BLOG

Source: Armenpress On December 23, a group of citizens from Artsakh, a region in the South Caucasus, marched to Shushi to demand that Russian peacekeepers restore normal traffic on the road connecting Artsakh to Armenia and the rest of the world. This road has been blocked by Azerbaijanis claiming to be environmentalists, but the true motivations behind this blockade are unclear. The citizens of Artsakh are rightfully concerned about this blockade, as it cuts off their access to essential supplies and hinders their ability to communicate with the outside world. The Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the region have a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, including those in Artsakh. According to the tripartite declaration of November 9, the Russian Federation has committed to ensuring uninterrupted and safe traffic through the Lachin Corridor. It is imperative that these peacekeepers fulfill this obligation and restore normal traffic on the road as soo

Photo by Aram Grigoryan on Unsplash Armenia is a small country located in the South Caucasus region, nestled between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran. It has a rich history dating back to ancient times, and is home to a vibrant culture and highly educated population. However, Armenia has faced many challenges in recent years that have impacted its economic development and quality of life for its citizens. One major issue is the political landscape in Armenia, which has been marked by ongoing conflict and aggression from neighboring countries such as Azerbaijan and Turkey. These tensions have led to economic sanctions and blockades, which have had a negative impact on the country's GDP and overall economic growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges, as the country has struggled to provide adequate healthcare and support to its citizens during this difficult time. In addition to these external factors, Armenia has also faced significant historical repression, i

     Censorship is a predominant issue in Eastern Europe that reaches the Caucuses, where Armenia is located. Since the drop of the Soviet Union, Armenia has had an interesting and complicated relationship with Russia. Unlike Russia’s President Putin and the Kremlin's extreme censorship over media, Armenia is becoming more diverse after the Velvet Revolution, but the media remains schismatized. And while Armenians often face multiple levels of disinformation and fake news, the journalists in the country face numerous challenges that lead to additional poor coverage. Censorship against journalists in Armenia is a reminder of the echoing past of the Soviet Union; although the Velvet Revolution began to welcome democratic ideas of the western world, the government has still failed to reduce the media’s polarization.       Media in Armenia was relatively dictatorial and not free after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armenian journalists then faced occasional threats, violence, and in

A new boom in the space industry driven by Elon Musk's, Jeff Bezos', and NASA's chase to seize the moon has created perfect conditions for sprouting space tech startups. In turn, the growing competition drives invention, allowing for faster acquisition of the needed tech to manifest the interplanetary existence of humankind and for small-scale startups, those spearheaded by Millennials and Gen-Z in particular, to have significant contributions.  The reason to look to that demographic, including current college students, is glaring: they are the ones who have the most skin in the game, being the generation that will inevitably feel the effects of the environmental changes, whose gears by the way, have already started turning. Artemis Student Challenge: NASA Selects University Teams to Build Technologies for the Moon’s Darkest Areas learn more here. Ararat Robotics and many others are at the center of this simmering pot aiming to take full advantage of the newly increased dem

On June 24th, 2021, Ararat Robotics presented at Batch 11 Demo Day at Starta Ventures . Among the attendees were staff, guests, industry experts, judges, mentors, and investors. We did not plan our participation, nor did we have any materialistic motivations. Instead, it was a spontaneous idea of the program director, Gabriel Arant , to grant an opportunity for a newly conceived idea to develop into something powerful.  It all started with our participation in the 2021 spring Starta Launchpad program, formerly known as the Starta Preaccelerator. At the time, our team was developing a business model and researching possible entry points into the space robotics industry. Going through a tailored guidance system for startup development, Starta Launchpad, was very fitting. Not only did we gain a comprehensive understanding of what it would take to go from idea to business, but we were doing it first hand. Along the process, we ran into significant roadblocks many times, some of which ar