhanly, I.Tagizade, L.Safarov, G.Seydbeyli, A.Ibragimov, N.Ismayilov, G.Seydzade, Sh.Mahmudbekov, A.Atakishiyev, H.Babayev, A.B. Narimanbekov, T. Akhundov, R. Ojagov, K. Najafzade, J. Azimov, E. Rzaguliyev, N. Zeynalov and others.

The subject of films in these years has significantly expanded. Films devoted to the work and life of workers and collective farmers, representatives of various professions were filmed. In this list, you can add such films as "Not That, This One" (1956, directed by G. Seidzadeh), "Under the Sultry Sun" (1957, directed by L. Safarov), "Black Stones" (1958, directed by A. Guliyev), "Creeping shadows" (1958, directors I.Efendiyev and Sh.Sheikhov), "Her big heart" (1959, directed by A.Ibragimov), "A real friend" (1959, directed by T. Taghizade), "Stepmother" (1958), director G. Ismailov).

In 1957, the "Baku Film Studio" created the painting "Two Guys from One Quarter" (directors A.Ibragimov and I.V. Gurin, operators M.Pilikhin and R.Ojagov, composer H.Garayev), telling about the people's struggle for freedom and democracy in one of the countries of the East.

In 1958, the film " On the Far Shores ", dedicated to the partisan Mehdi Huseynzadeh, appeared on the screens and was shot based on the story of the same name by Hasan Seidbeyli and Imran Kasumov " On the Far Shores ".

Important importance began to be attached to the development of children's films. A big role in this was played by the director A. Atakishiyev. In 1959 he was filmed the film "The Mystery of a Fortress".

The color full-length documentary "Soviet Azerbaijan" (directed by M. Dadashov, F. Kiselev), filmed in 1950 and dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, was awarded a special award of the Cannes International Film Festival in 1951. A film directed by S. Mamedov "On the Bay named after SM Kirov" won the Venice Film Festival in 1955.

In the Baku Film Studio, the world-famous director RL Carmen produced the films The Story of the Oil Workers of the Caspian (1953) and The Conquerors of the Sea (1959), which reflected the heroic work and life of marine oil workers. For these films in 1960, the director RL Carmen, the cameramen Ch. Mamedov and S. Ya. Medinsky were awarded the Lenin Prize.

1960s
Since the 1960s, more and more color films have been filmed in Azerbaijan. Filmed in 1960 by the director G. Seyidzade, the feature film "Koroglu", dedicated to the folk mythical hero of the same name, became the first wide-screen Azerbaijani color film. Motives of the dastan " Leili and Majnun " formed the basis of the plot of the film "The Story of Love" (1961, directed by L. Safarov).

The widespread creation of comedy films. Such comedies as "Romeo my neighbor" (1963, directed by Sh. Mahmudbekov), "Where is Ahmed?" (1964, directed by A. Iskenderov), "Ulduz" (1964, directed by A. Guliyev), " Arshin mal alan " (1966, directed by T. Tagizade)

An increasing number of young people came to the cinema: script writers Rustam and Maksud Ibrahimbekov, Anar, A. Akhundova, I. Huseynov, V. Samedoglu, R. Fataliev, directors A. Babayev, E. Guliyev, G. Mirgasimov, I. Efendiyev, T. Ismayilov, G. Azimzade, G. Babayev, operators Z.Magerramov, R.Ismayilov, R.Gambarov, V.Kerimov, artists F.Bagirov, R.Ismayilov, actors G.Mamedov, S.Alekperov, G.Turabov, R. Balayev, S. Mamedov and others).

Their cooperation with the older generation led to an increase in the professional level of the Azerbaijani cinema. There were new films that differed in national color and ideological depth. At the center of the film "In this southern city" (1969, directed by E. Guliyev) is the theme of the struggle between the new and the old, the questions of saving humanity from obsolete customs are being considered. In the films made during this period, the main place is occupied by moral and ethical problems, different views on modern life, the formation of the younger generation. Analysis of the characters of people occupy one of the main places in the films of this period. Among them are, for example, the film "The Last Night of Childhood" (1969, directed by A. Babayev).

In some films, the theme of the Second World War was reflected. In 1969, directed by Sh.Mahmudbekov, the film "Bread equally divided" describes the life of the Bakuis in the last years of the war. For this film, Mahmudbekov was awarded the State Prize of the Azerbaijan SSR. Among the films for children can be called "Magic Robe" (1964, directed by A. Atakishiyev).

In the second half of the 1960s, certain changes took place in the style of documentary films. There was no narrative text, there was a poetic mood and a clear installation. These changes are felt in G.Mirgasymov's films "The Sea" (1965), " Gobustan " (1966), "The Voice of Truth", "Composer Gara Garaev" (1967). G.Mirgasimov himself was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Award in 1967 for these films year, which was also awarded to the director of the film "How Good that Samed Vurgun was in the World " (1967) Y. Efendiev, the author of the script I. Shykhly, the cameraman Z. Mamedov.

1970s
During these years several films on historical and revolutionary themes were shot. Particular attention deserves the films "The Stars Do not Go Out" (1971, directed by A. Ibragimov) filmed in conjunction with the film studio " Mosfilm ", telling about the activities of N. Narimanov. In 1970, based on the "Komsomol poem" by Samad Vurgun, the film "Seven sons of mine" (directed by T. Taghizade, who was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Award of Azerbaijan, was dedicated to the 1920s komsomols.) In 1973, together with the Czechoslovakthe film studio "Eminent Wind" was shot by the director E. Guliyev. This was the first Azerbaijani film, filmed in conjunction with a foreign studio. The class struggle in the Azerbaijani villages in the first years of Soviet power is told in the films " The Last Pass " (1971, directed by K. Rustambekov), " Avenger from Ganjabasar " ("Ghatyr Mamed", 1974, directed by R. Ojagov).

A number of historical films were shot. The life of the poet Nasimi, who spoke out against social and moral problems, the injustices of the feudal world was shown in the film "Nasimi" (1973, directed by G. Seidbeyli). In 1975, at the 7th All-Union Film Festival, the film was awarded as the best historical film. The film of director T. Tagizada "Dede Gorgud" (1975), based on the folk epic " Book of my grandfather Korkut ", is especially poetic. In 1979, the film " Babek " was shot by the director E. Guliyev. The film was dedicated to the struggle of the people against the Caliphate in the 9th century under the leadership of Babek.

1980s
Films on different topics were filmed during this period. Themes on complex psychological situations are re-discovered in such films as "The Silver Van" (1982), "The Devil in the Eyes" in 1987, directed by G. Mirgasimov, was awarded the Prize of the 21st All-Union Film Festival in 1988, "The Structure of the Moment," " Business trip "(1982)," Grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather "and others. In Vagif Mustafayev's 1988 film, the satirical film "The Devil" shows the process of deformation of the human character.

Among the historical films shot on revolutionary themes, the film "On the Horses" of 1983 directed by G. Turabov, "Wait for a signal from the sea" by Jeyhun Mirzoyev (1986) is known. In memory of the Hero of the Soviet Union Asi Aslanov in 1985, the director R.Ismaylov made a film "I loved you more than my life."

1990's
In 1990-1995, almost all films were shot at the expense of entrepreneurs. Over this period, more than 40 feature films and over 125 documentary films were shot. In those years, such directors as Ayaz Salaev, Vagif Mustafayev, Huseyn Mehdiyev, Yaver Rzayev, Jamil Guliyev, Shahmar Alekperov, Ramiz Azizbayli, scriptwriters Ramiz Rovshan, Orkhan Fikretoglu, Natik Rasulzade, Aydin Dadashev did such films.

After the restoration of independence on October 18, 1991 in Azerbaijan, a new era in the development of culture. In connection with this, and also because of the ongoing war in Karabakh, patriotism in films has become one of the main themes.

The film "The Ring of Happiness" (Azeri Bəxt üzüyü) directed by Ramiz Azizbeyli and producer Sadraddin Dashdamirov was the first film of independent Azerbaijan, answering all the canons of the commercial film.

The film directed by Ayaz Salayev and producer Sadai Ahmadov "Yaras" paved the way for Azerbaijani cinema to the world stage. The painting received the Grand Prix of the Ange Festival (France) and took part in more than 20 International Film Festivals.

Movies
"Murder in the night train" (1990) - director Abdul Makhmudov
"Day of execution" (1990) - director Gyuli Azimzadeh
"Witness" (1990) - director Huseyn Mehdiyev
"Ring of Happiness" (1991) - director Ramiz Azizbayli, producer Sadraddin Dashdamirov
"Gazalkhan" (1991) - director Shahmar Alekperov, producer Huseyn Aga Gasymov
"Outside" (1991) - director Vagif Mustafayev, producer Vagif Asadullayev
"Seven days after the murder" (1991) - director Rasim Odzhagov
" Scream " (1993) - director Jeyhun Mirzoev
"Faryad" (1993) - studio "Ashkar film" - director Jeyhun Mirzoyev, producer Nazim Abdullayev;
"Takhmina" (1993) - director Rasim Odzhagov, producer Rasul Kuliev
"Stanbull story" (1994) - director Rasim Odzhagov, producer Rasul Kuliev
"Yaras" (1995) - director Ayaz Salayev, producer Sadai Hasanov.

Modern period
At the 42nd International Houston Film Festival, in the nomination "Best Foreign Film", the film "The 40th Door " was awarded the Gold Award "Gold Remi Award Foreign".

The state program for the development of Azerbaijani cinema for 2008-2018 was adopted.

2000s
In 2001, the premiere of the comedy with elements of melodrama production studios Azerbaijanfilm and Vahid- Son. The film was filmed in 1993, but in 1994 it was put on the shelf for unknown reasons, finally, by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev in 2001, the film was published. The cast of the film consisted of such great actors as Nasiba Zeynalova, Siyavush Aslan, Yashar Nuri, Gyunduz Abbasov, as well as actors of the younger generation Bahram Bagirzade, Ilham Gasimov, Ayan Mirgasimova and others.

The black label is a film by Azerbaijani director Vagif Mustafayev, shot in 2003 based on Elmira Akhundova's book Death of a Polygraphist. A large number of stars of Soviet and Azerbaijani cinema participated in the film. The production director Vagif Mustafayev, in parallel with this film, also shot the film "The National Bomb".

On June 21, 2004, the premiere of the comedy film "National Bomb" by Azerbaijani director Vagif Mustafayev took place. One of the actors Hasan Mamedov did not live to see the premiere, which died in the process of filming on August 26, 2003. The film "The National Bomb" won the Grand Prix at the First International Film Festival of the CIS countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia "New Cinema. XXI Century "in Smolensk (2004), and in the same year" Grand Prix "at the comedy film festival" Smile, Russia "in Veliky Novgorod. At the 15th International Varna Film Festival (Bulgaria, 2007) the "National Bomb" was awarded an academic prize of Sofia University. St. Clement of Ohrid - "Bitter Cup".
In 2006 at the studio " Azerbaijanfilm " they finished the film "Farewell to the South City" directed by Oleg Safaraliev, which was shown at film festivals in Berlin, Montreal, Istanbul, Haifa, Rio de Janeiro. The film was awarded the national cinematographic award of Azerbaijan in 2006 - "Gyzyl Chyrag" ("Golden Lamp") for the best film. He also received the prize "ARRI" at the 3rd IFF "Eurasia" in Almaty and the audience prize at the 5th Moscow Premiere Festival in 2007

Movies
" Dream " (2001) - director Oktay Mir-Kasimov
"Haji-Kara" (2002) - director Jahangir Mehtiyev
"The Sorcerer " (2003) - the director Fikret Aliev
"Melody of space" (2004) - director Huseyn Mehtiyev
" National Bomb " (2004) - director Vagif Mustafayev
"Where the rivers merge" (2004) - director Nijat Feizullaev
"Hostage" (2006) - director Eldar Kuliev
"Lies" (2006) - director Ramiz Azizbayli
"Farewell to the southern city" (2006) - director Oleg Safaraliev
"We will return" (2007) - director Elkhan Kasimov
"Good morning, my angel!" (2008) - director Oktay Mir-Kasimov
"Fortress" (2008) - director Shamil Nadzhafzadeh

2010th years
In 2012, director Elkhan Jafarov directed the film "Grad" on the theme of the Karabakh war based on the novel of the same name by Agil Abbas, who is also the author of the script. The composer of the film was Polad Bulbul-ogly. Filming took place in Ismayilli and Agdam districts, Baku and other regions. The premiere of the film was held in the Cinema Center " Nizami " on August 2, 2012, on the Day of National Cinema of Azerbaijan.

In the same year, director Ramiz Hasanoglu made a film dedicated to the life and work of Mirza Fatali Akhundov, an Azerbaijani scientist, poet and playwright, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan with the support of the Azerbaijan Film Festival named after Jafar Jabbarli. The author of the script is the People's Writer of Azerbaijan Anar. November 28, 2012 in the Film Center "Nizami" in Baku the premiere of the film took place. Part of the shooting took place in Sheki. In general, the film was shot in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey (Istanbul).

In 2012, Stepniyak, a film by Azerbaijani film director Shamil Aliyev, also appeared. This film participated in many competitions and film festivals.

Was included in the preliminary list of the Oscar Award in 2014 in the nomination "Best film in a foreign language"
In September 2012, took part in the 21st Kinoshock Film Festival in Anapa
In the same year he was included in the program of the VII International Festival " Eurasia ", held in Almaty
In October 2012 was shown at the 5th International Festival "Didor" in Dushanbe. According to the results of this film festival, the film's director Shamil Aliyev was awarded a special diploma of the International Jury "For a Fabulous Reality".
He also entered the main contest program of the 16th International Tallinn Film Festival "Dark Nights" (November 12-28).
December 4, 2012 was demonstrated at the 35th Cairo International Film Festival
In December 2012 took part in the XIII Film Festival in Tbilisi
In March 2013 took part in the XXIV Film Festival in Ankara
In May of the same year - at the Khabarovsk Film Festival " Golden Knight "
In October-November 2013 was shown at the 62nd International Film Festival Mannheim - Heidelberg
In November 2013 took part in the IX Kazan International Muslim Film Festival
In January 2014 took part in the XIII Film Festival in Dhaka

In 2012, a short film was produced by director Fariz Ahmedov. Filming of the film was completed in November 2011. The world premiere of the film was held on April 14, 2012 in Dubai. On 14 and 16 April 2012, the film was shown in Dubai as part of the V Film Festival of the Gulf. At the II International Youth Film Festival "Light of Peace" in Yaroslavl, held from 12 to 15 July 2012, the film won the second place in the nomination "Feature Film" and became the winner in the category "Children's Film" in the category "B" (19-30 years). The film was shown at the VIII Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, which was held from September 5 to 11, 2012. Also within the framework of the VII Batumi International Festivalart-house films, held from 16 to 23 September, this picture was demonstrated. The film was also shown in the framework of the V All-Russia Festival of the author's short film in Moscow and was awarded a diploma of the festival. As part of the "Mayak" festival on September 27 has been shown in the cinema "Star", on September 28 - in the cinema "World of Art", and the display of a picture held in "movie theater on September 29, Art." October 2012 the film was shown at the Tashkent International Film Forum "Golden Cheetah" in the Palace of Youth Creativity.

In the same year, a military film by the Azerbaijani film director and president of the ANS group of companies Vakhid Mustafayev "Hoxha" was also released. The author of the film idea is the director's father - Fuad Mustafayev The film is dedicated to the Khojaly massacre. The film tells about the tragic fate of two loving couples in the years of the Karabakh war. "Hoxha" is considered the first film made in the genre of neo-expressionism ], as well as the first full-length film that reflects the entire tragedy of Khojaly. Filming took place from November 2011 to January 2012 in Baku and Sheki. October 7, 2012 the film was shown at the 49th International Film Festival "Golden Orange" in Antalya. On November 29, 2012 the film was demonstrated at the 35th Cairo International Film Festival. The film also took part in the 31st international film festival " Fajr " in Iran. On March 31, 2013 the film Hodge was shown in Moscow.

January 27, 2016 premiere of the film " Ali and Nino ", the producer of which was Leyla Aliyeva. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Kurban Saeed. The film tells about the story of the love of two Bakuis: Muslim Azerbaijani Ali Khan Shirvanshir and Georgian Christian Nino Kipiani. The main roles in the film are performed by well-known actors Maria Valverde (Georgian Nino) and Adam Bakri (Azerbaijani Ali). Filming took place in Azerbaijan, namely in Baku, its ancient part Icheri Sheher, Gobustan and Bibi-Heybat, in the regions of the country - in the unique village of Khinalig and Gedabek, as well as inTurkey.

April 21, 2016 premiere of the dramatic film "Curtain", the director and screenwriter of which was made by Emil Guliyev. In 2017, the film "The Second Curtain" of the same director was released.

Movies
"Additional impact" (2010) - director Elkhan Jafarov
"Actress" (2011) - director Rovshan Isakh
"The Savior of Mankind" (2011) - director Elkhan Jafarov
" Grad " (2012) - script writer Agil Abbas, composer Polad Bulbul-ogly, director Elkhan Jafarov)
"Do not die until you get revenge" (2012) - director Oktay Mir-Kasimov
" Ambassador of the Dawn " (2012) - director Akif Rustamov
" Stepnyak " (2012) - directed by Shamil Aliyev
"Hodja" (2012) - director Vahid Mustafayev
"The Curtain" (2016) - director Emil Guliyev
"Curtain" (2017) - director Emil Guliyev

Source from Wikipedia

Azerbaijani art

Azerbaijani art has developed over the ancient history of Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijanis have created a rich and distinctive culture, a major part of which is decorative and applied art. This form of art rooted in hoary antiquity, is represented by a wide range of handicrafts, such as chasing, jewelery-making, engraving in metal, carving in wood, stone and bone, carpet-making, lacing, pattern weaving and printing, knitting and embroidery. Each of these types of decorative art, evidence of the culture and endowments of the Azerbaijan nation, is very popular there. Many interesting facts pertaining to the development of arts and crafts in Azerbaijan were reported by numerous merchants, travelers and diplomats who had visited these places at different times.

Prehistoric art

Rock paintings in Gobustan
Images reflecting magic, totemic notions of ancient people, their religious customs and hunting scenes saved on rocks in Gobustan evidence about primitive art in the Paleolithic epoch. Men and women, fishing scenes, images of people dancing on the rocks, galloping horses hunters, lonely figure of a reaper with a sickle, round dances of people reminding of “yalli”, boats with rowers, solar signs and various wild animals had been portrayed there.

Gamigaya Petroglyphs in the territory of Ordubad Rayon are dated back to the 4th-1st centuries BC. About 1500 dislodged and carved rock paintings with images of deer, goats, bulls, dogs, snakes, birds, fantastic beings and also people, carriages and various symbols had been found out on basalt rocks.

Antiquity
Findings of ceramic items belonged to Caucasian Albanian culture found out during archeological excavations have various shapes, perfect forms and fine ornaments. Varieties of painted ornamental and semantic motifs are typical for ceramic items found out in different oblasts of Azerbaijan such as Shahtakhty and Gizilvang.

A large vessel found out in Shahtakhty village and black-glossed zoomorphic vessels found out in Mingachevir are the most famous patterns of ceramic items of Azerbaijan. A unique rhyton cup with a figure of deer with branchy antlers on it is the most interesting find. A figure of two-headed deer from burials of Dolanlar village, bronze figures of birds from Chovdar village, gold adorning and also rhyton with deer head from Mingachevir had been found out.

Foundations of columns had been found out in different rayons of Azerbaijan, mainly from Nakhchivan and Gabala. And details of plant images had been painted on stone foundations found out in Gazakh Rayon and belonged to the 4th-3rd centuries BC. Cave dwellings of Zangilan, Gonagkend and Shamakhi Rayons, rocky shelters of Gazakh Rayon, serf and Cyclopean constructions of uplands of Lesser Caucasus and Nakhchivan found out by archeologists are also very interesting.

Middle Ages
Development of old and appearance of new cities favored development of caravan trade and expansion of handicraft production. Many cities famed for rug weaving, production of artistic ceramic jars, gold and silver items.

Patterns of engravings and sculptures were broadly spread in visual arts in the period of Caucasian Albania’s existence.

A stone cap of the 5th-6th centuries found out in Sudagilan settlement of Mingachevir Rayon were one of the most famous findings of that time. A cup found out in Bartim village and dated from the 2nd-4th centuries is kept in the Moscow Museum of History.

Seizure of Caucasian Albania by Arabs in the 7th century was of great importance in further development of visual arts. Muslim – Iranian and Arabic cultures began to spread in the territory of modern Azerbaijan. Construction of mosques, mausoleums, castles and other cultic architectural monuments was followed by their decoration with various patterns and ornaments, calligraphic elements (epitaph), tile and bas-reliefs. Restriction of images of alive beings by Islam stimulated development of ornamental forms of decorative arts. Ornaments on Momine Khatun Mausoleum in Nakhchivan, constructed in the epoch of the Seljuq Atabeg’ reign and khanegah on the shore of the Pirsaat River are interesting monuments of that time.

Set of small states appeared in the territory of Azerbaijan after weakening of Arab Caliphate. Local art schools were opened in cities such as Barda, Shamakhi, Beylagan, Ganja, Nakhchivan and Shabran. Architectural schools of Nakchivan, Shirvan-Absheron and Tabriz are the most important among them. Monuments and constructions of “Nakhchivan school” are distinguished for their ceramic details, which initially were one-colored, but then became multi-colored. Ornamental motifs generally consisted of baked brick and tile. Smooth stone walls with plastics which were rarely used in architectural elements, belong to “Shirvan-Absheron architectural school”. Patterns of stone carving art, geometric and plant ornaments take an important place in buildings belonging to this architectural school.

Artistic value of “divankhana” from Palace of the Shirvanshahs ensemble “are determined by perfection of the composition, tectonics of architectural forms, virtuosity of painting and creation of ornaments” according to L.Bretatsinki and B.Weymarn.

Stones with inscriptions and images of people and animals (tiger, camel, horse, bull and bird) had been found out in the Shirvanshahs’ architectural monument called Sabayil Castle constructed in the 13th century in Baku Bay. There had been made in deep carving style and had characteristics of frieze. This monument is a pattern of sculptural art where inscriptions and salient images was a decisive factor in decorative design of buildings. Cultural traditions of ancient Caucasian Albania are saved in reliefs of the stones.

Bayil stones which had characteristics of friezes, consisted of decorative elements in grand architectural land monuments located on land, at that time.

Ceramic items found out during archeological excavations in Shabran and Baylagan also give evidence of the high-level development of visual arts in the Middle Ages.

15th century

Azerbaijani rugs
Azerbaijani rugs are a product of Azerbaijan, an ancient center of carpet weaving. Azerbaijan has been since the ancient times known as a center of a large variety of crafts. The archeological dig on the territory of Azerbaijan testifies to the well developed agriculture, stock raising, metal working, pottery and ceramics, and last but not least carpet-weaving that date as far back as to the 2nd millennium BC. Development of carpet weaving boosted after Ismail I's takeover of Safavid dynasty.

Azerbaijani carpets can be categorized under several large groups and a multitude of subgroups. The true scientific research of the Azerbaijani carpet is connected with the name of Latif Karimov, a prominent scientist and artist. It was his classification that related the four large groups of carpets with the four geographical zones of Azerbaijan, i.e. Guba-Shirvan, Ganja-Kazakh, Karabakh and Tabriz.

The Karabakh carpet is one of five major regional groups of carpets made in Azerbaijan named after the Karabakh region, which comprises present Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent lowland territories ('lowland Karabakh'). The Karabakh carpets amount to 33 compositions. Due to the specifics of the local sheep wool the Karabakh carpets are characterized by thick pile, high and fluffy. These carpets are marked for their vivid and joyous colors. They are divided into four groups: without medallions, with medallions, namazlyk and subject carpet. In the mountainous part of Karabakh the carpets were made in Malybeili, Muradkhanly, Dashbulakh, Jebrail, Goradis and many other villages.

In 2010, art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving in Azerbaijan was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

17th to 18th century

Tabriz school of miniature painting
Persian miniature painting was developing in the territory of Azerbaijan in the Middle Ages. Manuscripts with miniature paintings of people, animals and landscapes in them were popular at that time. Heores of poetic works by Ferdowsi, Nizami, Saadi, Hafez, Jami, Navoiy, Amir Khusrow Dehlawi and others took an important place in creativity of Persian miniature artists. In the middle of the 15th century, a new style –“Turkmen style” – of miniature spread in the territories of Kara Koyunlu and Aq Qoyunlu states was developed. Such miniatures of this style were made in Tabriz and other cities located in the territory of modern Azerbaijan. Shamakhi – the capital of the Shirvanshahs’ Government was one of them. Traces of this now ancient style created by artists worked in workshops of Rashidaddin in the beginning of the 14th century can be observed in miniatures created by Abdul-Bagi Bakuvi, Baku artist of the 15th century. Illustrations for “Anthology of the Eastern poetry” or “Anthology of Shamakhi” of 1468 and saved in British Museum in London are the best miniatures created by artist of Shamakhi and Baku. One-figured and two-figured portraits painted by Abdulbagi Bakuvi (“Stableman” and “Two amirs”) and saved in Topkapi Museum, in Istanbul belong to miniature art of Baku. Influence of Far Eastern painting can be felt in creativity of many miniature artists of that time.

Wars between Turkey and Iran and also feudal wrangles among khanates adversely affected development of visual arts in 17th-18th centuries. But colorful masterpieces of visual arts had been continuing created and the Palace of Shaki Khans built by architect Khadali Zeynalabdin from Shiraz in 1797, is one of these masterpieces. These decorative paintings created by masters such as Abbasgulu, Usta Gambar Garabaghi, Aligulu, Gurban Ali, Shukur and others were created with bright and motley colors. Images of people and animals, and also battle and hunting scenes were painted on the waslls of the palace.

Monumental constrictions, generally was suffering a decline. In the XVIII, wall paintings which mainly consisted of compositions of plant motifs appeared in houses of wealthy townsmen. National arts created ornaments for guns and jars. A copper jar and gun found out in Lahij has highly artistic ornaments.

19th to early 20th centuries

Decorative art
From the 19th century to early 20th century several artists of decorative arts who hadn’t got artistic education famed. Mir Mohsun Navvab who hadn’t any artistic education and also famed as a poet, music theorist and calligraphist was among the most famous artists of that time. Ornaments created by him are important in art sphere. Ornamental wall paintings, images of flowers and birds, illustrations to his own manuscripts (“Bahr-ul Khazan” (The sea of sorrow), 1864) are typical of his creativity.

Usta Gambar Garabaghi used national traditions of wall-painting (1830s-1905). He famed for his works in restoration of the Palace of Shaki Khans, paintings in interiors of houses of Mehmandarov and Rustamov in Shusha and other cities. Paintings made by him didn’t break flatness of walls, but emphasized its architectural details. His new works distinguished for growth of realistic features.

Landscapes, images of flowers and patterns of decorative-applied art made by poet Khurshidbanu Natavan should also be noted. She also decorated her poems with lyric art motifs.

Artists such as Avazali Mughanli (“Kalila and Dimna”, 1809), Mirza Aligulu (“Shahnameh”, 1850), Najafgulu Shamakhili (“Yusuf and Zulaikha”, 1887) and others were famed among Azerbaijani miniature painters of that time.

Easel painting
New progressive visual arts of Azerbaijan faced a delay in development in the 19th century. Development of realistic easel painting was extremely low.

Origination of easel painting in Azerbaijani visual arts began in this period, but works of that period such as portraits painted in Irevan “were still firmly connected to traditions of the eastern miniature of middle ages”.

A painter Mirza Gadim Iravani, who also hadn’t got professional artistic education mainly famed as a portrait artist. “Dancer”, “Dervish”, “Strongman” and “Cavalryman” are his most popular works. His works are saved in National Art Museum of Azerbaijan. Portrait of a young man, portrait of a sitting woman and others are among these works. Irevani, whose works were firmly connected to traditions of the eastern miniature of medieval ages, laid down the foundations of the realistic easel painting in Azerbaijan.

Paintings in Sardar’s Palace in Irevan and also portraits of “Fath Ali Shah”, “Abbas Mirza”, “Mah Talat khanim” and “Vajullah Mirza” are among famous works of Mirza Gadim Iravani. Beside these portraits he also painted a portrait of “Unknown warrior”. The palace was demolished in 1914 and four great portraits on the walls of the palace and also paintings on the walls of houses in Shusha were also erased.

“Timur’s portrait” by Mir Mohsun Navvab painted with watercolors in 1902 and now saved in National Art Museum of Azerbaijan in Baku is also famous.

Genres of satiric graphics were appeared with publishing of “Molla Nasraddin” magazine in the beginning of the 20th century and development of book publishing. Artists of the magazine such as O.Schemrling, I.Rotter, A.Azimzade and K.Musayev actively worked in this sphere of arts. Azim Azimzade is a founder of satiric graphics of Azerbaijan. His sharp caricatures and grotesques scoffing at social inequality, ignorance, fanaticism and oppression by Tsarism are also famous. His series of watercalar paintings called “Hundred types” dedicated to freedom of women, atheism and political motifs and also illustrations to Mirza Alakbar Sabir’s “Hophopname” collection of works are famous.

Bahruz Kangarli is the first Azerbaijani artist who got incomplete professional education (1926), being one of the founders of realistic easel arts of Azerbaijan, created landscapes such as “Ilanly Mountain under the moonlight”, “Before the dawn” and “Spring”. He also created portraits of unfortunate people in “Refugees” series and everyday life compositions “Matchmaking” and “Wedding”. His album “Memory of Nakchivan” consistsing of twenty landscapes is saved in National Art Museum of Azerbaijan.

Kangarli drew outlines of costumes for “Deadmen” (J.Mammadguluzadeh), “Haji Gara” (M.F.Akhundov), “Peri Jaud” (A.Hagverdiyev) and other plays staged in Nakhchivan, in 1910.

20th century
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
Independence Museum of Azerbaijan, where national attributes of Azerbaijan – the state coat-of-arms and flag- were created, was founded in Baku, in 1919, after establishment of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Meetings dedicated to protection and restoration of historical monuments were held in the museum. At that time “Fuyuzat” magazine was issued by Ali bey Huseynzade, the eminent philosopher, journalist and artist of that time and founder of oil painting arts in Azerbaijan. “Bibi-Heybat Mosque” and “The portrait of Shaikh ul islam” are his famous works.

Soviet Azerbaijan
New type of arts was forming in Azerbaijan after establishment of the Soviet regime in Azerbaijan, in 1920. The first art school where new genres of visual arts were created, was opened in 1920, in Baku.

In the 1930s, artists such as Azim Azimzade, Farhad Khalilov, H.Khaligov, I.Akhundov, A.Hajiyev, M.A.Vlasov, K.Kazimzade, A.Mammadov and others worked in the sphere of graphics. Illustrations to books of Azerbaijani and foreign writers were made. Placards to actual themes of that time were also made.

In 1928, the first art exhibition of Azerbaijani Union of Young Artists was held. In the 1930s, exhibition of Azerbaijani Union of Revolutionary Visual Arts achieved a great success.

In 1932, the Committee of Azerbaijani Artists was created. In that period, works such as “Grape harvesting” by S.Sharifzade, “Azim Azimzade’s portrait” by H.Hagverdiyev and “Portrait of Nizami Ganjavi” by Gazanfar Khaligov, were famous. Works by Mikayil Abdullayev, B.Mirzazade, B.Aliyeva, Sattar Bahlulzade and K.Khanlarova should also be mentioned. The first congress of Azerbaijani artists was held in 1940.

Generally, political placards and satiric caricatures were made during World War II. Well-known artists as H.Khaligov, I.Akhundov, A.Hajiyev and S.Sharifzade were authors of such politic placards.

Maturity stage in Azerbaijani visual arts began in the mid 1950s. Mikayil Abdullayev, Tahir Salahov, Vidadi Narimanbekov, Sattar Bahlulzade, Togrul Narimanbekov, Geysar Kashiyeva and others were famous artists of the Soviet Azerbaijan, in the second half of the 20th century. Tahir Salahov credited for pioneering a version of “severe realism” more truthful to the grim realities of workers’ lives than the bright certainties of Socialist Realism.

B.Aliyev, I.Feyzullayev, A.Mammadov, A.Verdiyev and others portrayed subjects of labor and industry in their works. But the works of Elbey Rzaguliyev, T.Sadighzade, Arif Huseynov, K.Najafzade and others are dedicated to historic past, traditions and customs of Azerbaijani people, to war and peace. J.Mirjavadova, N.Rahmanova, K.Ahmadova, G.Yunusova, S.Veysova, A.Ibrahimova, I.Mammadova, S.Mirzazade, F.Hashimova, F.Gulamova, A.Samadova and others painted mythological images.

Maral Rahmanzade was the first Azerbaijani woman artist who got professional artistic education achieved a great success in the sphere of easel painting and book illustration.

21st century

Independent Azerbaijan
After Dissolution of the Soviet Union, organisations such as "YARAT" created to nurture an understanding of contemporary art in Azerbaijan and to creating a platform for Azerbaijani art, both nationally and internationally.

Maiden Tower International Art Festival has been organized since 2010 with the view of the global promotion of the Maiden Tower in Old City of Baku, included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2000 and considered the symbol of Baku. In 2012, Azerbaijan staged the 012 Baku Public Art Festival, country's first modern art festival.

As of the 2000s, Fine-art photography became popular in Azerbaijan, with names such as Rena Effendi hosting exhibitions in London and New York City.

Azerbaijani and Western Art museums of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Azim Azimzade's House Museum
Bahruz Kangarli's House Museum
Baku Museum of Miniature Books
Baku Museum of Modern Art
Gobustan National Park
National Art Museum of Azerbaijan
Nakhchivan Open-air Museum
Sattar Bahlulzade's House Museum

Source from Wikipedia

Armenian printing

After the invention of the mechanical printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany (circa 1439), Armenians from throughout the diaspora began to publish Armenian-language books. The first book which had Armenian letters was published in Mainz (Germany) in 1486. The first Armenian book to be published by the printing press was Urbatagirq—Book of Friday prayers—which was published by Hakob Meghapart in Venice in 1512.

The history of Armenian book printing is the history of the publication and mass distribution of texts in Armenian. The first text in Armenian was published in 1475 in Germany. The founder of Armenian book printing was Hakob Megapart, who published five books in Venice in 1512-1513. The Armenian language became the 18th language of the world, on which books were printed in the Gutenberg way.

In 1771 it became possible to organize printing on the territory of Armenia itself. Before January 1, 1800, more than 1154 titles of books were published in Armenian. Since the 1920s Armenia became the main center of Armenian book printing. At present, Armenian printing is developing both in Armenia itself and in the countries of residence of the Armenian diaspora. Book printing played an important role in preserving the Armenian cultural heritage.

Prehistory
In the thirteenth century, Anton the Armenian from Venice, along with Marco Polo, was a member of the expedition to China, as a result of which, according to some assumptions, the Europeans borrowed the xylographic printing technique. Nikolai Gavrilovich Spafari-Milesku, who visited China in 1676 together with the Russian embassy, wrote: "The guns of the lithium, and they walk around the sea mats, and so did the books they printed from the Chinese in Europe. Inasmuch as the Kalmyks and Tartars took China, and with them have come to China Oderik Father, and Anton Armenian and Marco Paul venetsyanin, and truly they are in Europe from China are brought artistry ". This is confirmed by a prominent Russian researcher of writing and book printingE. L. Nemirovsky.

In the 15th century and the next almost 250-year period, the development of book printing within the historical region of Armenia was virtually impossible - due to the lack of statehood, political instability, endless wars and related destruction, and also because of the lack of links with European cultural centers.

The first printed text in Armenian (the prayer " Our Father ", recruited in Latin) was published in the description of the travel of Johann Schiltberger, published in Mainz in 1475. The author has devoted several chapters to Armenia, in which he cites certain Armenian words (also Latin). The prayer "Our Father" in Armenian, according to Shildberger, was taught to him by the Karabakh Armenians in 1420 :

DAS ARMENISCH PATER NOSTER
Har myer ur erqink; es sur eytza annun chu; ka archawun chu; jegetzi kam chu [worpes] hyerginckch yer ergory; hatz meyr anhabas tur myes eisor; yep theug meys perdanatz hentz myengkch theugunch meyrokch perdapanatz; yep my theug myes y phurtzuthiun; haba prige myes y tzscharen. Amen

In 1486, Bernard von Braindenbach in the book "Journey to the Sacred Land" printed the Armenian text in a xylographic way. This text contains the Armenian alphabet, in which letters are also given in parallel.

Thus, the first printed texts in Armenian appeared in the era of the Incunabula.

XVI century. The first printer Acop Megapart
The first publisher of the book in Armenian was a certain priest named Hakob. To his name in the future was added the nickname "Megapart" ("sinful"), according to the memorandum left by him. The first book published by Megapart is called " Urbatagirk " (Book of Friday), it was printed in 1512 in Venice. It should be noted that by this time a centuries-old Armenian community existed in Italy. This date is considered to be the beginning of the history of Armenian book printing [Comm 1]. "Urbatagirk" is a medieval medical collection in which, along with other texts, the 41st chapter of the " Book of Mournful Chants "Grigor Narekatsi (10th century). In the following year, 1513, Megapart published four more books (in chronological order): Pataragatetr (canons of the Armenian Apostolic Church), Akhtark (collection of astrological treatises, articles on healing), Parsatumar (36 years and predictions), Tagaran (collection of works by prominent medieval Armenian authors, such as Nerses Shnorali (12th c.), Frik (13th c.), Mkrtich Nagash (XV c.), Hovhannes Tluranzi (16th c.) and others.). Memorable entry is only at the end of "Pataragatetra":

" These holy letters were written in the year 962 (1513 of the Nativity of Christ) in the God-protected city of Vienna, which is Venice, in Franconia, by the hand of the sinful Hakob. He who reads (them), let him ask of God the remission of my sins. "

At the end of the books published by Hakob, a cross-shaped sign with Latin letters DIZA was printed. Unambiguous decoding does not lend itself. The most recognized version of K. Basmajyan : Dei servus - slave of God, Iakobus - Hakob, Zanni - Cagni (yang), armenius - Armenian. The books are printed in black and red, well illustrated. According to the corresponding member of the RAS A. Sidorov, Megaparta's publications were brought to Moscow and used by the Russian pioneer Ivan Fyodorov.

Abgar Tohatetsi is considered the second Armenian book-printing company. He was a prominent figure in the Armenian liberation movement of the late 16th century. Being in Italy with a special political mission , he founded the printing business, having received the appropriate permission from Pope Pius IV. In 1565, at his own printing house in Venice, he prints a calendar and a " Psalter ". Later, Tokateci moved to Constantinople, where he published six more books in 1567-1569: "Small grammar or alphabet", "Tonatsuits" (calendar of church holidays), "Parzatumar" (calendar), "Pataragamatuyts-Ahotamatuits", "Songbook" and " Mashtots"(A collection of church rituals). In 1579 his son Sultanshah in Rome ordered new Armenian print fonts, which later became the most common in the Armenian printing (corpus). On their basis lay the font bolargir. Through the efforts of the Sultan Shah and Hovhannes Terznzi, who moved from Armenia to Rome (1584), the Gregorian Calendar (at the Dominici Basea printing house) is published, as well as church and religious texts. In Venice in 1587 he published a hymnal. The last of the well-known editions of the Armenian book printers of the 16th century is called "The Short Teaching of the Church Service," it was published in 1596.

Some European authors of the same period placed Armenian printed or xylographic texts in their books. For example, in the book "Linguarum" (lat.) Orientalist Guillaume Postel, published in 1538 in Paris published an Armenian xylographic text. Similar texts are also available in the following editions: Kondrat Gesner, "Mithridat" (Zurich, 1555), Blaise de Wijner "The Book of Writings" (Paris, 1586), Peter Getanii Palma, "Samples" (Paris, 1596). The Armenian texts are movable (Gutenberg) fonts in the book "Introduction" of the Italian orientalist Thezeia Ambrosius (1539) and in the books of the German Leonard Turnerzer (Berlin, 1583, Cologne, 1587). According to the existing data, during the first hundred years of the existence of Armenian printing, 32 titles of books were published, 19 of which are Armenian booksellers exclusively in Armenian.

XVII century. Voskanyanovskaya printing house
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Vatican began to show more interest in the peoples of the East, including Armenians, seeking to spread Catholicism among them. To this end, Pope Urban VIII in Rome establishes a special publishing house, where during the XVII century, was printed about 30 titles in the Armenian language, mostly of a religious nature, as well as dictionaries and other collections for the study of the missionaries of the Armenian language. Other printing houses in Europe were established in large Armenian colonies with the financial support of the Armenian commercial bourgeoisie.

Moved from Armenia to Lviv Hovhannes Karmatyants in 1616 creates a printing house  and within 1616-1618 prints "Psalms" and "Doctor".

In 1638 in the church of St. Amenaprakich (the Holy Savior) in the Isfahan Armenian region of New Julf Khachatur Kesaratsi (1590-1646) and several of his associates with their own forces (without a European specialist) design a printing plant and a paper mill. From 1639 to 1642 they publish the Psalms, The Life of the Fathers, The Hordautre (collection of the canons of the church service), and The Hours. Novoduzhulfin Armenian printing house was the first printing house in Iran. Their business is continued by Hovhannes Dzhugaetsi. The last in 1644, having published the "Psalter" in Livorno, moves his printing house to New Djulfa where in 1647 prints "Parzatumar" (calendar). He then undertakes the publication of the Bible, which, however, remains incomplete. With some interruptions, the New Julfa printing house operates to the present day.

However, the most important event in the history of Armenian book printing in the 17th century was the foundation of the Voskanyanovskaya printing house. Catholicos Hakob Dzhugaetsi with the intention of creating a permanent printing house for the Etchmiadzin cathedral sends the church notary Mateos Tsaretsi to Europe. He succeeds in the years 1658-1660 in Amsterdam to establish a printing house (St. Echmiadzin and St. Sarkis). In 1664 Voskan Erevantsi became the head of the printing house, one of the prominent representatives of the Armenian intelligentsia of that era. The printing house in 1669 from Amsterdam moved to Livorno, from there to Marseilles (having received special permission from the French court), where it operated until 1686, having published more than 40 titles of Armenian books. For the first time, the Armenian printing house has been operating for so long and its activity has become so fruitful. Voskanyanovskaya printing house published both religious and secular books: the Bible (1666-1668, the first edition), "The Gymnasium" (1665), "Psalter", " Mashtots " (collection of canons of church service), "Hours", and also "The book is alphabetical", "Grammar" (author Voskan Erevantsi), "Geography", fables Vardan Aygektsi (two editions, 1668 and 1683), "History" of Arakel Davrizhetsi(1669), etc. One of the most remarkable publications published here is "Mathematics" (1675) - the first printed book in the new Armenian language (Ashkharabar). In 1673 in Marseille for the first time taken the full edition of the "Book of Lamentations" Gregory of Narek, but the Catholic Church forbids the publication of the book. Here is published the work of the Armenian linguist-grammarian Hovhannes Olov "Short rhetorical art" (1674), from which a new stage of scientific study of the stylistics of the Armenian language actually begins. The publishing activity of Voskan Erevanzi had a fundamental significance in the history of Armenian book printing. For the first time the circulation of books grew from several hundred copies to several thousand. Circulations were sometimes surprisingly high and Armenian book printers, owning an exclusive church and trade network, successfully distributed their books. Books from this printing house were distinguished by their serviceability (texts), publishing culture. Voskan Yeravantsi practically became the founder of continuous Armenian book printing. His students in different cities create new print shops. Thus, Mateos Vanandeci, having moved to Amsterdam in 1685, develops publishing activity here. There are prominent cultural figures and scientists Tovmas Vanandetsi and Ghukas Vanandetsi. For the first time "History of Armenia" Movses Khorenatsi and "Universal Geography" (both in 1695th), several scientific works of Gukas Vanandetsi are printed. The printing house operated until 1717. In the same year in Venice, the abbey of the mkhitarists was founded.

In 1686 in Venice, the student of Voskan Erevanzi Tadez Amazaspian with the financial support of the trader Gaspar Sagradyan creates a printing house and in 1688 prints a large "Chashotz" (1222 pp., A collection of texts of church services from noon to evening). In 1687, with the financial support of Nahapet Gulnazar, the "Armenian House" of Venice published "Interpretation of the Psalter" - the second edition in the Armenian language. From 1677 to 1678, Kemurchyan published two books in his own printing house in Constantinople, and at the end of the 17th century Sarkis Evdokatsi, Grigor Marzvanetsi and Asatur Konstadnpospocetsi founded the printing press here. The latter two became the main characters of the Armenian printing of Constantinople in the first half of the 18th century. Hovhannes Olovbecomes the most published author in the 300-year (1512-1800) history of the Armenian ancient printed book. He during his lifetime published more than 15 titles of his own and translated works.

In this era in Venice, Armenian books were also printed by Italian and Greek book printers J. Bovis, J. Moretti, Michelangelo Barboni, Antoni Bortoli, Giovanni Basho, Stefano Orlando, Piero Valvazi, Demetriou Teodosiu et al..

XVIII century
Mkhitar Sebastatsi (1676-1749) and his students, settling in Venice, in Italian printing houses published Armenian books of both secular and religious content. Of these books are known "Grammar of the New Armenian Language" (1727) and "Dictionary of the Armenian Language" (vol. I, 1749) Sebastatsi, as well as several other publications. Here also came the Bible (1733) and the "History of Armenia" (1784-1786) by Mikael Chamchyan. By 1789 the Mekhitarists on the island of St. Lazar (Venice) establish their own printing house, which gave their activity a new impetus. Another branch of the Mekhitarists, settling in Trieste in 1775, creates another printing house. Before moving to Vienna, for 35 years, they published about 70 titles of books (of which 25 in Turkish for Turkish-speaking Armenians).

Beginning at the end of the 18th century, Armenian printing gradually moved from the West to the East, and its center became Constantinople, one of the main centers of the Armenian diaspora. This city is number one in the number of titles in Armenian, printed before 1800, with 350 titles. In second place is Venice with about 260 names. In this century, typographers Sarkis Dpir, Martiros Dpir, Chnchin Hovhannes, Stepanos Petrosyan were known in Constantinople and finally the chief printer at the Ottoman CourtPogos Arapyan (1742-1835), who for many decades was one of the leading book publishers of the Ottoman Empire. He organized a noble printing press in Tiflis (Tbilisi) and published books also in Georgian (1781-1783), contributed to the improvement of the Echmiadzin printing house. In Constantinople, the Arapians owned several large printing houses, in which about 150 Armenian high-quality publications appeared in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In all of Constantinople in the late XVIII century there were more than 20 Armenian printing houses, in which the works of historiographers Agatangelos, Favstos Buzand, Yeghishe, Stepanos Orbelian, philosophersDavid Anakhta, Grigor Tatevatsi, Simeon Dzhugaetsi, and others. There were also published alphabets, calendars, songbooks, grammatical works, textbooks, spiritual and religious books.

In the second half of the 18th century, Armenian printing appeared both on the territory of Armenia itself, and in Russia and India. In 1771, the Catholicos Simeon of Yerevan in Etchmiadzin founded the first printing house in the territory of historical Armenia. Here in 1772 the book "Spiritual Garden" (the first edition in the territory of Armenia) is published. Almost 260 years after its inception, Armenian book printing is based in the homeland. A paper mill is also being created in Etchmiadzin. Until the end of the century, about 13 titles of books were published in the Echmiadzin printing house.

At the same time, Armenian printing appears in India. In the city of Madras in 1772-1773, two books were published in the printing house of Shaamir Shaamirian, including his "The Trail of Ambition" - the constitution of the future independent Armenia. Both books are dedicated to the restoration of Armenian statehood. Further, Armenian book printing is developing more in Calcutta. In India, in the city of Madras, the first periodical in Armenian was published - the magazine " Azdarar " (1794-1796), edited by Harutyun Shmavonyan.

In 1781, the Novoguzhfiytsia printing press Grigor Khaladanyants published a textbook "Alphabet book". Until 1788 this printing house publishes about 15 titles of Armenian books, including the works of Nerses Shnorali, Egishe, as well as the Armenian-Russian dictionary (in the authorship of Khaldaryants). After the death of Khaldaryants, the printing house moved to Novy Nakhichevan (1790), from there to Astrakhan (1796). This printing house was the first in the south of Russia. Up to the end of the century about 50 titles of books are printed in three cities.

From 1512 to 1800, Armenian book printing existed in the following cities: Venice, Constantinople, Rome, Paris, Bavia, Zurich, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt (Maini), Lviv, New Julfa, Livorno, Amsterdam, Marseille, London, Leipzig, Padua, Parma, Haarlem, Nuremberg, Izmir, Echmiadzin, Madras, Trieste, Calcutta, St. Petersburg, New Nakhichevan, Astrakhan. During this time, more than 1,154 titles of books were published in Armenian

XIX century
The first half of the XIX century in the history of Armenian typography is characterized by the rivalry of the publications in the ancient Armenian and Armenian languages. So, if in the 17th century only 3 titles of books were printed in the Novoarmian, about 20 in the 18th century, then in the first half of the 19th century this figure increased to 320 titles, and at the end of the same century most of the books were published in the new Armenian language.

In 1801-1920 Armenian book printing continues to develop mainly outside the historical Armenia. An important role was played by the printing house of the Nersisyan Seminary (Tiflis), which operated from 1823 to 1860, publishing not only books, but also periodicals such as "Caucasus", "Bee of Armenia", which played a huge socio-cultural role. Here the novel "Wounds of Armenia" (1858) Khachatur Abovyan was published for the first time. In Tiflis Armenian book printing developed on the basis of the printing houses of G. Patkanyan, G. Melkumyan, G. Enfiatchian, G. Martirosyan and several others. In addition to books, they also published more than 170 titles of newspapers and other periodicals. In addition to Tiflis, publications in Armenian were also printed in other cities of the Russian Empire - in Moscow, Petersburg, Baku, Feodosia, Odessa, Kiev, etc.

In the XIX century, however, Constantinople with its 130 Armenian printing houses was the actual center of national book printing. Until 1920, more than 350 titles of Armenian periodicals were printed here. In the city of Izmir, besides hundreds of titles of books, about 50 titles of periodicals were printed. Armenian printing houses also operated in other cities of Turkey.

In 1801-1920 the Armenian printing house of the Mkhitarists was revived. In the St. The works of the Armenian chroniclers, Armenians G. Avetikyan, M.Aggerian, H.Surmelyan ("The New Dictionary of the Armenian Language", vol. I-II, 1836-1837) are published in Lazare. For more than 200 years, the Mkhitaryan printing house has operated almost continuously, and is the longest-running institution in the history of Armenian printing.

During this period, Armenian printing houses existed in Jerusalem, Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria), Syria (Aleppo, Damascus), Iran (New Julfa, Tehran, Tabriz), France (Paris, Marseilles, Montpellier), England (London, Manchester), Bulgaria (Varna, Ruschuk, Filipe, Sofia, etc.), Romania (Bucharest, Galati, etc.), Cyprus (Nicosia), Sweden (Stockholm), the USA (New York, Boston, Watertown, Fresno, Chicago, Detroit, etc.), Canada (Providence, Georgetown), Greece (Athens), Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne), Germany (Berlin, Marburg), Hungary (Budapest), etc.

Since the second half of the XIX century, a special role is being played by newly founded national publishing houses. So, for example, by 1880 in Tiflis (Tbilisi) "Tiflis organization of publishing Armenian books" was created, later "Transcaucasian Armenian publishing organization". At the same time, Armenian publishing houses "The Organization of Book Printers", "V. Zardaryan "," P. Palenz "," A. Ashchyan "(all in Constantinople). Similar national book-publishing organizations operated in Izmir (Turkey), Moscow, Baku.

In Armenia itself, the main center for printing remained Echmiadzin. In this era, Armenian typography also appears in other places: 1827 in Shusha, 1858 in Van, 1863 in Mush, 1876 in Alexandropol, 1890 in Novy Bayazet, in 1909 in Goris, as well as in Karine, Kharberd, Shatakh, Erznka, Kars, Akhalkalaki, Ashtarak. In Erivaniin 1875 Zakaria Gevorgyan (Hakobyan) founded the printing house. The first book printed in Erivan (the calendar) came out at the end of 1875. The second book, printed here, was a collection of poems by Emin Ter-Grigoryan "The Bird" (1876). This printing house also printed the first periodical in Erivani - the messenger "Psak" ("Crown"). Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, the printing presses "Culture", "Urartia", "Luys" ("Light"), etc. also operated in Erivan, etc.

According to the encyclopaedic dictionary Brockhaus and Efron during the one-year period of 1892-1893. In the Caucasus, 84 titles of books and articles were published in Armenian, 66 in Georgian and 2 in Azerbaijani languages.

The number of titles of Armenian printed books from 1801 to 1920 reached 15 thousand, the number of titles of periodicals - about 2 thousand.

XX century
Until 1920, more than 460 printing houses were functioning at different times in the world, printing books, magazines and newspapers in Armenian. After Sovietization of Armenia, Erivan became the center of Armenian printing, where in 1921 the State Publishing House was organized. It takes over the functions of editing and organizing printed publications. It publishes political, artistic, children's and scientific editions with comparatively large editions. Separated from the "Gospechat" publishing house "Luys" (Light), specialized mainly in the field of the publication of educational literature. In 1964, the publishing house "Armgospet" (Haypethrat) was renamed "Hayastan" (Armenia). By 1976, the latter separated the publishing house "Sovetakan grogh" (Soviet writer), which mainly published artistic and literary works. The Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR published monographs of scientific works and other scientific literature,Matenadaran. The Yerevan State University Publishing House has been publishing educational manuals, compilations and scientific monographs since 1922. Since that period, the National Library, the Gitelik (Knowledge) and several others have also been engaged in publishing. In the mid-1980s, there were 30 printing houses in the Armenian SSR. From 1920 to 1986, about 60,000 titles of books in Armenian were printed in Armenia. In the last years of Soviet power, about 750 titles of Armenian books were printed every year in Armenia, with an average circulation of about 10,000. During this period, books and periodicals in Armenian were also printed in other republics of the USSR.

Since 1920 (Sovietization of Armenia) until the 1980s, the main centers of Armenian printing in the diaspora were Istanbul, Cairo and Beirut (the latter is now its main center). At that time, about 21,000 titles of books were printed in the Armenian diaspora. The total number of titles of Armenian prints from 1512 to the end of 1980 exceeds 100 thousand.

Current state
After gaining independence, the beginning of the Karabakh war, as well as the economic blockade of Armenia in the 1990s, the number of books published in the country was sharply reduced. In 1991, 563 book titles were published, in 1992 - 311, in 1993 - 258, and in 1994 - only 224. After the end of hostilities, book publishing in Armenia was revived again. So, if in 1999 577 book titles were printed, then in 2004 - 1078, in 2005 - 1089, and in 2009 this mark reached 2,027 titles, which is almost 3 times more than annually published in the 1980s. At the same time, the circulation has decreased, mainly it ranges from 500 to 1,000 copies. With the formation of market relations in the country, new publishing houses were founded. Currently, there are about 140 publishing houses in Armenia. In 2000-2011, 17,000 book titles were printed in Armenia.

Fonts
The first Armenian printed fonts were created between 1509-1511 in Venice on the basis of the manuscript type bologorh of the XIII-XV centuries. Samples of these fonts have reached us with the books of the first printer Hakob Megaparta. In 1565, Abgar Tochatezi in Venice produced the fonts of 2 sizes, the varieties of which are still used. In 1636 in Nor-JugBy the efforts of Khachatur Dzhugaetsi, new fonts of 2 sizes were introduced. In 1662, at the request of Mateos Tsaretsi, for the printing house of Amsterdam he etched the fonts of the master of the printing house Elzevirov Van Dyck. These fonts are known as "Biblical letters". In the early 1770s, new vertical fonts were created in Madras, which in 1770 was collected and published a "New Book, Called Exhortation." In 1847, new vertical fonts appeared by Mukhtisyan. During the 1850s and 1890s, members of the Venetian Congregation of Mekhitarists Hofer and Aitynyan introduced a number of text and headline fonts. In the years 1855-1856, Aivazovskyand Aramyan, whose fonts are known as Aramyan. Later, the fonts of the Grotesque group were created. In 1939, a group of artists at the head of the artist-fontologist Tagirova in Moscow created a font called Haykakan Sovetakan (Armenian Soviet). Since the 1960s, the fonts "New Armenian", "Mnatsakanyan", "Nork", "Egenein larain", "Anragitaranain" (Encyclopaedic), "Dprocacan" (School), "Armenui" were introduced.

Source from Wikipedia

Religion in Armenia

As of 2011, most Armenians are Christians (94.8%) and members of Armenia's own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches. It was founded in the 1st century AD, and in 301 AD became the first branch of Christianity to become a state religion.

In the 21st century, the largest minority Christian churches in the country are composed of new converts to Protestant and non-trinitarian Christianity, a combined total up to 38,989 persons (1.3%). Due to the country's ethnic homogeneity, non-Christian religions such as Yazidism and Islam have few adherents.

Religious demography
The country has an area of 11,500 square miles (30,000 km2) and a population of 3 million. Approximately 98.1 percent of the population is ethnic Armenian. Armenians have a very strong cultural connection to the Armenian Apostolic Church. About 93% of citizens belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Eastern Christian denomination in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church has its spiritual center at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. The head of the church is Catholicos Karekin II.

According to the Census of 2011, the composition of people identifying with religions in Armenia is the following: Christianity 2,862,366 (94.8%), of whom 2,797,187 are Armenian Apostolic (92.5%); 29,280 Evangelical; 13,996 Armenian Rite and Latin Rite Catholic; 8,695 Jehovah's Witness; 7,587 Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Greek); 2,874 Molokan (non-Orthodox Russians); 1,733 Assyrian Church of the East (Nestorian); 733 Protestant; 241 Mormon; Yazidi (0.8%); Pagan (0.2%); 812 Muslim; 5,299 other religions (0.2%); 121,587 no response (4.0%).

Yazidis are concentrated primarily in agricultural areas around Mount Aragats, northwest of the capital Yerevan. They live in 19 villages in the Aragatsotn Province, two villages in the Armavir Province, and one village in the Ararat Province. Armenian Catholics live mainly in the northern region, in seven villages in the Shirak Province and six villages in the Lori Province. Most Jews, Mormons, Baha'is, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Western Catholic (Latin Rite) Christians reside in the capital Yerevan, which has attracted a greater variety of peoples. Yerevan also has a small community of Muslims, including ethnic Kurds, Iranians, and temporary residents from the Middle East. Molokans live in 10 villages in the Lori Province, two villages in the Shirak Province, and two villages in the Gegharkunik Province. Foreign missionary groups are active in the country.

Freedom of religion
The Constitution as amended in 2005 provides for freedom of religion and the right to practice, choose, or change religious belief. It recognizes "the exclusive mission of the Armenian Church as a national church in the spiritual life, development of the national culture, and preservation of the national identity of the people of Armenia." The law places some restrictions on the religious freedom of religious groups other than the Armenian Church. The Law on Freedom of Conscience establishes the separation of church and state but it grants the Armenian Church official status as the national church.

Traditional Armenian religions

Armenian Apostolic Church
According to tradition, Christianity was first introduced to this area by the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1st century AD. Armenia became the first country to establish Christianity as its state religion when, in an event traditionally dated to 301 AD, St. Gregory the Illuminator convinced Tiridates III, the king of Armenia, to convert to Christianity. Before this, the dominant religion was Armenian paganism, under the theological influence of Zoroastrianism.

Hetanism
Hetanism (Հեթանոսություն, Hetanosutyun) is a neo-ethnic religion movement in Armenia. Adherents call themselves "Hetans" (Hetanos հեթանոս, the Old Armenian biblical term loaned from Greek ἐθνικός "gentile"). The movement traces its origins back to the work of the early-20th-century political philosopher and revolutionary Garegin Nzhdeh and his doctrine of tseghakron (rejuvenation through national religion). In 1991, it was institutionalized by the armenologist Slak Kakosyan into the "Order of the Children of Ari" (Arordineri Ukht). The doctrine and mythology of the Hetan movement is codified into a book, the Ukhtagirk, written by Kakosyan himself. The movement is strongly associated to Armenian nationalism. It finds some support from nationalist political parties of Armenia, particularly the Republican Party of Armenia and the Union of Armenian Aryans. Ashot Navasardyan, the founder of the Republican Party, which is also the currently leading party of the country, was a Hetan himself, as many other members of the party are.

Due to the early Christianization of Armenia, very little is known about the historical pre-Christian religion of Armenia. Armenian Neopagans worship the gods of a reconstructed Armenian pantheon: Haik, Aray, Barsamin, Aralez, Anahit, Mihr, Astghik, Nuneh, Tir, Tsovinar, Amanor, Spandaramet, Gissaneh, with a particular emphasis on the cult of the solar god Vahagn. They have re-consecrated the Temple of Garni (a Hellenistic-style temple rebuilt in 1975), originally a temple to Mihr, to Vahagn, and they use it for regular worship and as a center of activity.

Hetanism is a growing ethnic religious ("pagan", often defined "neopagan") movement. One survey suggest that indigenous Armenian religion is widespread and accepted by the population to the same degree as Christianity is. This may be due to the fact that there is no conflict between the Arordineri Ukht (the major Hetan organization) and the Armenian Apostolic Church; they coordinate their efforts in preserving Armenian cultural identity and in fighting foreign forces. The Arordineri Ukht is even supported by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, which in turn bases its ideology on tseghakron (native religion) and on the Hetan sacred book Ukhtagirk. "Fire and sword" rituals of the Hetan tradition are often organized on the site of Apostolic churches and patronized by Apostolic priests.

Other religions

Other Christianities

Eastern Orthodoxy
According to the Census of 2011, there are 8,587 adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy in Armenia, mainly Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians and Greeks. Russian Orthodox community is centered around Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God in Yerevan, consecrated in 1912.

Protestantism
Since the end of the Soviet Union, American Protestant missionaries have been proselytising in the country. The 2011 census counted 29,280 Evangelicals (1% of the population) and 773 mainline Protestants.

Restorationism
The Jehovah's Witnesses have estimated their membership at 11,500; the 2011 census found 8,695. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims approximately 3,000 adherents in Armenia at the end of 2011; the 2011 census found 241.

Catholic Church
The Catholic Church in Armenia is divided between Latin Rite parishes and Armenian Catholic Church's parishes. The 2011 census counted 13,996 Catholics.

Baháí Faith
The Bahá'í Faith in Armenia begins with some involvements in the banishments and execution of the Báb, the Founder of the Bábí Faith, viewed by Bahá'ís as a precursor religion. The same year of the execution of the Báb the religion was introduced into Armenia. During the period of Soviet policy of religious oppression, the Bahá'ís in Armenia lost contact with the Bahá'ís elsewhere. However, in 1963 communities were identified in Yerevan and Artez. Following Perestroika the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies of Armenia form in 1991 and Armenian Bahá'ís elected their first National Spiritual Assembly in 1995. As of 2004 the Bahá'ís claim about 200 members in Armenia but as of 2001 Operation World[unreliable source] estimated about 1,400.

Islam
Azeris and Kurds living in Armenia traditionally practiced Islam, but most Azeris have fled the country due to the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Approximately 1,000 Muslims live in Yerevan, and one 18th century Mosque remains open for Friday prayers. In 2009, the Pew Research Center estimated that less than 0.1% of the population, or about 1,000 people, were Muslims.

Armenians did not convert to Islam in large numbers. During the Arabic conquest, Islam came to the Armenians; however, very few Armenians converted to Islam, since Christians were not required to convert by Muslim law, and the absence of heavy taxation also hindered this. There is, however, a minority of ethnic Armenian Muslims, known as Hamshenis. But the vast majority live outside of Armenia mostly in Turkey and Russia. The story was similar in the Ottoman Empire.

During 1988–1991 the overwhelming majority of Muslim people consisting of Azeris and Muslim Kurds fled the country as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh War and the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is also a significant community of Yazidi Kurds (50–70,000 people), who were not affected by this conflict. Since the early 1990s, Armenia has also attracted diverse esoteric and sectarian groups.

Judaism
Currently there are an estimated 750 Jews in the country, a remnant of a once larger community. Most left Armenia for Israel after the collapse of the Soviet Union because of inadequate services. Still, despite the small numbers, a high intermarriage rate and relative isolation, a lot of enthusiasm exists to help the community meet its needs.

Yazidism
About 1% of Armenia's population (23,374 as per the 2011 census), mostly ethnic Yazidis an ethno-religious group living in the western part of the country, follow Yazidism, one of the Yazdan religions. Many Yazidis came to Armenia and Georgia during the 19th and early 20th centuries to escape religious persecution. Relations between Yazidis and Armenians are strong. The world's largest Yazidi temple is under construction in the small village of Aknalish.

Official statistics

Religious composition of the Armenian population according to the 2011 census

Nationality	Population total	Having a religion	The Armenian Apostolic	Evangelical	Sharfada	Catholic	Jehovah witnesses	Orthodox	Pagans	Molokane	others (including Muslims, Judaists)	Have no religion	Refused to answer	Not specified religion
Armenia (total)	3 018 854	2 897 267	2 796 519	29,280	25 204	13 843	8,695	7,532	5,434	2,872	7,888	34 373	10 941	76 273
Armenians	2 961 801	2 843 545	2 784 553	28,454	0	13 247	8,581	3 413	734	0	4,563	33 254	10,086	74,916
Yezidi	35 308	33,772	3 597	532	24 518	0	40	0	3 624	0	1 461	413	547	576
Russian	11,911	11,078	4,899	150	0	336	37	2 798	0	2,755	103	325	132	376
Assyrians	2 769	2,556	935	47	0	eleven	14	601	2	0	946	162	20	31
Kurds	2 162	2 098	180	42	682	0	2	0	1 068	0	124	29	18	17th
Ukrainians	1 176	1 121	674	10	0	44	8	360	0	19	6th	34	8	13
Greeks	900	838	692	6th	0	24	2	109	0	0	5	41	9	12
Georgians	617	401	253	10	0	23	4	93	0	0	18	17th	16	183
Persians	476	401	27th	0	3	12	0	1	0	0	358	17th	36	22
others	1 634	1 393	661	29	1	143	6th	150	6th	98	299	64	51	126
refused to answer the question of nationality	100	64	48	0	0	3	1	7th	0	0	5	17th	18	1

Source from Wikipedia

Chess in Armenia

Chess has been played in Armenia since the early Middle Ages; however, it was institutionalized during the early Soviet period. Highly popular in Armenia today, chess gained widespread recognition during the 1960s, when Soviet Armenian grandmaster Tigran Petrosian became the World Chess Champion. A country of about three million people, Armenia is considered one of the strongest chess nations today. Among countries, Armenia has one of the most chess grandmasters per capita.

Since the country's independence, the Armenian men's chess team has won the European Team Championship (1999), the World Team Championship (2011) and the Chess Olympiad (2006, 2008, 2012). The women's team had its crowning victory at the 2003 European Championship. As of February 2016, Armenia ranks seventh in the world by the average rating of its top players. Levon Aronian, Armenia's best chess player, has placed as high as world No. 2 in the FIDE rankings, and was a World Champion candidate several times.

Since the 2011–12 school year, chess lessons have been made part of the curriculum in every public school in Armenia, making it the first country in the world to make chess mandatory in schools.

Name
Until the early 20th century, chess was known in Armenian as čatrak (ճատրակ), from Middle Persian chatrang. Today, that term—pronounced jadrag—is only used in Western Armenian, which is spoken in the Armenian diaspora. In modern Eastern Armenian, which is the variation of Armenian used in the Republic of Armenia, chess is known as šaxmat շախմատ [ʃɑχmɑt]. It is derived from Russian šáxmaty (шахматы), itself a derivative from Persian šâh mât (شاه مات), literally meaning "the king is at a loss."

History

Early history
In Shatrang: The Book of Chess (1936), orientalists Joseph Orbeli and Kamilla Trever suggest that chess was known in Armenia since at least the 9th century, when Armenia was under Arab rule. According to them, the game was brought to Armenia by the Arabs from India, where the game is believed to have been originated in the 6th century as Chaturanga. In 1967, chess figures were found in the citadel of Dvin, the medieval Armenian capital. Chess is mentioned in manuscripts from the 12th–13th centuries, kept in the Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan, including a 13th-century manuscript by Vardan Areveltsi. Until the mid-20th century villagers in Shenavan near Aparan used homemade chess figures similar to medieval ones.

Soviet period
Chess in Armenia was institutionalized after the establishment of Soviet rule in 1920. In 1926–27, by the initiative of chemist Simon Hovyan (1869–1942), sections about chess started appearing in many Armenian newspapers. Hovyan contributed to the popularization of chess in Armenia by giving lectures about it. He translated books by Emanuel Lasker, Ilya Maizelis (ru), and Yakov Rokhlin (ru) into Armenian.

The first chess competitions were held in 1927, when the Armenian Chess Federation was founded. Until 1934 chess players from Armenia competed in the Transcaucasian championship. In 1934 the first Armenian Chess Championship was held in Yerevan. Genrikh Kasparyan became its winner. In later years Kasparyan won the championship nine times and became the most-titled Armenian chess player with ten national championship wins. The women's championship was also held the same year, Sirush Makints and Margarita Mirza-Avagian shared the champion title. The first Armenian chess club was founded in 1936. Chess clubs were also founded in Leninakan (now Gyumri) and Kirovakan (now Vanadzor) in the 1950s.

Chess became particularly popular with the unprecedented success of Tigran Petrosian in the 1960s. Born in Tiflis, the current capital of Armenia's neighbor Georgia, he started his ascent in Armenia with a 1946 victory at the national championship. He then won the Soviet champion title four times (1959, 1961, 1969, 1975). In 1963 Petrosian became the World Chess Champion, defeating Mikhail Botvinnik, another Soviet representative. Petrosian's victory not only popularized the game of chess, but also "led to an outpouring of patriotic fervour" in the smallest Soviet republic. "From that moment on, chess became a national obsession." Many couples named their sons Tigran, after Petrosian. Besides being World Champion for six years (1963 to 1969), Petrosian won the Chess Olympiad nine times with the Soviet team (1958 to 1974).

In 1962, there were 30,000 chess players in Soviet Armenia, as well as 3,000 instructors and judges. By 1986 the number of chess players had increased to 50,000, including three grandmasters: Rafael Vaganian, Smbat Lputian, and Arshak Petrosian. In the late Soviet period, Rafael Vaganian (1989) and Artashes Minasian (1991) became Soviet Champions. Vaganian also won the Olympiad with the Soviet team twice in 1984 and 1986.

In 1985, Garry Kasparov, born in Baku, Soviet Azerbaijan to an Armenian mother and Russian Jewish father, became World Champion. Although he never represented Armenia and is only half-Armenian, some sources preferred to call him Armenian, partly because his last name is the Russified form of his mother's Armenian last name Kasparyan.

Independent Armenia
Armenia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, Armenian chess players have had the opportunity to represent the Republic of Armenia. Three major chess tournaments have taken place in independent Armenia: the 32nd Chess Olympiad was held at the Sports & Music Complex in Yerevan in 1996; the 2001 World Team Chess Championship and the 2014 European Individual Chess Championship were held at the Yerevan Opera Theater.

Armenia earned its first medal at the 1992 Chess Olympiad, finishing third. Armenia won bronze medals at the 2002 and 2004 Olympiads as well. The Armenian team made a breakthrough with the sensational victory at the 2006 Chess Olympiad. They also won the 2008 and 2012 Chess Olympiads. Their record at the World Team Championships has been similarly outstanding, finishing third in 1997, 2001, and 2005, and winning in 2011. At the European championships the team performed somewhat more poorly, placing third in 1997, first in 1999, and second in 2007.

Teaching of chess in schools
In 2011, the Ministry of Education of Armenia made chess part of the primary school curriculum along with such standards as math and history for children over the age of 6. Chess is compulsory for second, third and fourth graders. Over $1.5 million was spent on the program. The inclusion of chess in schools was generally received positively by the public, but some parents claimed that their children's school program was already complicated and overloaded. Grandmaster Smbat Lputian argues that "bringing chess into schools is the best way to build the future."

The decision was widely reported in the international media. Journalists, chess experts and officials in various countries praised the program and advised its adoption in their respective countries. During his visit to Armenia in 2014 Magnus Carlsen stated: "I think Armenia's experience of teaching chess in schools is a great example for the whole world."

Institutions
The national governing body for chess, the Armenian Chess Federation, was founded in 1927. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was elected its president in 2004 (when he was Defence Minister) and was reelected in 2011. Sargsyan "is known for enthusiastically supporting Armenian chess players." On one occasion, Sargsyan stated that "We don't want people to know Armenia just for the earthquake and the genocide. We would rather it was famous for its chess." The Armenian government provides grandmasters with salaries and perks.

The Chess Academy of Armenia (Հայաստանի շախմատի ակադեմիա), "one of the leading chess-teaching institutions in the country", was "founded in 2002 in Yerevan by the initiative of grandmaster Smbat Lputian, supported by the Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan". The academy has organized international and national chess tournaments.

National championship
The first Armenian championship occurred in 1934 when it was part of the Transcaucasian SFSR. Championships were held sporadically in the Armenian SSR until 1945, when they became an annual event; this practice has been continued in independent Armenia. Genrikh Kasparyan has won it the most times (10 times), followed by Ashot Anastasian (8 times), Levon Grigorian (6 times) and Artashes Minasian (6 times).

The first woman's championship also took place in 1934, but was not held again till 1939. Some of the most notable women champions include Elina Danielian (6 times), Lilit Mkrtchian (4 times) and Siranush Andriasian (3 times).

Media
In 1972, the magazine Chess in Armenia (Շախմատային Հայաստան Shakhmatayin Hayastan) was founded by Gaguik Oganessian. It was published monthly until 1997, when it became a weekly magazine. In 1972, the TV show Chess-64 (originally named Chess School) started to be aired by the Public Television of Armenia. Hosted by Gaguik Oganessian, it is the "longest lived program series" in the channel's history. Another more recently created show, Chess World, is aired after the First News.

Individual statistics
FIDE, the World Chess Federation, lists 24 active Armenian grandmasters, 4 woman grandmasters, 17 international masters and 4 woman international masters.

Men
The Top 10 Armenian grandmasters as of October 2017 are listed below.

#	Player	Birth year	GM Title	Rating	World rank
1	Levon Aronian	1982	2000	2801	2
2	Sergei Movsesian	1978	1997	2671	76
3	Vladimir Akopian	1971	1991	2667	77
4	Gabriel Sargissian	1983	2002	2657	92
5	Hrant Melkumyan	1989	2008	2642	121
6	Tigran L. Petrosian	1984	2004	2601	225
7	Robert Hovhannisyan	1991	2010	2595	242
8	Arman Pashikian	1987	2007	2594	246
9	Karen H. Grigoryan	1995	2013	2586	278
10	Zaven Andriasian	1989	2006	2585	283

Levon Aronian is currently No. 2 in the FIDE World Rankings. He won the Chess World Cup in 2005 and 2017.

Women
The Top 10 women Armenian chess players are listed below as of October 2017.

#	Player	Birth year	Title	Rating	World rank
1	Elina Danielian	1978	GM	2415	48
2	Lilit Mkrtchian	1982	IM	2390	67
3	Lilit Galojan	1983	IM	2291	213
4	Siranush Andriasian	1986	WIM	2281	232
5	Maria Gevorgyan	1994	WIM	2262	271
6	Maria Kursova	1986	WGM	2259	280
7	Siranush Ghukasyan	1998	WIM	2207	419
8	Sona Asatryan	1999	WIM	2171	530
9	Armine Babayan	1990	-	2166	547
10	Anna M. Sargsyan	2001	-	2160	571

Source from Wikipedia