The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA – The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA and the Fowler Museum at UCLA hosted a full-day conference on February 8, 2025 titled “Armenian Cultural Heritage: Past, Present, and Future,” gathering scholars, researchers, and leaders in the field to delve into the rich Armenian cultural heritage of the South Caucasus and present-day Eastern Turkey.

The symposium featured discussions on the current state of various Armenian cultural heritage sites, ongoing preservation efforts, and initiatives aimed at monitoring, documenting, and protecting them amidst a complex, ever-changing geopolitical environment, in addition to offering important insights on the future of cultural heritage studies more broadly. 

“As the global Armenian community continues to face destruction and loss of its heritage and culturally significant sites, from Turkey and Artsakh to Syria and Lebanon, it is absolutely crucial for us to continue to support and to have these conversations regarding documentation, monitoring and safeguarding this precious cultural heritage,” stated Professor Ann Karagozian, director of the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute in her opening remarks. In her remarks, Amy Landau, director of education and interpretation at the UCLA Fowler Museum, noted her gratitude on behalf of the Fowler for allowing the museum to “bear witness to the enduring legacy of the Armenian people.” 

Keynote speaker Lori Khatchadourian, associate professor of archaeology at Cornell University and co-founder and co-director of Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) research program, kicked off the event with a discussion on the practice of heritage forensics as it relates to CHW’s use of satellite technology to document, detect, and potentially deter attacks on Armenian cultural remains in Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh,  sites that now fall under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan following the wars in 2020 and 2023, respectively. The forced displacement of Armenian heritage keepers figures prominently in the risks to such sites.

Later in the conference, Yeghishe Kirakosyan, head of the Office of The Representative on International Legal Matters for the Republic of Armenia, joined the symposium virtually to offer a perspective on the legal aspects of heritage protection, particularly around state responsibility before the International Court of Justice. In this second keynote address of the day, Dr. Kirakosyan highlighted the urgency for legal intervention due to the existence of potentially irreplaceable harm to these aforementioned sites and broader implications.

Through four conference sessions involving presentations, Q&A, and even a roundtable discussion, the audience heard a host of diverse and deep perspectives on matters such as cultural heritage protection in the context of conflict, the roles of and challenges facing museums during times of armed conflict, the role of international heritage organizations, and preservation of intangible heritage in forced displacement, among other topics. 

Accomplished musician Antranig Kzirian, the UCLA Armenian Music Program’s Mentor for the Oud, took the stage during the conference to deliver a captivating oud performance showcasing the beauty and depth of Armenian musical heritage. The enchanting sounds of the oud brought a new dimension of intangible cultural heritage to the symposium, enriching the academic discussions with a truly unforgettable experience. 

Concluding the day’s events was actor, writer, and producer Sona Tatoyan, who introduced her storytelling piece entitled AZAD (the rabbit and the wolf), incorporating traditional puppetry and shadow play known as Karagöz, as well as other unique theatrical elements.

Over 200 people were in attendance at the conference, including UCLA students, faculty and staff, in addition to members of the larger Southern California Armenian-American community.

For more information about Armenian Cultural Heritage: Past, Present, and Future or to learn about future events, please visit the Promise Armenian Institute website. The entire February 8 event is also available for viewing on the Institute's YouTube Channel.

This Symposium was co-sponsored by the Armenian Studies Research and Outreach Program within the Promise Armenian Institute, the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, the UCLA Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History, the UCLA Narekatsi Chair in Armenian Studies, the UCLA Promise Chair in Armenian Music, Arts, and Culture, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law, the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), the Ararat-Eskijian Museum, and the UCLA Armenian Students' Association.