A few weeks ago Lilith Lalayan moved to Armenia to build a life here. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, where her parents emigrated in the ‘90s. The 24-year-old girl’s decision to move is directly connected to the Armenian Velvet Revolution. Lilith is so overwhelmed by the changes happening in Armenia that she wants to become a part of it. We visited Lilith at her house, where she lives with Armenian-German Ani Andree and her dog called Matzoon. 

Home Together

Lilith found Ani on Facebook. She posted in the group “Find Flatmates/ Roommates/ Room in Yerevan!” that she would like to rent a room in an apartment near to the city center. Ani, who had moved to Armenia in 2017 for the program Birthright Armenia, responded to Lilith’s post. Ani’s father is Armenian, the maternal side is German. 

Ani and Lilith speak German at home. Lilith is fluent in Armenian, Ani does not speak the language. Her father never lived in Armenia, he was born in Iran, then settled down in Germany. Matzoon lives in this house as well; it doesn't bark at all and it is too shy to come to the living room, so that they had to carry it in their hands to bring the dog for the photo shoot. 

Ani and Matzoon

Photo: Mediamax

Ani found the dog at the end of last year near the Barekamutyun metro station. She waited for its mother or any siblings for two hours, but none appeared. The dog was very tiny and dirty. One of the passengers walking by bought matzoon and gave the dog to eat. Ani worried that it might harm it, but nothing happened, the dog ate it at once. The tip of the dog’s nose is white, so Ani named it Matzoon. As soon as Ani realized that this dog had nobody except her in this world, she decided to keep it. The Ani and Lilith’s renting house is very convenient for keeping pets. 

The implementation of secret dreams

Lilith: I always wanted to live in Armenia, but I was told that Armenia is cool for tourists. After the revolution everything has changed. Everything on my mind was about Armenia. I would spend my whole days watching Nikol Pashinyan’s lives. I couldn’t think of my studies, I only wished to come to Armenia. 

Lilit Lalayan

Photo: Mediamax

The ‘90s were hard, so my parents had to leave the country. However, I always felt that they wanted to go back to their homeland. Because of the recent changes happening in Armenia, they also changed their minds. I didn’t tell my parents that I wanted to move, I was dreaming secretly. The interesting part is that they also had this secret dream. 

Sometimes you think something is impossible and when it becomes possible, you realize everything is possible. Maybe, that is why I am so interested in moving to Armenia, because I am so overwhelmed by all that is happening here, and actually I am overwhelmed by you, the people, because you made something that was a dream for my parents and me. I came to Armenia to meet the people who made the revolution happen and I am so thankful for it. 

Between Armenia and Germany

Lilith: During the revolution my father came to Armenia to protest. Although he ran an IT company in Germany and was busy with his work, he decided to go to Armenia and demonstrate like everybody else. He even bought the cap “dukhov” (դուխով) and he would take pictures for us. 

My father always tries to make his contribution to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He built websites armenocide.net and horovel.org to which everybody has an access, they are online archives. Besides, he cooperates with German historians interested in Armenia-related topics. 

Lilit Lalayan

Photo: Mediamax

When I finally told my parents I wanted to move to Armenia, they were so excited and happy for my decision, they were really proud of me. Because they always felt that I needed something like home and I couldn’t find it. Well, I feel at home in Germany, but I always have the feeling of lacking something, which I am going to find here.  

I want to be a part of this experience, these changes. I know that it is happening slowly, it is a huge thing and you can’t do it in a day. Everybody has to work for it, it is weird to expect to become rich just after the revolution. We have to build it. I feel like this is the time when everyone has to be together, strong together.

Different and similar destinies

Lilith studies product design at Hochschule Hannover-University of Applied Sciences and Arts, it is the last semester of her Bachelor degree. She has chosen Armenia for the research paper. The university provided her scholarships for the research. Only for the last semester she will go to Germany to complete the degree, and then she will come back again. 

Currently, Lilith is open to everything, she is keen to meet people, have talks, hear various opinions and figure out what is actually important for Armenia, what the country needs so as she can do it.  

Photo: Mediamax

The reason for Ani’s stay is also the change in Armenia. Ani repeats the same sentence: she wants to stay and become a part of the changes by contributing to the development of the country.

Ani does not have relatives here anymore. Although she always wanted to come to Armenia not as a tourist, she did not tend to stay more than a year. Ani did a volunteering work in Gyumri for two months, afterwards she got a job offer from the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia as a consultant for a project funded by the European Union. A few months later she left this position as well and started her own project for developing tourism in rural areas of Armenia. 

Back to the roots

Ani: My mother is always asking why I am not going back to Germany. If such changes had not happened in Armenia, I might have left earlier, I have spent one and a half year in this country. I notice how the atmosphere has been changing, especially among the youth, which motivates me the most. Otherwise, it will be difficult to justify to my mother, to my boyfriend, to myself why I stay here longer. 

Maybe it is the age that I could start a career somewhere in Europe, save up for later and have a family. As long as I can do something meaningful, I am here, but I need the feeling that there is a chance and time is not wasted. 

Ani Andree

Photo: Mediamax

Many people, especially the elders, have started saying that nothing has changed in Armenia. In five years from now you will see the difference, because there will be those people who stayed like me or moved recently like Lilith and started something. 

After the revolution I realized there are other priorities more important for the country to work on, to put all your energy into, so I decided to start another project which is about rural tourism. The project is called “Time out”, we wish more people to come to the regions and explore the villages in Armenia, staying a little longer for some days. Tourists will have the chance to experience rural life and engage in everyday village activities. We are planning to start that in this summer. 

To make Armenia world-famous

Lilith: I also want to have my contribution in Armenian product design. I want to find the Armenian spirit, I tend to understand what Armenia has for the design language. 

Ani and Lilith

Photo: Mediamax

I see design in architecture and woodcraft, I notice that it has so much potential, I feel like everyone has a talent. However, I can’t find it in product design, that is what I want to show to the world, tell the story of Armenia through design. I want people to buy something (maybe a chair) and feel that it is Armenian. When you see, for example, a product of Swedish design, you immediately realize that it is Swedish. That is what design does, it tells a story. That is my current research. I want to transform the feeling of Armenia to the world through products. 

All in the room

Once Lilith arrived, the first thing she did was pasting photos on the walls of her room. In the white-colored room, furnished in the minimalist style, these colorful pictures catch your attention at once. 

Lilith

Photo: Mediamax

Lilith chose her family members and friends' photos, placing them in no particular order, regardless of time period. She does hope that one day her family will move to Armenia as well.

She made the decision to move very spontaneously: she completed the semester, got the idea and implemented it. 

Photo: Mediamax

The news was a shock to her friends, but she actually talked with them so much about Armenia, that all her friends now want to visit. They gave her two months to get to know the country so as to show them everything when they arrive.

Amalie Khachatryan

Photos: Emin Aristakesyan