Mediamax is summing up the year highlighting the key events of 2015.

The person of the year - Armenian soldier

As in 2014, Armenian soldier was the person of the year. Standing bold on the combat position, it is owing to him that we can now write these lines and you are able to read them.

Photo: PAN Photo

Unfortunately, we again had dozens of casualties this year and most likely, the situation will still be tense in 2016.

The pain of the year - slaughter of the Avetisyans and authorities' response

The year began with a tragedy: early in the morning of January 12, serviceman of Russian military base Valery Permyakov killed the six members of the Avetisyans family in Gyumri.

The youngest member of the family, 6-months-old Seryozha Avetisyan, was taken to hospital: unfortunately, doctors failed to save the infant after several days of struggling for his life.

Photo: PAN Photo

Permyakov's arrest was accompanied with mass protests in Gyumri which participants demanded to bring the Russian serviceman to the Armenian justice.

Official day of mourning wasn't declared in the country; however, people in Yerevan and other cities organized candlelight vigils to pay homage to the Avetisyans family.

People were outraged not only by the horrific slaughter but the authorities' inability to perceive the toughness of the incident and respond adequately.

The court trial against Permyakov started on December 18 and was put off for a month on the same day; it evidenced that the authorities failed to understand what to do to ease the people's fury and disenchantment.

The behest of the year - the Armenian Genocide Centennial

Photo: Photolure

2015 was a year of collective remembrance and unification of all the Armenians across the globe. In various corners of the world, events of remembrance of the victims of the Armenian Genocide were held. A number of states and international organizations recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide.

Photo: PAN Photo

The Armenian Apostolic Church canonized the victims of the Genocide.

On April 24, Presidents of Russia, France, Serbia and Cyprus as well as delegations from several dozens of countries arrived in Yerevan to take part in the Centennial events.

The event of the year - System of a Down concert in Yerevan

Photo: Photolure

Yerevan was the last “stop” of System of a Down’s world tour named “Wake up Your Souls” dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial. On April 23, the Republic Square was crowded since afternoon. That evening, the young men and women who gathered at the Square and enjoyed the concert in spite of the downpour were delivering the message of the survived Armenian nation with the help of rock music - we do live and will keep on living. As Daron Malakian yelled from the stage - ''this is not just a rock'n'roll concert: to our murderers, this is revenge!!!''. 

The upshot of the year - Sargsyan-Tsarukyan conflict

At the February 12 Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Board session, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan made unprecedentedly harsh statements on the leader of Prosperous Armenian Party (PAP) Gagik Tsarukyan. He particularly said: ''Gagik Tsarukyan as a political player has become a great evil for our country''.

Photo: PAN Photo

In reply, Gagik Tsarukyan said that he got acquainted with the speech ''of that man'' voicing a number of accusations, for instance, about “terrorizing business''. The PAP leader also noted that ''that person didn't even speak at the time when [President of Kazakhstan] Nazarbaev  was humiliating him''.

However, a few days later, Tsarukyan, who was repeatedly humiliated by a number of RPA representatives, stated that he quit politics and the PAP de facto gave up its opposition stance.

The initiative of the year - 100 LIVES project

Photo: 100 LIVES

100 LIVES initiative was launched in New York on March 10; the same date was also marked with the announcement of Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. The initiative is aimed at paying homage to the persons and organizations whose heroic efforts saved Armenians 100 years ago. 100 LIVES is co-founded by famous businessmen and philanthropists Ruben Vardanyan and Noubar Afeyan and President of Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan Gregorian.

The first Aurora Prize ceremony will be held in Yerevan on April 24, 2016 with participation of George Clooney.

The guests of the year - Kardashian sisters and Kanye West

Photo: Photolure

In April, American-Armenian reality show start Kim Kardashian visited her ancestral homeland for the first time together with her husband, rapper Kanye West, daughter North and sister Chloe Kardashian. Armenia welcomed the famous family more warmly than the Kardashians expected. During their stay in Armenia, Kardashian sisters visited Armenian sights, met with the Prime Minister and saw Tsitsernakaberd Memorial. The sisters stated in Armenia that they would keep actively fighting for international acknowledgment and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and promised to learn Armenian.

Photo: Photolure

On the last day of the visit, Kanye West gave an unplanned concert at the Swan Lake which was marked with his epic jump into the water embraced by his fans. Kardashians’ visit was widely covered in the international press.

The discovery of the year - Patch Adams

Photo: Mediamax

Upon IDeA Foundation’s invitation, Hunter Doherty Adams, known as Patch Adams, visited Armenia. As a candidate of medical sciences, he, however, doesn’t cure people with medicaments. Years ago, he chose to dress up as a clown instead of wearing a doctor’s smock, and armed with laughter, he entered various hospitals of the world.

Patch Adams and his team visited orphanages in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor and Dilijan and various children’s hospitals and the  “Doctor Laughter’s” visit is to be remembered there for a long time to come.

The loss of the year - Kirk Kerkorian

Photo: Photolure

On June 16, famous American-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian died in Los Angeles. He was born into the family of Aharon Grigorian who migrated from Kharberd to Fresno. Kerkorian implemented numerous charity projects for Armenia and Armenians. In 2004, Kirk Kerkorian was conferred on with the title of National Hero of Armenia for his exceptional services toward the motherland.

The excitement and disappointment of the year - #ElectricYerevan movement

From June 19, “No to Robbery’’ initiative started a sit-in at the Liberty Square demanding from the authorities to cancel the decision on energy price raise. On June 22 evening, the piquet moved on to the Baghramyan Avenue. The next early morning, the police “cleared” the Baghramyan Avenue and Liberty Square of the protestors with water cannons.  After the use of force by the police, the number of the citizens who took to streets multiplied. The protesters carried out a sit-in at the Baghramyan Avenue for several days.

Photo: Mediamax

However, shortly afterwards, #ElectricYerevan (this is how people started calling the movement) split as the organizers didn't have a clear action plan. A bunch of the protesters remained at the Baghramyan Avenue while others preferred to continue the struggle at the Liberty Square. The ''voltage'' of the movement which started with excitement soon faded away and the police soon 'liberated'' Baghramyan Avenue without great efforts. 

The phrase of the year - ''Eat my Bibin''

Photo: PAN Photo

#ElectricYerevan also stood out with interesting posters and slogans and ''Eat my Bibin'' call was the most original one. Evgeny Bibin was the CEO of Armenian Electricty Networks Company.

Meme of the year - ''I am the Vova''

Photo: Photolure

Chief of Armenian Police Vova Gasparyan regularly visited Baghramyan Avenue and talked to the protesters during #ElectricYerevan. One day, losing control he started yelling: ''Come to your senses! I am the Vova, I am Gasparyan Vova!''

The phrases were at once turned into memes and various funny interpretations appeared on the internet:

However, while preparing this material we found out that the funniest memes were removed from YouTube. We can only guess whether it was the initiative of the authors or the hero of the meme.

The breakthrough of the year - Shadowmatic game

In early 2015, Armenian Triada Studio released its Shadowmatic game for iPhone and iPad. At the moment of launch, it appeared in the Apple Store's Editor's Choice section which grabbed the attention of not only users but mainstream media.

Photo: Shadowmatic

In summer, Triada Studio was awarded the Apple Design Awards and in late 2015, it was recognized the Best Game of the Year in a number of countries including Russia, Japan, China and India.

Shadowmatic's major breakthrough became one of the ''success stories'' of independent Armenia and will undoubtedly be a stimulus for many young Armenian IT specialists.

Ara Tadevosyan, Yekaterina Poghosyan