2 days ago
June on View
A high-stakes clash involving PM Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian Church and oligarch Samvel Karapetyan has triggered political, religious and geopolitical tensions, with Pashinyan calling for the nationalization of Armenia's power grid amid charges of foreign interference and subversion. Read more
As Armenia focuses on defense reforms aimed at deterrence, Azerbaijan intensifies its military build-up and superiority despite ongoing peace talks. Sossi Tatikyan analyzes diverging strategies, spending and alliances, highlighting how the military imbalance threatens regional stability and undermines prospects for lasting peace. Read more
As Armenia reorients its foreign policy away from Russia, it is deepening ties not only with the West, but also with non-Western partners. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explores Armenia's evolving engagement with Central Asian states as part of that strategy. Read more
In light of the Iran–Israel conflict, Raffy Ardhaldjian argues that civil defense is a core function of sovereignty and a tool of statecraft—less about technical fixes, more about political will. Armenian political thought, he stresses, begins with readiness, not rhetoric. Read more
Exploring the Armenian-Argentine experience, Tigran Yegavian asks whether a diaspora can sustain Armenianness without a homeland, reflecting on identity, disconnection, and the enduring spirit that binds a dispersed people across generations and continents. Read more
Armenia's electric vehicle market is booming, driven by import incentives and global trends. But as EV adoption accelerates, the country faces a looming challenge: how to safely recycle lithium-ion batteries in a system unprepared for hazardous waste disposal. Read more
Facing limited childcare options and short parental leave, many Armenian mothers are forced to choose between career and caregiving. Hranoush Dermoyan explores the systemic failures behind Armenia's childcare crisis, and what it means for women, families and economic growth. Read more
Armenia's tech sector is scaling rapidly, contributing around 7% of GDP and drawing global attention. Davit Manukyan highlights key trends from the 2025 Tech Market Insights report that reveals a complex ecosystem filled with both success stories and challenges.
A critical reflection on Armenia's national pavilions at the 2025 Triennale Milano and Venice Biennale of Architecture, Maria Gunko explores how they navigate themes of heritage, technology and everyday architecture, offering contrasting visions of authenticity, identity and the politics of representation. Read more
Reflecting on her own struggle with imposter syndrome, Sheila Paylan unpacks the weight of inherited trauma and the seduction of Armenian exceptionalism. Through the lens of identity and confidence, she calls for both an individual and collective shift—from needing to be seen as exceptional to doing the work of becoming truly excellent. Read more
Azerbaijani activist Bahruz Samadov was imprisoned for his pro-peace stance. In this open letter, Sheila Paylan highlights the brutal cost of dissent under Azerbaijan's authoritarian regime and the moral failure of silence in the face of repression. Read more
Judith Simonian's solo show at JJ Murphy Gallery in New York unveils vivid, layered canvases where absence, abstraction and narrative tension converge. Her psychologically rich, formally inventive works transform everyday scenes into uncanny meditations on memory, perception and the human subconscious. Read more
World Bank senior economist Julie Rosenberg discusses Armenia's path to green growth, focusing on reducing natural gas dependency, expanding solar energy, addressing water management challenges, and implementing key policy and financing reforms outlined in the Country Climate and Development Report.
The June issue of SALT explores how tradition and reinvention meet across culture, style and taste. We look at the comeback of film photography, feature a visual story of open-air ballet, visit a restaurant blending Jewish and Korean cuisines, and talk to Syrian- and Lebanese-Armenian hairdressers. Plus, an essay capturing the energy of Yerevan Wine Days.
