The Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center cordially invites you to a public lecture by Dr. Nareg Seferian, entitled “”The Backbone of the Country” and “A Wedge Driven into the Turkic World”: Historical and Geographical Imaginations in Siunik after the Second Karabakh War.” The lecture will take place on Wednesday, April 3rd at 7:00pm in Guild Hall at the Diocesan Center.

Abstract: The Second Karabakh War of 2020 had far-reaching repurcusions in the South Caucasus. The province of Siunik (Syunik) in southern Armenia turned into a particularly sensitive area as a result. Almost overnight, the inhabitants of the province unexpecedly found themselves facing new borders with Azerbaijan. Spaces that had never been frontiers suddenly had to accommodate armed forces flying three flags while dealing with blocked transportation networks and disrupted economic activity. Those substantial material security challenges found their reflections in ideological discourses and narratives as well.

How do the Armenians of Siunik perceive their new geography? Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the province in the autumn of 2021, this talk presents local perceptions on the changing dynamics of Siunik and Armenia as they navigate through the trauma and shock of the Second Karabakh War, and the developments since.

Nareg Seferian received his PhD from the School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech, in 2023. He served on the faculty of the American University of Armenia from 2013 to 2016 and also taught at Virginia Tech during and after his doctoral studies from 2019 to 2023. His published writings are available at naregseferian.com.