301 Photojournalist from Artsakh, David Ghahramanyan, and Hermine Avagyan, Executive Director of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association of Artsakh, recently concluded a book presentation tour across the Eastern United States. They shared their experiences from Artsakh last September and presented Ghahramanyan’s photobook, “Artsakh: The Unfinished War,” which captures the resilience of the Armenian people amid ongoing conflict and their fight for survival.
Their journey began in Washington, DC, and continued to Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. During the tour, they engaged with various community members at town halls, presented to students at the Armenian school in Philadelphia, and became well-acquainted with the Armenian communities in each city.
In Philadelphia, they visited the Armenian Sisters Academy, where they were warmly welcomed by the Eighth Grade students and given a tour of the school. They then spoke with students from Grades 1-8, sharing their personal experiences and reflections on the past few years, particularly the tragic events surrounding the loss of Artsakh.
In Washington, DC, on September 19, the tour kicked off with the opening ceremony of the photo exhibit “Real-Time Genocide: Artsakh” at the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda. The event featured powerful remarks from Avagyan, who collaborated with Ghahramanyan on the photobook. She emphasized the importance of exposing Azerbaijan’s atrocities: “The atrocities committed by Azerbaijan are evidenced by these photographs. They show how Azerbaijan targeted civilians, blockaded Artsakh, and forced its people into exile. This is not just a war; this is genocide.”
The exhibit, made possible by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and reported by the Armenian National Committee of America , ran from September 19–27. It featured Ghahramanyan’s work, documenting the horrors of Azerbaijan and Turkey’s 2020 attacks on Artsakh, the devastating aftermath, and the brutal 10-month blockade that led to the genocidal ethnic cleansing of 120,000 Artsakh Armenians in 2023.
David’s photobook, “Artsakh: The Unfinished War,” was published by the Hamazkayin Artsakh Chapter.
About David Ghahramanyan:
Ghahramanyan was born in Stepanakert, Artsakh, in 1991, and worked as a photojournalist for the past four years, documenting Azerbaijan’s genocidal aggression against Artsakh. In 2021, with the support of the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Association, he held two solo exhibitions in Stepanakert and Yerevan, showcasing his photographs from the 44-day war. His work has been published globally — in the Armenian and international press — and included in reports by the Human Rights Defenders of Artsakh and Armenia and other humanitarian and human rights organizations. David has been working for 301 as a photojournalist since the beginning of 2024.
