The goal of this article is to approach the Armenian epic poetry and above all the phenomenon of local troubadour lyrics as such, in the light of traditions of neighbouring nations and also in a European context. I have tried to show that Armenia (and the Caucasus region as whole) is far from being a region deserving only the marginal interest of researchers. To the contrary, its relative isolation on the one hand and the constant blending of cultures and the emergence of syncretic traditions on the other hand make the Caucasus a fountainhead of topics not only for ethnologists and folklorists. Armenian lyric poetry can be shown to have developed under the strong influence of Persian as well as Arabic poetry, but Armenian folk art tended to také its inspiration also from local traditions, and through the quasi authorship of hayrens it then became the inspiration for the higher art form of poetry. Through popular music, Armenian troubadour lyric poetry has remained alive and is still popular with the public.
Armenak Antinyan, Vardan Baghdasaryan, Aleksandr Grigoryan., Částečně tištěno napříč, Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy, and České a anglické resumé
Transnationalism and diaspora are concepts that are often intertwined but nonetheless differ. This article examines the link between transnationalism and integration processes among return migrants from the Armenian diaspora and examines the role social networks play in integration in Armenia. Returnees to Armenia can be divided into those who have returned from the Armenian diaspora (second and subsequent generations of migrants) and those who emigrated from Armenia and decided to return. This is reflected in the literature as a distinction between the 'old' and the 'new' Armenian diaspora, the latter having emerged in the 1990s. Before returning, both groups maintained ties with people in Armenia and may differ only by the extent and frequency of use of these ties. These ties can then accompany them when they return to Armenia and help them to (re-)integrate. The integration of returnees has its own specifics, compared to the integration of migrants, and may not be as simple as it might seem. This article focuses on the transnational ties of 23 migrants of Armenian descent who returned to Armenia after a long time abroad and draws on original research on return migration in Armenia conducted in 2016 and 2018. Semi-structured interviews with returnees revealed that their participation in the labour market is instrumental to their integration into mainstream society, and their work may involve transnational activities. The article shows the different opportunities that weak and strong ties provide returnees and that may facilitate their integration. Weak ties on a local level are crucial for returnees to be able to reintegrate and fully participate in life in Armenia. The article aims to understand the return strategy as one of the migration options that may or may not be permanent. A return may be followed by re-migration, under certain conditions and if obstacles to sustainable reintegration, and the article also explores the motivations for re-migration.
The article deals with the notion of exile and its significance in the Armenian historical and literary discourse. The exile represents in the Armenian context one of the cornerstones of Armenian ethnicity construction and it could be said without exaggeration, that Armenian history (both medieval and modern) is pervaded by this dominant or more precisely "key" theme. The exile symbolizes primarily the concept of uprootedness (exile from the country as well as the alienation from the society), which is conceived in close connection with the search for identity itself. In other words, the exile can be considered as a kind of "rite de passage" - the position on the border or "threshold" between two cultures, languages and worlds.