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Country of Dust
A lot has been happening in Armenia: war, immigration, shifting alliances, a rising economy, and so much more. Country of Dust tells the stories of the people who are living through this important, in-between moment in Armenia’s history. We capture the odd, inspiring and perplexing ways in which Armenia keeps going, despite the odds.
Episodes
To Swim Against the Current: Armenia's 2026 Parliamentary Election
June 7th is Armenia’s parliamentary election. This episode is a temperature check – a snapshot of the mood in 2026. You’ll hear a mosaic of voices from inside Armenia – people sharing their anxieties and hopes for the country as they prepare to head to the polls. After losing Artsakh, are Armenians ready to normalize relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey? Can we maintain ties with Russia while als
The Last Tonir
For our last episode of this season, we visit Vahandukht Melkonyan, the last resident of Kharkov – a village in the buffer zone between Armenia and Turkey. At 88, she lives alone here and spends her days tending to her animals. This border carries the weight of millennia of history – empires have come crashing against it. But in Vahandukht’s yard, that all feels like scratches on ancient stones.Su
Rising Like a Phoenix
Walk into the right basement on a Friday night, and you’ll see something that doesn’t happen anywhere else in Armenia - a drag show. Gigi Aries is a drag queen, and she and her friends have been busy. A few years ago, you couldn’t see drag anywhere, but now there are monthly shows with lines around the block. There’s still a huge divide between what you can do at these underground events, and what
When Home Stops Being Safe
We first did an episode with Gayane Milonyan in 2023 - the day after she and her family were forced to flee Artsakh. But we wanted to talk with her again, to better understand her life in Artsakh and what she’s lived through since. Gayane sees a connection between struggles in her personal life, and those faced by her homeland: “Sometimes we think we love something, but it brings us only pain.”If
I Know How to Treat My Country
Growing up, Nane Harutyunyan would never have touched a rifle. But after Armenia was defeated in the 2020 war, she felt like she had to be prepared to defend her country.Support the show
Homecoming
Hasmik Varderesyan was born in Armenia, but moved to Turkey when she was two years old. Now she’s a teenager, she's moving back, and she's on TikTok. But is Armenia ready to welcome her home?Click here to check out Hasmik's Instagram. Support the show
The Underground School
Underneath an Armenian church in Istanbul, there’s a school that isn’t like any other. It’s a little slice of home for a group of migrant families from Armenia – a minority within a minority.Click here for more information about Hrant Dink SchoolSupport the show
Daughter of the Crying Man
This episode has a special companion video. An unexpected VHS in a Toronto basement leads to finding a branch of the family that has been lost for 60 years, and uncovering the last Armenian village still surviving in Turkey. A multi-generational story told by producer Nyree Abrahamian. Support the show
Bonus Episode: Something to do With Armenia
Our podcast tells the stories of how Armenia is changing, but in this episode, we sat down to talk about how Armenia has changed each of us.Plus we have an announcement: We just launched a crowdfunding campaign for our second season! If you've enjoyed listening to our podcast so far, we'd really appreciate your support to keep making it happen. You can donate here: igg.me/at/countryofdus
Special Episode: My Land Feels so Sweet, but it’s Thirsty for Blood
Gayane Milonyan, a mother of two, has just been forced to flee her home in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), along with over 100,000 people – the entire indigenous Armenian population left in the region after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. We spoke to Gayane a day after her arrival in Armenia about what she lost, what she survived, and how she survived it. Photo by Nanna Heitmann.Content warning: this e
These Bottles Have a Story
Wine has been part of Armenia’s story since the beginning, and it can be a bridge from its ancient history, to the Soviet era, to today. In our final episode of the season, we talk to Mariam Saghatelyan, co-owner of In Vino wine bar, about the resurgence of wine culture in Armenia. And we delve into the unexpected ways that uncorking a bottle of wine can connect you to the pulse of the country. Su
Barev Dzez, Barev Dzez
After the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, Armenia woke up with thousands of Russians moving here – escaping the draft, political crackdowns and economic uncertainty. Many of them were young creatives, a few dozen of whom ended up staying at an old Soviet factory in a small town in northern Armenia. We spoke to Arseniy Zykhowski and Lisa Khoreva, two artists living there, about their journey to Arm
I’m Just a Designer
Ara Aslanyan designed one of the most iconic symbols of Armenia’s 2018 revolution - the dukhov hat. But he says he never cared about the movement, that he only wanted to make a successful design. When we spoke in 2022 he said, “I’m really out of politics. But if you need some services, as a professional, I'm there.” How did someone so apolitical end up creating the emblem of a revolution?Supp
I Want to Believe
Mane Gevorgyan was Nikol Pashinyan’s press secretary during the most turbulent period of his premiership. She entered as part of a rockstar government, but after the war, she had to deal with all the frustration and anger directed at the administration. Mane’s story offers a glimpse into the complexities of post-war Armenia.Support the show
We Shall Prevail
The nation’s hopes rose with the 2018 Velvet Revolution, then came crashing down during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. Ruben Malayan is a calligrapher who not only lived through these ups and downs but, through his art, helped shape them. Support the show
We Don’t Talk About the Future
Ashot Gabrielyan moved to an isolated village in Artsakh to work as a teacher after the 2020 war. He has loved living there, but repeated aggressions from Azerbaijan have made everyday life in Artsakh more and more difficult. How can he plan for his future, when so much is uncertain?Support the show
Serving With a Rifle, and Then With a Pen (Part 2)
In this episode, we delve deeper into Nikolay Stepanyan's personal journey during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, and hear his remarkable story of survival. If you missed part 1 of Kolya’s story, go back and listen to the first episode before listening to this one. Photo by Astrig AgopianSupport the show
Serving With a Rifle, and Then With a Pen (Part 1)
In our first episode, we introduce Nikolay Stepanyan, a young Armenian from Russia. We learn about the circumstances that shaped his life and that ultimately led him to become a soldier. Photo by Astrig AgopianSupport the show
Introduction: Armenia as a Country of Dust
Meet your hosts, listen to the poem that helped inspire our podcast, and hear why we think the best way to understand Armenia is by following the stories of the people who live here.Photo by Chris NatalieSupport the show
