What you need to know about Armenia. 5 interesting and perhaps unexpected facts

Those who are going to or are already in Armenia will surely find useful some unexpected facts and lifehacks about the country, its people, culture and traditions. We share them below.

President of Pro-Vision, author of Vinogradov.story community

Tells about interesting facts about Armenia.

Almost any dish is served with lavash

If you want to quickly become “your own” in Armenia, forget about batons, loaves, “Rzhanom” and “Borodinsky”. Lavash, only lavash. Thin, yeast-free bread is considered a symbol of prosperity and well-being here, and is therefore served with almost any dish – from cottage cheese to hash.

In 2014, Armenian lavash was even included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List, which only confirmed its incredibly high gastronomic and cultural value.

The first country to adopt Christianity

Armenia is considered to be the first country to establish Christianity as a state religion, and the faith is treated with respect and reverence here. Perhaps this is what allowed preserving many ancient temples and monasteries on the territory. Among them are Echmiadzin, which claims historical primacy among all Christian temples on the planet, and Geghard – a temple complex carved in the rock and once kept in its halls the spear that pierced Jesus Christ.

Be sure to wait for the “stone symphony” in the acoustic hall of the monastery: the multi-voiced prayer performed by the chamber choir mesmerizes and for a few moments breaks all ties with reality.

They don’t take the rubbish out of the house

The hospitality of Armenians does not mean that they are open and ready to talk about the past. Like any state, Armenia has experienced terrible and controversial moments of history, the echoes of which can still be heard today. The Genocide of the Armenian people, the Karabakh conflict, the territorial status of Ararat are not the most appropriate topics for a light-hearted discussion in public. All of them require deep elaboration and study.

Of course, it is important and necessary to talk about the “pain points” of any nation, but certainly not over a glass of pomegranate wine or after a couple of shots of legendary Armenian brandies.

Chess is a compulsory subject in schools

If countries were ironically divided into “humanitarians” and “technicians”, Armenia would surely be among the latter. Thus, chess is taught in Armenian schools, and as a compulsory subject, not as an elective. And the first collection of arithmetic problems was also compiled in Armenia – in the VI century by mathematician David the Invincible. However, the country has given no less to the humanities: at least one of the most perfect alphabets is recognized as such along with Georgian and Korean.

One of the most hospitable countries in the world

As a result of bitter historical events, a paradoxical situation has developed in Armenia: the majority of ethnic Armenians live outside the country, while the official population barely exceeds 3.5 million. At the same time, Armenia is mono-national, and 97% of its citizens are Armenians. This does not make the country intolerant of foreigners at all – on the contrary, it is consistently ranked among the most hospitable in the world, which is repeatedly confirmed when traveling.