On Sunday September 28, 1997, the lecture hall that many of us here at Fresno State know as Industrial Tech 101 was transformed into a beautiful scrapbook of a summer spent in Armenia.
            This illustrated presentation titled, "Reflections on a Summer in Armenia" was given by Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program.
            Professor Der Mugrdechian marked his eighth trip to Armenia as a participant in the Marketing Assistance Program or M.A.P. which is run by the United States Department of Agriculture.  The U.S.D.A. which is working in conjunction with the Fresno State Agriculture and Business departments has established an office in Yerevan.  The focus of this project is to improve the Armenian Agricultural Academy.  Fresno State was awarded the opportunity to mentor the academy and has been doing so for the last two years.
            Professor Der Mugrdechian took two trips to Armenia this summer.  Once from May 25th through July 1st and again from August 8th to August 23rd, returning home just before the start of the school year.
            The presentation began with a brief look at the current state of the Armenian Republic.  Audience members were given a sheet detailing Armenianís economy to date.  Armenia has a recorded population of 3.6 million people, however, due to harsh economic conditions anywhere between 700,000 and 1,000,000 of these people have left in the last three to four years.  Much of this hardship can be attributed to the switch from a centralized economy under Soviet rule to the current status as a privatized economy.
            After this introduction of the current events in Armenia, Professor Der Mugrdechian began the slide show portion of the presentation.  Some of the sights presented in the show included the Hotel Armenia in downtown Yerevan.  At the Hotel Armenia a room will cost you between $30 and $100 depending upon which section of the hotel you choose to stay in.  The Hotel Armenia is located in what was formerly known as Lenin Square, now known as Republic Square.  It was at this site that a statue of Lenin once stood before the fall of Communism allowed it to become one of the first signs of the old regime to be removed.  Now near the former site of the statue is an area containing 2,750 fountains in dedication of the 2,750 years of Armenian history.
            Many audience members at the presentation may have been surprised to see so many changes in Armenia.  Downtown Yerevan is now home to numerous modern stores that so many of us here in the United States take for granted.  A few of these include an Electrolux store where Armenians can purchase modern electronic appliances, a 24-hour flower shop, as well as many new restaurants sporting Western European and even American themes.  Some of these restaurants include a pizza parlor, which is one of the newest crazes in Armenia, and even a Chinese restaurant not far from the Chinese Embassy.  Complete with modern, Western architecture these restaurants provide Armenians with new meal alternatives that were previously unavailable.
            Moving on through Yerevan, Professor Der Mugrdechian took us to some other sites in and around the city.  These included the statue of Vardan Mamikonian as well as some of the large shopping centers and bazaars where one can fine anything from carpets to automotive goods to pets being sold out of the trunks of cars.
            One of the largest construction projects currently underway in Armenia is the building of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan.  This church which will become the largest in Armenia will cost no less than several million dollars to complete and is set to be completed by June, 2001 when Armenians from around the world will converge upon the country to join in the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of Armenian Christianization.
            Few villages are now left in Armenia: in Soviet times, approximately 80% of the population was urban.  There is now a movement for Armenians to return to their agrarian ways.  As part of this movement, the M.A.P. project allows Fresno State representatives to work closely with the Armenian people to bring them up to speed in the area of agriculture.  There is also a big movement in Armenia for women to work in the home economy to preserve food in order to get it to the marketplace.
            A visit to the earthquake zone was a quick reminder of the catastrophic damage that resulted from the earthquake of December 7, 1988.  500,000 people were left homeless creating what is the largest social problem in Armenia today.  While most of the damage was sustained in the northeastern region of Armenia, destruction remains in many of these areas today.  Many of the survivors were forced to live in train cars and shacks while they waited for the fulfillment of Mikhail Gorbachevís promise to rebuild all lost housing in two years.  But with the fall of Communism so fell the hopes of the Armenians.  A few new housing developments have been constructed, however, a blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey has prevented necessary raw materials from entering Armenia.
            With the fall of Communism many factories in the entire country closed.  Today no factory in Armenia has more than 10% of its work force in action.  A visit to the Martyrs Monument is discouraging in the sense that because of the blockade, not enough natural gas is available to keep the eternal flame lit.
            Included in the presentation was a visit to the newest  cemetery in Armenia, a sad reminder of the  lives lost over the struggle for Karabagh.  Not far from Karmir Blur, Armenia's most ancient excavation site dating from the 8th century B.C., women tend the graves of their loved ones washing them down and burning incense.  12,000 to 15,000 Armenians died in the battles over Karabagh representing roughly 10% of the population of the entire region.  As a result, Karabagh has suffered isolation from the world.  Despite a cease-fire in 1994, the men buried here, many of whom were in their early twenties serve as a living reminder to the Armenians of the situation in Karabagh.
            While many of us here in Fresno celebrated the Blessing of the Grapes at church picnics and the like, Professor Der Mugrdechian was fortunate enough to be at the headquarters of the Armenian church at Etchmiadzin for the ceremony.  By presenting the audience with a glimpse into the beauty of Armenia we see that with the proper resources Armenia could easily be one of the worldís most beautiful destinations.  Professor Der Mugrdechianís "Reflections" on his summer spent in Armenia quickly turned into a wonderful experience that those in attendance will not soon forget.