On May 9-10, the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian-Armenian University hosted the international academic conference “Anatolia – the Caucasus – Iran: Ethnic and Linguistic Contacts  III.” The event brought together orientalists from Armenia, Russia, Iran, Georgia, the United States, and various European countries.

 

The conference opened with a welcome address by Professor Garnik Asatryan, Director of RAU Institute of Oriental Studies. He congratulated participants on the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, highlighting the heroic contribution of Armenians both in the ranks of the Red Army and within the partisan movement across the USSR and Europe. According to him, the Great Patriotic War holds a sacred meaning for the Armenian people.

 

Professor Asatryan noted that this is the third meeting in the “Anatolia – the Caucasus – Iran” conference series, which continues to play a significant role in advancing oriental studies. “The conference series has acquired lasting academic importance. These discussions foster active exchange of ideas, spark new research initiatives, and often result in publications in later scholarly works,” he emphasized.

 

Keynote speakers included Professor Salomeh Gholami, with her talk “ Complexity of Subgrouping Iranian Languages: Moving Beyond Isoglosses,” and Professor Garnik Asatryan, who had a presentation on “Zoroastrianism in Dagestan.”

 

The eight working sessions covered a wide range of topics, from linguistics, history, and ethnography to religious studies and current political developments in the Anatolia-Caucasus-Iran region.

 

 

 

Translated by Diana Adamyan,    
I year Master’s Student in Translation & Interpretation, RAU