Invincible Nations Rwanda and Armenia

Invincible Nations
By: Ahmed Ibrahim

Table of contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
An Eye on The Armenian and Rwandan Genocides
Landlocked developing countries vs. climate change
How has Rwanda faced climate change?
Green initiatives in Armenia: Forests VS Climate change
Rwanda's unique experience of E-waste recycling
Recycling solutions in Armenia. What is recyclable and what is not recyclable?
Chapter 2
The History of Rwandan Art
The History of Rwandan Cinema 1
The History of Rwandan Architecture 1
Rwandan Weaving History
History of contemporary art in Rwanda
Chapter 3
The History of Armenian Cinema
The History of Armenian Architecture 1
Armenian carpets from the past and the present 1
Taraz the Armenia's Soul and Identity
Chapter 4
Serious steps toward the future
Armenia-Rwanda Trade Relations: A Closer Look

Introduction
Armenia and Rwanda share many characteristics and experiences that have made their histories
distinct and enabled the two peoples to advance and make progress in several areas.
They both suffered from a bloody history of massacres that have taken the lives of numerous
innocent people.
In Rwanda, armed Hutu militias killed members of the Tutsi minority, an ethnic group, over a 100-
day period, along with some moderate Hutu and Twa. The United Nations (UN) and various nations,
such as the US, the UK, and Belgium, came under fire for their inaction and failure to expand the
scope of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) peacekeepers' mission.
Besides, being landlocked countries face a variety of environmental issues. The good news is that
they have a distinctive architectural and humanitarian heritage that has enabled them to leave a
mark on human history.
This book contains the common points I've made and the data I've gathered about them on some
related topics. I hope you like it.
Chapter 1
An Eye on The Armenian and Rwandan Genocides
Over one hundred years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, and the survivors and their
descendants live with the open wound of denial, which continues to be a direct assault on memory
and truth. It has been said that the final stage of genocide is denial.
Many, known for their key roles in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, denied responsibility for the crimes
they committed. The Rwandan Genocide is one of the most notorious modern genocides. During
these 100 days between April and July 1994, nearly one million ethnic Tutsi and moderate Hutus
were killed as the international community and UN peacekeepers were ready.
The similarities between the Rwandan and Armenian genocides are frightening. The methodical
planning and execution of the Rwandan Genocide on behalf of the Hutu mirrors the orchestrated
annihilation of the Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire carried out by the Turkish Government
headed by the Committee of Union and Progress “Young Turks” before and during WWI.
Denial perpetuates the cycle of genocides-making the world a more dangerous place and future
genocides more likely.
The Rwandan Genocide’s History

Before the genocide began, a civil war broke out between the government’s armed forces and the
rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), led by Tutsi exiles in Uganda, broke out in 1990. The conditions
of an ongoing war led to anti-Tutsi propaganda, painting Tutsis as dangerous traitors. In 1994, when
Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down, the genocide began, in which
800,000 Tutsi and many moderate Hutus were massacred. The violence caused a major
humanitarian crisis that continues to affect the Great Lakes Region, and the international
community’s failure to intervene and stop the violence continues to leave a stain on the reputation
of UN Peacekeeping today.
The Rwandan Genocide resulted from Belgian colonial rule, and Rwanda’s ethnic groups: Hutu, Tutsi,
and Twa became racialized. It was the solidification of these identities and their relationship with
political power that would lay the foundation for genocidal violence. When Rwanda gained
independence in 1962, the ethnic majority, Hutus, were left in power. The Hutu’s rule resulted in
widespread discrimination against Tutsi, laying the groundwork for the 1994 genocide.
Two Genocide Memorials

Both countries established memorials to honour their victims, with Armenia’s Tsitsernakaberd
Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and Rwanda’s Kigali Genocide Memorial.
On April 6, 2019, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda, Richard Sezibera,
considered it symbolic that the official visit of the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Zohrab
Mnatsakanyan, is taking place synchronously with the events dedicated to the commemoration of
the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.
Kigali Genocide Memorial
The Kigali Genocide Memorial commemorates the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The remains of over
250,000 people are interred there. There is a visitor centre for students and others wishing to
understand the events leading up to the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994. The Center is a
permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide and serves as a place where people
could bury their families and friends. The Center is managed and run by the Aegis Trust on behalf of
the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide.
Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex

Yerevan’s Tsitsernakaberd Memorial complex is dedicated to the memory of the 1.5 million
Armenians who perished in the first genocide of the 20th century at the hands of the Turkish
government. Completed in 1967, the Genocide Monument has since become an integral part of
Yerevan’s architecture and a pilgrimage site. Set on a hill and dominating the landscape, it is in
perfect harmony with its surroundings. Its austere outlines convey the spirit of the nation that
survived a ruthless campaign of extermination.
The Museum and Institute were opened in Tsitsernakaberd in 1995 to commemorate the 80th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide (the architects were S. Kalashyan, L. Mkrtchyan, A.
Tarkhanyan, and the sculptor F. Arakelyan).
Landlocked developing countries vs. climate change
The 32 landlocked developing countries including Armenia and Rwanda share some common
problems due to their geographical location, which affects their economic engagement with the rest
of the world. LLDCs' structural vulnerabilities and limited productive capacities expose them
disproportionately to the severe negative effects of climate change, particularly drought,
desertification, land degradation, and glacier melting, and have highlighted the need to strengthen
their capacity to address climate change, energy, and water-related challenges.
These consequences are becoming more severe as these countries face increasingly regular extreme
weather events, including storms, cyclones, and flooding. Furthermore, there is an increase in the
frequency of heat waves, which are becoming hotter and lasting longer. And changed rainfall
patterns are generating longer droughts, more severe rains, floods, and water supply disruptions.
LLDCs are distinguished by their isolation from global markets, lengthy transit processes, and many
hazards that result in high trade costs. Because of these challenges, export revenues are limited,
private capital inflows are restricted, and the capacity to mobilize domestic resources is limited.
Dryland covers more than half of the land in LLDCs. Furthermore, because these areas are home to
60% of the population, many individuals are exposed to the consequences of climate change.
Wildfires are becoming more regular, as seen by the high heat waves that hit Southern Africa in
2019 and the Latin American LLDCs last year.
Meanwhile, rising temperatures are melting glaciers in the Himalayan areas of Bhutan, Nepal,
Tajikistan, and Bolivia, leading to greater landslides, flash floods, and decreased water supply.
Flooding in LLDCs and transit nations is another component of the climate disaster that is
exacerbating existing inadequacies. When transportation infrastructure is harmed, transit commerce
is delayed or interrupted, further limiting these countries' capacity to compete in the global market.
Available solutions for LLDCs:
• Long-term Water conservation
• Land restoration and climate-smart agriculture
• Climate-resilient infrastructure
• Alternative energy solutions
• Improved early warning systems.

How has Rwanda faced climate change?
In a country where average temperatures have risen by 1.4 °C since the 1970s and could reach 2.5 °C
above normal by mid-century, “climate action” and “sustainability” are not buzzwords, but clear
policy and imperatives that represent the key factors in the country’s development agenda.
The Rwanda Green Fund
Rwanda has pioneering experience in tackling climate change. By creating the “FONERWA” Fund to
finance initiatives to combat climate change in the country, the fund raised more than $100 million
and created more than 60,000 green jobs.
It also contributed to the preservation and restoration of 8,500 hectares of watersheds and water
bodies and the protection of nearly 13,000 hectares of land from erosion.
In addition, it planted trees on more than 21,000 hectares across the country, and 6,807 families
have improved access to energy thanks to investments made by the fund and private sector
partners.
The fund is one of the main reasons why Rwanda’s Ministry of Natural Resources became the first
government entity to be accredited by the South Korea-based Global Green Climate Fund.
The Green Growth strategy
FONERWA, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Rwanda Environment
Management Authority (REMA), is working through the country’s Green Growth and Climate
Resilience Strategy.
This cross-sectoral strategy aims for Rwanda to become a developed, low-carbon, and resilient
country by 2050. It is critical to respond to the extreme vulnerability of the impacts of climate
change that face the country.
In 2016, torrential rains and droughts, as well as other disasters, caused the tragic deaths of more
than 50 people and losses of more than $30 million, according to the Ministry of Disaster
Management and Refugee Affairs.
Kigali Amendment
The country’s weakness is the main reason why Rwanda has put itself at the forefront of
international climate negotiations, recognizing that national action alone will not solve the
challenges it faces.
In October 2016, the country hosted the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol,
where the “Kigali Amendment” agreement was adopted.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, reached after seven years of negotiations, is the
most crucial action on climate change since the Paris Agreement and could avoid up to half a degree
of warming by the end of the century by phasing out HFCs. It sets out concrete actions. That the
world could take if all countries came together in a spirit of cooperation and action-oriented action.
While Rwanda continues to face a range of climate-related challenges, the sharing of positive
experiences and lessons learned, especially between developing and vulnerable countries, is
essential. With everything it has achieved so far, Rwanda is a good example to look at as the world
strives to achieve the goals set under the Paris Agreement.
Green initiatives in Armenia: Forests VS Climate change
According to the World Bank, Armenia ranks as the fourth most vulnerable country in terms of
climate change risks, so it has signed up to increase its forest cover and carbon removal from forests,
as its forests are sensitive to climate change, while its rural population is dependent on fuelwood to
meet its energy demands. It faces considerable climate risks, especially the increased frequency of
extreme weather events and their aftereffects — droughts, flooding, landslides, and wildfires.
Such natural disasters destroy livelihoods and retrench the country’s already limited capacity to
mitigate and adapt to climate change. This could lead to a self-perpetuating cycle, which would
threaten Armenia’s agricultural sector, ecology, and infrastructure. Still, the country has the
possibility to reduce the risks thanks to its forests that reduce the depositing of sediments in Sevan
Lake, which helps face water pollution, protects wildlife habitats, and keeps water levels stable.
Trees and underbrush also capture and store CO2 from the atmosphere which is crucial for
preventing climate change.
Preserving forests is a major priority, as deforestation has been caused by mining operations, illegal
logging, and use for firewood, but forest fires and pests also threaten to intensify desertification,
leading to disequilibrium of the country’s waterways, and causing significant loss of biodiversity and
valuable pastureland.
Yet, Armenia is one of the least forested countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.
With only 11.2% forest cover, 70% of its woods are degraded, and forest-covered areas are gradually
turning into grasslands. Current climate trends, projections for the country indicate future elevated
average temperatures, precipitation, river-flow decreases, and snow cover reduction.
Sustainable Forestry is the key point

Forest preservation is so crucial for meeting Armenia’s climate commitments, especially the
country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) efforts by countries under the Paris Climate
Agreement to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, as its plan for
2021–2030 aims to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% from 1990 emission levels
and increasing forest cover to 12.9%.
The World Bank is conducting a study of the opportunities for restoring forest landscapes across
Armenia Through funding from the NDC Support Facility, a multi-donor trust fund. It consists of
assessments of the legal and institutional needs, potential species for restoration, and possibilities
for private sector participation also complements the government’s 10 million trees afforestation
initiative, identifies restoration interventions, and lays out a path going forward to achieve the NDC
target on forests and eventually on GHG reduction.
The study also recommends ways for restoring various types of existing forests and proposes a
potential mix of indigenous species for plantation in already forested and non-forested areas, which
will consequently help the country to adopt a data-driven, results-oriented, and multi-stakeholder
approach to forest restoration-increasing the chances of success.
GREEN Armenia platform
The assessments on forest landscape restoration will be an important factor contributing to the
upcoming GREEN Armenia platform which will be established together with development partners,
including the World Bank, to support and advocate for Armenia’s “green” recovery and
transformation. This platform will incubate innovative ideas, harness technological opportunities,
and tap into global knowledge.
The European Union projects

The ‘EU4Environment: Green community — resilient future’ project, implemented by a consortium
led by the ‘Armenia Tree Project ‘, will promote urban green planning and green energy solutions.
During the next three years, tree plantations will supply seedlings for urban greening initiatives will
be established in 15 municipalities in Shirak, Lori and Tavush, with the aim of planting 458,000 trees.
To promote eco-friendly behavior, 7,000 schoolchildren in these regions will be trained and involved
in environmental education, awareness-raising campaigns, eco-clubs, eco-camps and annual clean-
up initiatives.
FAO and WWF Armenia efforts

The Armenian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) signed the co-financing agreement
for a total amount of USD 200,000 as an in-kind contribution to partner with the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for a forestry project on enhanced adaptation
and rural green growth.
WWF-Armenia will co-finance the project alongside its duration of eight years, and provide
technical, and financial assistance related to community engagement, participation in forest
management, and the creation of new forest areas in municipal lands in Syunik Marz. Besides, the
project will rely too on co-financing and technical expertise from the Armenian government, the
Austrian Development Agency, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Italy, and FAO.
It is the first large-scale FAO project to be supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Europe and
Central Asia and Armenia’s first forestry-oriented funding proposal. It will increase the role of
communities in governing and managing natural resources through forest concessions and improved
fuelwood management, timber production and non-timber forest products. The agreement was
signed by Karen Manvelyan, Director of WWF-Armenia, and Raimund Jehle, FAO Representative in
Armenia.
Rwanda’s unique experience of E-waste recycling
Rwanda was the first African country to ban plastic bags. Now it has a comprehensive approach to
recycling and repurposing electronic waste, and it has the potential to generate 10,000–15,000
tonnes of e-waste yearly.
The Challenge of E-waste

Electronic waste (e-waste) is generated from discarded mobile phones, computers, stereos, light
bulbs, and large household appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and air
conditioners. Only 12.5% of e-waste is recycled yearly, while the rest gets tossed into landfills
worldwide.
E-waste management has become a challenge facing many African countries because of a lack of
awareness, environmental legislation, and limited financial resources. Especially with heavy metals
and other hazardous substances present in electronics, these methods have potentially critical
implications for human health and the environment.
Social responsibility of the public and private sectors

In 2008, Rwanda began policy discussions about how to manage its e-waste. After consulting those
involved, with support from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the country approved an e-
waste policy in 2016.
This policy provides guiding principles in dealing with e-waste and roles and responsibilities for
institutions.
The next step was to create legal instruments such as laws and regulations and adequate
infrastructure to handle the increasing generation of e-waste.
At the beginning of 2020, an e-waste recycling facility was built in the eastern part of the country,
just outside the country’s capital, Kigali, and is currently managed and operated by a private sector
company. A private Dubai-based waste management facility, EnviroServe Rwanda Green Park,
through a public-private partnership agreement with the Government of Rwanda, processes up to
10,000 metric tonnes of waste yearly.
The plant recycles some devices and upcycles others, making refurbished electronic items available
at a lower price.
Social and environmental responsibilities

These efforts are so helpful for public schools and low-income families across the country. Computer
monitors are turned into computer monitors, and old cellphones are revived and resold for a lower
price. Over 5,000 computers have been repaired and sold to public schools at a discount, and
upwards of 4,000 tons of e-waste have been totally processed.
E-waste regulations
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report, Rwanda is one of 13 African
countries to nationally regulate e-waste, along with Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa,
Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. The government has implemented legal policies and built a
government-run plant that allows residents to dispose of old devices properly.
Steps towards unemployment elimination

Rwanda’s new e-waste processing plant not only properly recycles and upcycles old devices; it’s also
created hundreds of jobs.
As within electronic devices, there’s gold, silver, and platinum. These elements could be extracted,
providing new business opportunities for small businesses and municipalities to generate revenue.
Recycling solutions in Armenia. What is recyclable and what is not recyclable?
In 2019, 590,000 tonnes of garbage were dumped ground in Armenia, 310,000 tonnes of which were
in the capital alone. Armenia is implementing major waste-management reforms, and each one of us
can help the country succeed in this crucial process.
Why is this important?

Because proper waste management has several benefits: economic (job creation, positive impact on
tourism, efficient resource management), public health (reduction of health risks by reducing soil,
water, and air pollution), and environmental (reduction of Co2 emissions, and high-risk waste
pollution).
Anyway, let’s see solutions for some of the non-recycled waste in Armenia.
1) Are milk and juice cartons recyclable?

Shelf-stable cartons contain a layer of aluminum. As such, milk cartons should be recycled with
plastic, metal, and glass containers. Eventually, the cartons will be sorted separately at the recycling
facility and disposed of properly. … You don’t have to rinse out cartons before recycling.
2) Is cereal packaging recyclable?

Recycled card packaging… The outer recycled card packaging of the company’s iconic cereals boxes
is fully recyclable and has been for many years.
3) Can you recycle pasta packaging?

Yes, any flexible plastic packaging including cereal bags, coffee bags, fresh seal bags, snack wrappers,
rice/pasta packaging, gum packaging, plastic bags, bin bags, packaging for dried products and freezer
bags.
4) Can CDs and DVDs be recycled?

During the recycling process, the metallic coating is removed and the plastic is granulated and then
recycled. Plastic CD and DVD cases are recycled along with other plastics of the same type. Any
paper inserts are given to paper recyclers for processing. The recovered plastics and metals are used
for manufacturing a wide variety of plastic products and metal parts.
5) Can rubber gloves be recycled?
Unlike latex gloves that are not recyclable, you can recycle rubber gloves. This gives you the
reassurance that not all gloves end up in the waste bin. So, you can save up your rubber gloves and
put them in the recycling bin as long as they are not contaminated; nitrile, vinyl and latex and not
contaminated by clinical waste or chemicals.
6) Can you recycle plastic egg boxes?

They can be recycled as they’re made from PET, the same plastic that is used to make plastic bottles.
Just make sure they are clean and not contaminated, which can make them harder to recycle.
7) What kind of plastic cups are recyclable?

PET — soft drinks and water bottles, cold drinks-to-go cups
HDPE — fresh milk bottles, shampoo bottles
PVC — squeeze bottles
LDPE — bin liners and bins.
PP — beer cups, yogurt containers, meat, and poultry trays, and ice-cream containers.
8) Can PS plastics be recycled?

Styrofoam products are made out of PS plastic, so it’s commonly used to make disposable coffee
cups, packing peanuts, coolers and to-go food containers. PS products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled
as bars of PS polymer are granulated or cut into pellets and packed for sale to plastics
manufacturers. Recycled PS is used to manufacture numerous products, such as clothes hangers,
picture frames, cornices, hair combs and plastic rulers.
9) What can ceramics be recycled into?

Ceramics, including dishes, are recyclable for uses in art projects, driveway underlayment and gravel
pathways. Although it is difficult to find recyclers who accept ceramics, when these products are
ground up, they can be incorporated into tiles or new dishes. Sometimes facilities that recycle bricks
and concrete will recycle ceramics. If your ceramic dishes are reusable, donate them!
10) Can you recycle car windscreens?

Glass is one of the easiest materials to recycle, so you won’t be surprised to read that your car
windscreen and windows are recycled. Nick Kirk, Technical Director of GTS — Glass Technology
Services Ltd said:
The recovered cullet from crushed vehicles is likely to be of a quality that would require further glass
processing for remelting back into flat or container glass, therefore, alternative uses such as
aggregates, construction products tend to be the likely option.
11) How are TV & PC screens recycled?

To recycle televisions and pc screens, workers typically start by taking them apart by hand and
separating out the different components. Plastic, wood, and copper are sold on the commodities
market. The circuit boards go to specialized recyclers that reclaim the precious metals.
12) Are lamps recyclable?

Recycling lamps capture mercury, allowing it to be reused or processed safely. Convenient lamp
recycling options are available for residential consumers in most areas through both private and
public programs.
Chapter 2
The History of Rwandan Art
Rwandans used cow dung, unlike its usual use as a way of heating, cooking by drying and burning it
or generating methane gas, to express their ideas. In the following lines, you will read about a
unique art form.
In the early 1880s, Rwandans used dung to create distinctive "paintings" that were dominated by
black, brown, and white whorls and other geometric abstractions, which are considered to be the
origin of the country's art. These distinctive and natural works were incorporated into regional home
decor.
Today's Rwandan arts and crafts industry offer a wide range of products that are all handcrafted,
made entirely of natural materials, and dyed using non-toxic materials following the highest
international quality standards.
From ceramics and basketry to traditional woodcarvings and contemporary paintings, rural Rwanda
produces a wide range of traditional arts and crafts.
Imigongo artwork
This art form was on the verge of extinction in the chaos that followed the genocide, but 29 years
later, as the nation experiences a cultural renaissance, imigongo is emerging as a symbol of
extraordinary resiliency and ingenuity, just like Rwandans themselves.
The huts of traditional villages are decorated with bold, geometric imigongo art, and the country's
finest hotels in the capital, Kigali, proudly display pieces of imigongo art on their shelves.
Traditionally, geometric designs are produced. As women artists have grown in confidence, they
have begun to experiment with more modern, innovative images that convey the spirit of the
Rwandan landscape, its flora, its fauna and its people.
Here is what you need to know about imigongo:

For centuries, cows have been revered in Rwanda, a small landlocked country in Eastern Africa. A
subset of the breed called inyambo was allocated specifically to the kings in the 17th century.
Owning a cow was a sign of wealth and high social status in this traditionally agrarian society. These
majestic royal cows had long, arched horns and a stately appearance, and they were paraded
through royal villages as part of elaborate ceremonies honouring the reigning king.
One of these royal parades may have given rise to the concept of imigongo. According to local
legend, Prince Kakira, the son of King Kimenyi of Gisaka, invented the custom of cow dung
decoration in the eastern Kibungo region, close to the Tanzanian border in the late 18th or early
19th century. Prince Kakira created the paste-like compound by combining readily available cow
dung, ash, and clay. He then applied it to the hut's plain walls. After teaching local women his
approach, they continued using it for generations.
Processing steps
It is made through a remarkable process that takes a plentiful material—cow dung—and transforms
it into a work of art with the aid of creativity and natural dyes.
A wooden base plate, which can be as large as a mural or as small as a picture frame, serves as the
foundation for all creations. To ensure that the final design is proportionate, the artist divides this
plate into equal parts using banana fibres. The artist then uses charcoal to draw geometric patterns
like zigzags, spirals, diamonds, or squares on the plate. Fresh cow dung mixed with ash, which kills
bacteria and gets rid of odours, is used as the main medium.
This malleable, dough-like paste is manually applied by the artist, who then painstakingly uses his
fingers to meticulously trace the desired pattern, resulting in a raised relief. The artwork needs
about a day to air dry before being smoothed out and given a base coat of neutral ochre to ensure
that the remaining colours will appear in shades that match.
Once the piece has dried, the artist paints designs on it using a straightforward palette that contains
no more than four natural pigments. Black is a traditional colour, made from the ashes of banana
peels, the sap of aloe (ikakarubamba), and the deadly soda apple fruit (umutobotobo). White is
made from the clay mineral kaolin. Red is made from the iron-rich soil of Rwanda. Modern designs
increasingly employ a wider spectrum of colours, but the traditional style still uses four or fewer
colours.
Like other countries in the region, the history of cinema in Rwanda begins with the colonial period.
Initially, Rwanda was a colony of German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostarfrika). At that time, a company
called "Deutsche Kolonial Gesellschaft (DKG)," or "German Colonial Society," was responsible for
making films in the German colonies with technical support, and the French company Pathé Frères
was one of the market specialists.
On December 28, 1895, and 1898, only three years after the birth of cinema, the German
government expressed its desire to make films in its colonies. In that year, Dr. Stuhlmann, who was
the head of the Amani Institute in East Africa, asked for financial assistance to make a film in the
German colonies. At the same time, the German photographer Carl Müller made various films about
German East Africa and was able to show these films for the first time on April 10, 1905.
The films showed some of the colonial activities, such as the construction of administrative buildings
during colonialism, the cultivation of new crops such as coffee, scenes of colonial coastal
settlements, the training of native soldiers (called "askaris") from East Africa, traditional African
dances, and more.
Until Germany lost the First World War in 1918 and was expelled from its colonies, it had managed
to make between fifty and sixty films, including the one made in Tanganyika, since it had its
headquarters in Bagamoyo (between 1885 and 1890) and Dar Es Salaam (between 1890 and 1918).
Since the First World War started in 1914, one would think that the Germans had no time to
establish a stable cinema programme in the Rwanda-Urundi region. The cinema did not have time to
take root at that time. Rwanda was admitted to the League of Nations, SDN (Société Des Nations) in
June 1919, and Burundi was annexed to the Belgian Congo on July 20, 1922.
What attracted the Belgians at the beginning was not taking care of their new territory (called
"Karindwi"), but the overthrow of King Musinga, with which they did not agree at all. We can say
that they began to rule Rwanda in the 1930s, and what interested them about Rwanda-Urundi was
finding the energy (workers) to use in the mines in the Congo.
In the film that the Belgian Gérard De Boe made in 1958 and called En Cinquante Ans, he often
returns to the images of Rwandans and Burundians being taken to the Congo to work in the local
mines. Whoever said that cinema was not part of their plan in Rwanda at that time would not be
wrong, since the SDN had given Belgium a B-type mandate where it ordered Belgium to manage
Rwanda-Urundi without religious interference or military establishments (Reyntjens).
In 1949, Gérard de Boé, who had been a health worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
since 1927 and who also made real films (non-professionally), made a real film, Rwanda-Urundi. Six
years later, the film Mr. Kitoko, made by André Cauvin in 1955, tells about the journey of King
Baudouin of Belgium to the Belgian Congo and Rwanda-Urundi in May and June 1955, where he
arrived in Rwanda from Gitega in Burundi on the dates before June 1955.
In 1956, Luc de Heusch, a real film director and researcher on culture and people's traditions, made
a true film about Rwanda called «Rwanda tableaux d'une féodalité pastorale».
These writers and cultural researchers are the ones who made Hollywood know about Rwanda, and
they made the first feature film there. Based on the historical story "King Solomon's Mines," written
by the Englishman Henry Rider Haggard in 1885, members of the major Hollywood company Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer made the historical film "King Solomon's Mines" (1950, 103 min.), directed by
Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton.
The film was released on November 24, 1950, and cost two million, two hundred and fifty-eight US
dollars ($2,258,000), which is slightly more than one and a half billion Rwandan francs. Cinema in
Rwanda during the First and Second Republics: 1962–1994: After Rwanda gained independence on
July 1, 1962, cinema was never really part of the government's plans since it was not part of the
colonial government's plan.
There is no such thing as a cinema programme; it does not exist. It asked to start it, but it didn't. It
was just about the media in 1961. The lack of motion picture culture at the beginning is also
reflected in the delay in the establishment of national television, which was conceived as a project in
November 1986, eight months before Rwanda celebrated its 25th anniversary of independence.
Only in writing was the project started for four years because Rwanda Television started showing its
first video on December 31, 1990, working three days a week (Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday).
Although no Rwandans dared to make films for more than 20 years after Rwanda's independence,
films that were shown in Rwanda were shown mainly in high schools and on the news, and there
were even private houses that showed films from abroad.
For example, the most famous one in the city of Kigali, which is known as "Mayaka's House," is said
to have been built in the mid-1970s. It is now known as "Cine Elmay." In terms of making and
directing movies, the Rwandan Gaspard Habiyambere was the one who became an uncle when he
directed the short film Manirafasha in 1986 (Gakunzi, R., 2012).
He is considered to be the first Rwandan who managed to direct a film, as his film managed to be
recognized at the international level. However, the person who came to play an important role in
Rwandan cinema during the Second Republic was Mr. Kalisa Callixte, who was known in the
"Indamutsa" theater as a coach of actors. Kalisa Callixte was part of the team that produced the
actual film "Rwanda: A Developing Country" (1987, 56 min), produced by the National Press Agency
(ORINFOR) in collaboration with CINE-MUNDO.
This film was made to show what had been achieved in the country during the 25 years that Rwanda
had been independent. In particular, in that year 1987, Kalisa Callixte, supported by the Canadians,
directed a real movie called "Rwanda, Les Collines de l'effort" (58 min), especially its images, which
were taken differently. The video used 16mm of footage.
A year later, the film Gorillas in the Mist (1988) was made in Rwanda about the killing of
"Nyiramacibiri" (Diana Fossey), and we put it in the category of "Rwanda films," directed by
foreigners but talking about Rwanda, which was made by Americans. Although there was no
filmmaking culture in general, unfortunately, one of those who started to give hope to Rwandan
cinema, Mr. Kalisa Callixte, was killed and shot on April 6, 1994, when the Genocide against the Tutsi
began, and the cinema, the life of the country at all levels had entered the darkness.
When the genocide against the Tutsis was stopped in July 1994, journalists from the international
media rushed to make a real film about it. An example is the documentary film "A Culture of
Murder" made by journalist Steve Bradshaw of BBC Panorama Production and the 1995
documentary film "The Bloody Tricolor," which shows the role of France before the genocide.
One of the popular movies at that time was that of Luc de Heusch (who called himself Luc Zangrie)
called "Une République devenue Folle Rwanda: 1894-1994." He made this film in 1996 after he was
deeply saddened by what happened in Rwanda, as he knew its history because he was there in the
1950s, and he said in his testimony that he returned there in 1963.
When Luc returned to Belgium, he denounced the massacre in front of the Ligue Belge des Droits de
l'Homme, citing the involvement of Belgian soldiers in the massacre (those soldiers were part of the
plan to help start the Rwandan army). He only corrected the picture, which made him make the film
30 years later to give his testimony using real incriminating film.
Between 1994 and 1999, the films made in Rwanda were related to the Genocide against the Tutsi,
and all of them were "real films" (documentary films), which were done by journalists, especially at
the BBC. Additionally, BBC Panorama Production sponsored the following feature films (before
2000): "Journey into Darkness" (1994) and "Valentina's Story" (1997), both directed by Fergal Keane.
Movies like "When Good Men Do Nothing" (1997) and "Triomph of Evil" (1998), both by Steve
Bradshaw, appear to have been the catalysts for the production of the Tutsi Genocide film. In that
same year, 1997, Rwanda Television relaunched and for the first time aired a "TV drama" called
"Ryumeho Only," written by Mukeshbatware Dismas and starring He is also a veteran actor in the
Indamutsa Church, known for his plays on Radio Rwanda since 1984. This film, as a play, was
directed by the members of the Rwandan Indamutsa group.
In terms of documentary films, a Rwandan who became famous during those years when Rwanda
Television started working again was Mugyema Landouard, who was in charge of the broadcasting
department of Rwanda Television and who made various documentary films about the liberation
war.
Although his films did not reach the international level, he had a prominent role at that time and
even became known in the actual film produced by IBUKA in 2001, which he called "Rwanda: The
Preventable Genocide."
In the year 2000, Cameroonian François Woukouache, who was teaching cinema at the Department
of Journalism at the University of Rwanda, made a long film (126 min), "Nous ne sommes plus
morts," based on the testimony of genocide survivors, Tutsis. It was during the 2000s that Rwandan
and Rwandan films based on the theme of the Genocide against the Tutsi began to appear in large
numbers, including those produced by Hollywood.
Foreign journalists played a significant role in making movies in Rwanda from 1994 to 1999, and all
of them were real movies. The British journalist Nick Hughes, who was known for his career in
filming for the BBC, CNN, and NBC television, met with Rwandan Eric Kabera, who had recently
founded a company called Link Media Productions, and they agreed to make a documentary film
about the genocide.
The film called 100 Days was produced by Nick Hughes (who is also credited as its director) and
Rwandan Eric Kabera, who played a significant role in making it (as a co-producer), and many
Rwandans played in it.
It is considered the first documentary film about the Genocide against the Tutsi that was played in
English. The movie 100 Days was released in 2001, when Eric Kabera founded the Rwanda Cinema
Center.
Movies in Rwanda that were directed by foreigners at that time can be mentioned, such as
"Umurage (2002) by Gorka Gamarra, "Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire"
(2004) by Peter Raymont, "Ghosts of Rwanda" (2005) produced by PBS, and others. At the same
time, foreigners made several films in Rwanda, especially between 2004 and 2007, when at least one
film was released every year.
A total of six feature films were produced in those three years, and all of them are popular in the
international market, and almost all of them are selected for international film festivals.
Those films are Hotel Rwanda (2004) by George Terry, Shooting Dogs (2005) by Michael Caton-Jones,
Sometimes in April (2005) by Raoul Peck, Un Dimanche à Kigali by Robert Favreau, Shake Hands with
the Devil (2007) by Roger Spottiswoode, Munyurangabo by Lee Isaac Chung, and Opération
Turquoise (2007) by Alain Tasma, among others.
I'm with Paul

Willy Ndahiro (Paul) and Daniel Gaga (Ngenzi) are the first Rwandan actors to star in the first
Rwandan-produced film to be sold in the Rwandan film market. Rwandan cinema has been defined
by four key factors:
1. The trend of films in Rwanda (directed by foreigners).
2. The emergence of new Rwandan talent at the international level (many of them are young people;
their names and what they have done will be mentioned in the book).
3. The beginning of the Rwandan film industry and the introduction of Rwandan films to the
Rwandan film market.
4. Launching a programme of cinema courses (short-term or long-term) in training centers or schools

(government or private).
Rwandan architecture has been influenced by many outside forces since the earliest periods, as
there is evidence, just like the majority of other architectural traditions, particularly in Africa. Since
the late 15th century, coastal regions have also been influenced by Western architecture, which is
now a significant source for many larger structures, particularly in major cities.
The materials and designs

The materials used in Rwandan architecture are diverse, such as hay, sticks or wood, mud, mud
brick, rammed earth, and stone. In Rwanda or any other nation in Central Africa, a wall could be
constructed from mud and wood. Homes weren't clustered into small villages; instead, they were
dispersed across the hills and occupied by people from the same lineage.
Each home was surrounded by fields that were primarily planted with potatoes, bananas, sorghum,
and beans. There were several huts among the wealthy: a chief's hut for the chief; a second hut,
usually the woman's hut; a third hut set aside for cooking; and a fourth hut reserved for teenage girls
or visitors.
The entrance of the enclosure and that of the house were on the same axis. Smaller structures, such
as granaries and/or henhouses, were housed within the enclosure.
The structure
Rwanda is distinguished by its original construction by men. Constructions' size is determined by the
size of a person lying on the ground with the right arm extended. According to social status and the
owner's needs, this dimension is chosen.
Every hut has only one entrance protected by a woven porch, creating a beautiful and well-insulated
building that is suitable for the high humidity and temperatures of Rwanda's highlands. The
courtyard dwelling type includes areas for cooking, bathrooms, and shops.
Various types of the vernacular hut and house structures
1. Domical (beehive).
2. Mud cylinders and cones on poles
3. Roofing with a gable
4. A rectangle with the roof rounded and sloping at the ends.
5. Square.
African architecture is rooted in and informed by African cultures and traditions. And then
ultimately, it serves specifically African communities because architecture is not universal. It’s not a
copycat solution. It’s not a shoe that fits all. It needs to be customized for the people first.
The unique thing about African design is not that it was created in Africa or by African people; it’s
the skills, craft, knowledge, and culture that we can use as the source to create the architecture.
Architecture as a skill is internationally practiced. You don’t have to be an African architect to
produce African architecture. You also don't have to make something entirely out of grass to claim
to have created African architecture.
Stages of architecture development
1- Early Architecture
Homes weren't clustered into small villages; instead, they were dispersed across the hills and
inhabited by family members. Each home was surrounded by fields that were primarily used for
growing bananas, sorghum, beans, and sweet potatoes. There were several huts among the wealthy:
a chief's hut, usually the woman's hut; a second hut for cooking; a third hut for teenage girls; and a
fourth hut for guests. Both the house's and the enclosure's entrances were on the same axis. Within
the enclosure, smaller buildings like granaries and/or henhouses were housed.
2- Medieval Architecture
Nyanza was the royal capital of Rwanda. The king's residence, the Ibwami, was built on a hill. The
surrounding hills were occupied by permanent or temporary dwellings. These dwellings were round
huts surrounded by big yards and high hedges to separate compounds. The Rugo, the royal
compound, was made of circular reed fences around thatched houses. The houses were carpeted
with mats and had a clay hearth in the center for the king, his wife, and his entourage. The royal
residence was only 200–100 yards away. It looked like a huge maze of connected huts and granaries.
It had one entrance that led to a large public square called the karubanda.
Later, the colonization would export the first European architecture. So after the arrival of the first
Germans in Rwanda, Mr. Oscar Bomman in 1892, and the second, Mr. Von Gortzen, in 1894,
Germany decided to put Rwanda under its protection, and later, in 1897–1903, the first European
building became the residential house of Germany's representative, Richard Kanth.
It is a simple house, with brick walls and a cross-hipped roof covered by aluminium sheets. This
house has seen some renovation work but never had its structural system changed. After the Second
World War, Germany was replaced by Belgium; this period was characterized by the construction of
different Catholic churches and the building of the King's palace at Nyanza.
Rwandese continued the vernacular architecture characterized by the use of wood, mud, mudbrick,
stone, and glass as the roof covering materials.
3- Modern Architecture
This stage may be considered in Rwanda as the continuation of the medieval period. There is now
the use of mud bricks, heated bricks, tiles, aluminium sheets, etc. In general, the structural concepts
did not change. Also, the shapes of the roofs remained unchanged; only the materials and sizes
could change.
The history of Rwanda includes both concrete and abstract elements that provide visitors with
knowledge of Rwandan mythology, culture, and history. With locations all over the country, it is easy
to include at least one of these fascinating locations in any itinerary for Rwanda. The national
museums of Rwanda are among the best in East Africa.
Kigali Genocide Memorial

The Aegis Trust raised the $2 million needed to construct the Kigali Genocide Memorial in 2001 in
cooperation with Rwanda's National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG). On April 7,
2004, the tenth anniversary of the 1994 genocide, the centre was officially opened.
Up to 259,000 genocide victims are buried at the memorial, which also serves as a place for people
to grieve and remember their lost loved ones. It serves as a museum where local and international
visitors can research the causes, methods, and results of the genocide.
National Art Gallery (Nyanza)

It was constructed for Rwanda's King Mutara III Rudahigwa, who passed away in 1959, just before he
was set to move into his contemporary palace, which is located in a spacious colonial structure atop
the lovely Rwesero Hill. The artwork on display in this museum, which includes both traditional and
modern works, attests to the creativity of Rwandans. The National Art Gallery is a fantastic surprise
because it's not often that you find such a carefully chosen selection of art on a lovely green hilltop
out in the countryside.
Sainte-Famille Church
It is one of the oldest Catholic missions, having been founded in 1913, and is situated on a hill close
to Rugenge's commercial area. Although the building is made of red brick, white panels are used to
adorn its facade. In addition to the parish church, it has a visitor centre, a clinic, a primary school, a
driving school, and structures that the parish rents to private individuals.
Green Mosque (Masjid al-Fatah)

The largest and oldest mosque in Rwanda, Masjid Alfatah, is situated about 7 kilometres southwest
of Kigali's downtown in the suburb of Nyamirambo (also called Nyamijos). It is known as "the Green
Mosque" because of its green and white minarets. It was established in the late 1930s when Muslim
traders first arrived in Rwanda and began settling in the Kigali suburbs.
Cathedral of Butare
It is a Catholic Church-owned religious structure that is situated in the southern Rwandan town of
Butare. Built in the 1930s, when Butare served as the colonial capital, it is regarded as Rwanda's
largest cathedral and was created as a tribute to the Swedish Princess Astrid. The interior of the
building has a long hallway, arches, and large windows that give the space a light appearance. On
the exterior, admire the Mary sculpture and take in the big garden.
The Rwandan government is devoted to establishing guidelines for sustainable urban development
and is committed to achieving global objectives. Integrating green building and design, efficient and
renewable energy, recycling, and inclusive living using a holistic approach.
What is the Green Building?

A "green building" is a naturally occurring, environmentally friendly structure that uses resources
like water, energy, and materials wisely while also requiring less upkeep. The energy efficiency of a
green building is increased, as is the amount of water used, and the amount of recycled, recyclable,
and non-toxic materials used.
The features of the green building

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that in 2015, buildings were
responsible for 28% of global CO2 emissions and 30% of final energy consumption worldwide.
According to UN-Habitat, buildings in Africa use approximately 56% of the continent's total
electricity consumption.
The Nobelia Office Tower in Kigali, which received the first Green Star rating in the nation—a 6-Star
Green Star SA-Rwanda-Office v1 Design rating for shell and core—is the most notable example of a
green building.
I&M Bank
In contrast to typical city construction designs that include glass, which generate heat and require
the use of a lot of air conditioning to cool the premises, locally made Ruliba bricks were used in the
building because they reduce heat generation inside the structure.
Concave window installations are another design feature that is intended to reflect heat from direct
sunlight away from the building. In this way, the brick and glazing design help to cool the interior of
the building without using a lot of air conditioning.
The roofing style is distinctive to Kigali, and in addition to giving the city a beautiful skyline, it has
green design elements. Natural light can enter the center of the two tower blocks of the building
design because the central portion of the roof is relatively transparent.
Additionally, solar panels are being installed on the roof. This will allow the bank to use solar energy
resources.
The building's drainage system has been created in such a way that rainwater can be drained from it
into a holding tank with a treatment facility, where it can be transformed into completely potable
water (including drinking water) for use inside the structure.
The government of Rwanda also funds a wide range of initiatives, including:
The Green City of Kigali

It is a pioneering concept responding to emerging global issues. Africa’s cities are rapidly growing.
The United Nations expects the continent’s population to double by 2050, most of which will be
concentrated in urban areas. Addressing this tendency is both a challenge and an opportunity, as
many move to the city in the hope of finding employment and better living conditions. It is key that
these trends do not lead to further growing inequalities, poverty, and environmental degradation. It
will be located on 600 ha of land, with goals to become carbon-neutral by 2050, build about 30.000
housing units, provide assistance to about 150.000 direct beneficiaries, and eventually generate
about 16,000 jobs.
Rwandan Weaving History
Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa are the three major ethnic groups within Rwandan culture. These divisions are
primarily based on perceptions of historical group origins rather than actual cultural differences.
They all speak the same language, practice the same religions, and are geographically dispersed
throughout the same region, so despite their extreme political divergences, it is generally accepted
that all three groups share a common culture.
Basketry industry in Rwanda

The people of Rwanda and those living in its neighbouring countries both share a culture called
Rwandan. The most common form of artistic expression in both Rwanda and Burundi was the
weaving of architectural components and storage containers. The volcanic and mountainous terrain
of the area was home to a wide variety of grass-like plants, which were used as the main building
material.
The construction of granaries, beehives, and fishnets required the use of fibre products, which were
essential tools in Rwandan society for farming operations. Large baskets that were shaped and sized
specifically for different kinds of grains were traditionally used to store harvested crops. Most
Rwandans make their living primarily by raising cattle.
A milk container with a basketry lid was among a shepherd's tools. Additionally, woven-fibre
ornamental tapestries were used to adorn the shelves where these were kept.
Gender-specific duties were associated with basketry among the Tutsi elite. Homes, granaries,
fences, and other substantial fibre-based structures were constructed by men. The floor mats,
baskets, and wall panels in the museum's collection were all made by women, who also produced
more intricately woven items. When people got together for fun in the evenings, basket weaving
was a common activity.
The Tutsi harpist's music accompanied the women as they worked on their beadwork, baskets, and
embroidery. On such occasions, decorative architectural components were made, including mats,
space dividers, and woven basketry "tapestries." These patterns, which contrasted sharply in black
and white to create a visually vibrant arrangement, entirely covered the interiors of Tutsi homes.
Black, red, and natural gold fibre alternated with similar variations in decorative patterns in finely
woven miniature baskets. Such intimate-sized baskets were made primarily to be given as gifts and
had no common use aside from storing priceless items such as the master of the house's pipe,
beads, or amulets.
The Rwandan Folk Costumes

Rwandan ladies traditionally dress in Musanana, which encompasses a floor-length skirt with a sash
swathed over one shoulder, worn over a tank top or bustier. Ladies made their hair in a way that
consisted of a bun decorated with beads and tied in place by two ribbons that passed across the
forehead and over the bun, crossing above the ear. A comb is placed above one ear beneath the
crossing point of the flags; this is a way traditional Rwandan women could dress up.
However, Rwandan men wear their Umushanana with a white shirt tucked into a wrapped floor-
length skirt. Up until the 1920s, fibres made up the majority of the clothing worn by both farmers
and members of the aristocratic elite. Then, imported textiles started to take their place.
Fibres, Technique, and Patterns

Most Tutsi fibre artefacts were made with raw materials from plants like bamboo, grass, cane, reed,
raffia, and banana leaves. The makers of Tutsi basketry skillfully blended natural black and red
pigments with the grass's pale gold colour to produce the distinctive geometric patterns that
graphically decorated these fibres. The boiling banana flower sap, which was used to make black
dye, is dark in colour. Both the root and seeds of the urukamgi plant were used to make the red dye.
After the 1930s, more diverse colour palettes were frequently used in artwork thanks to dyes that
were imported.
The created motifs had specific names, and they had a wide range of options available to them. We
have a priceless source of information on the Tutsi graphic system thanks to Marcel Pauwels, a
Belgian missionary who lived in Rwanda in the 1950s. He asked Abbé Alexis Kagame to assist him in
carefully cataloguing the names and meanings of the existing motifs.
The following patterns that are visible on pieces in the museum's collection can be named thanks to
Pauwels' investigation: Isimbi (cowrie shells), a pattern of alternating black-and-white triangles on
horizontal bands; Itana (smaller black-and-white triangles); Umukebo (a black-and-white
checkerboard motif; from the verb "to cut"); and, specifically for architectural elements, ikibero (the
thigh) and ishobe (the transversal line).
To make basketry work, specific tools were employed. The three most crucial tools were the
umshyo, a tiny knife, and the urwabya, a tiny earthenware vase filled with water to maintain the
moisture of the fibres. The iron lancet, uruhindu, was used for cutting and piercing.
The type of item created dictated a wide range of weaving techniques. Vegetable fibres were
mounted on a spiral frame that had been stitched to create igiseke baskets. By using two-sided
panels, the igihisi technique made it possible to create works with a frame and a cover.
The decorative cover was made of several layers of reed, usually natural and dyed black, attached
with thin raffia or sisal fibres to define the desired motif, while the structural frame was a panel of
interwoven bamboo strips.
The devastating social unrest that took place in Rwanda in the 1990s destroyed many early works
that exhibit the technical sophistication seen in the pieces in the museum's collection. A recent
resurgence has led to the opening of new workshops in Rwanda for the production of baskets and
other handicrafts.
History of contemporary art in Rwanda
Contemporary art is the term used for art of the present day. Usually the artists are alive and still
making work. There are many passionate, talented Rwandan contemporary artists you should know
about such as Innocent Nkurunziza, Muhunguyisoni Theodomire, Emmanuel Nkuranga, and Medard
Bizimana.
Contemporary art is often about ideas and concerns, rather than solely the aesthetic (the look of the
work). Artists try different ways of experimenting with ideas and materials.
Here is a list of the top contemporary art galleries that you should read about.
Rwanda Art Museum Kigali

It is formerly the Presidential Palace Museum, this new museum displays contemporary artworks
from Rwanda as well as abroad. The museum seeks to provide an insight into the originality of
Rwandan creativity. Exploring the development of art from olden times to the modern day, it
considers how traditional and modern imaginations can blend and fuse.
The flight debris from the presidential jet that went down on 6th April 1994 remain in situ in the
garden and this will remain a heritage site. The sprawling Rwanda Art Museum Kigali facility is
located in Kanombe, about four kilometers from the Kigali International Airport. Although it’s the
only contemporary art museum the country has at the moment, it is not the first art museum in the
country. From 2006 until 2018, the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda operated an art
museum in Rwesero-Nyanza, in a building that was built in the 1950s, and that was supposed to
become a new royal palace for King Mutara III Rudahigwa.
Inside the museum, one is greeted by art works that were initially exhibited at Rwesero, in addition
to other relevant artworks that were recently acquired from different Rwandan artists. According to
officials from the INMR, the idea to transform the building into an art museum came from
suggestions left by visitors, while other suggestions came from local visual artists. In all, there are
127 artworks produced by 51 different artists on display on the museum walls. The pieces range
from sculptures, paintings, to mixed media and ceramics.
Art Galleries in Kigali

There are many incredible art galleries around Kigali, and Rwanda as a whole, but listed below are
some of the highly recommended by other people.
INEMA Arts Center

Founded in 2012 by brothers and self-taught painters Emmanuel Nkuranga and Innocent Nkurunziza,
Inema Arts Center spurs creativity for personal, social and economic growth.
Today, Inema Arts Center has become a beacon in Rwanda for cultivating creative expression. Inema
Arts Center is a collective of Rwandan creative artists. At its core, Inema Arts Center provides space
for 5 artists in residence to explore their creative talent. Additionally, it attracts collectors from all
over the world who travel specifically to buy art.
IVUKA Arts
Founded in 2007 by artist Colin Sekajugo, Ivuka Arts started as a center to introduce modern art to
Rwanda. A group of seven at the outset, the artists had a place to work together and work with the
local community. The lack of arts education in Rwanda inspired the group to invite young locals to
learn to paint.
Encouraging young artists has kept Ivuka moving – and growing. In the beginning the artists were
just surviving on the earnings from their art. Now, the ever-expanding group (15+ artists in 2012) are
internationally recognized. They’ve done exhibits and installations in the US, the UK, Japan, and
Rwanda, of course.
AZIZI LIFE Studio

Azizi Life Studio specialises in traditional crafts like Imigongo, woven baskets, jewelry, wood carving,
and pottery; Azizi not only provides these as finished products for different purposes, but they also
provide courses on how to make them on your own.
Niyo Arts Center

It is a place for creativity to thrive; a safe haven where Rwandan artists can come and experiment
with their art form, be it painting, sculpture, dance, music or drumming. The artists in residence
come from all over Africa, so you can expect to see a vast array of African art on display.
Founded by orphan Pacifique Niyonsenga to showcase pieces by its house artists (some of whom are
children) and support children living in poverty with their education and basic needs.
The center recognizes that the arts have a unique power to unite people, promote empathy, build
self-confidence, and catalyze social change. We offer classes in music, dance, theater, visual arts,
and creative writing. The goal is to provide students with the skills and confidence they need to
express themselves creatively and make positive contributions to their communities.
Chapter 3
The History of Armenian Cinema
Caucasus-travelling foreign filmmakers served as the sources of inspiration for the development of
Armenian cinema.
The first films to be set in Armenia were two documentaries shot in Etchmiadzin in 1907, one on the
funeral of Khrimian Hayrig, Catholicos of all Armenians, and the other on the burial of Catholicos
Matheos in 1911. Cinemas first appeared in Armenia between 1909 and 1910, and in March 1913,
publisher Vahan Zartaryan, an Armenian-Egyptian, produced the film "Haykakan Sinema" (Armenian
Film) in Cairo. This was the first genuine Armenian production to be shot.
Armenian cinema was subject to strict government regulation during the Soviet era. The Armenian
State Committee on Cinema, also known as Goskino, was founded in 1923 to regulate all filmmaking.
The first Armenian fictional film, "Namous" (Honor), was shot two years later by Armenian director
Hamo Beknazaryan, who received his training in Moscow. A lot of documentaries about the Soviet
Union, Armenian culture, and the Armenian Genocide were produced over the following decades by
artists connected to Goskino.
The Soviet Union's censorship began to loosen in the late 1950s and early 1960s; one of the first
religious documentaries under Soviet rule, the 30-minute "Election of the Catholicos Vazgen I," was
produced in 1955. In 1969, Sergei Parajanov made "The Color of Pomegranates," which is regarded
as one of the greatest Armenian films ever; it is a poetic adaptation of the life of 18th-century
Armenian Sayat-Nova and has since regulations governing the Armenian film industry were loosened
with the advent of perestroika in the late 1980s, opening the door for more films exploring religion
and other previously taboo subjects. This was the period when the renowned Metanadaran TV
series was filmed. The series, which is directed by Hovik Hakhverdyan, is made up of numerous 29-
minute segments that introduce Armenian history and culture through the extraordinary world of
old Armenian manuscripts.
Armenian directors were once again given carte blanche when it came to choosing themes after the
fall of the Soviet Union. The yearly Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival is one of many
current international festivals where acclaimed Armenian cinema productions can be seen.
The Duduk in the movies

The Armenian duduk's musical performance was honoured as a masterpiece of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.
Many movies today feature duduk music. He quickly rose to the top of the list of instruments used to
perform music for movie soundtracks. The duduk was first heard in "The Last Temptation of Christ,"
which was followed by other motion pictures and television shows. The following list includes the
names of the most well-known of them:
"Ararat"
"The Russian House"
The Crow
"Xena is the queen of warriors."

"Onegin"
"Gladiator"
The Hulk
"Alexander"
"The Passion of Christ"
"Munich"
"Syriana"
"The Da Vinci Code"
"Ashes and Snow"
The Golden Age

Armenian cinema experienced a genuine golden age during the Soviet era in the country's history.
Here are the top 10 full-length movies.
1. Honor (1925) | Drama | 62 min
In the early years of Soviet cinema's "revolutionary phase," the first Armenian movie was made. It is
a critique of Caucasian patriarchal culture and is based on Aleksandr Shirvanzade's 1885 novel. Amo
Bek-Nazaryan, the father of Armenian cinema and a former actor in Tsarist Russian cinema, was the
film's director.
2. Zare (1927) | Drama | 72 minutes
The first Kurdish/Yazidi movie was also directed by Bek-Nazaryan. Armenia became a significant
center for Kurdish culture in the Soviet era. In the 1920s, Maria Tenazi-Tadevosyan, a well-known
actress in films from Georgia and Armenia, played the lead role. Sergei Eisenstein served as an
inspiration for Bek-Nazaryan's use of actual Yazidi villagers.
3. Road to the Stage (1963) | Biography, Comedy, Romance | 88 min
One of the most famous works of Armenian cinema from the Khrushchev era (1954–1964), this
classic comedy stars renowned Armenian clown Leonid Yengibarov (Yengibaryan). Armenians are
most familiar with it thanks to the song "Song of the Road."
4. Barev, yes em (1966) | Drama, Romance | 137 min
This movie, which was directed by Frunze Dovlatyan and starred Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, is about
the World War II experience of Armenians living in the USSR. The movie was accepted into the 1966
Cannes Film Festival and received a Palme d'Or nomination.
5. The Color of Pomegranates (1969) | Biography, Drama, History | 79 min
The groundbreaking masterpiece by Sergei Parajanov, starring the Georgian actress Sofiko Chiaureli.
It is about the life of the 18th-century Armenian bard Sayat-Nova was edited and censored by the
Soviet authorities, who took issue with the religious content. Since then, the movie has gained
acclaim in both Armenian and foreign cinema.
6. We and Our Mountains (1969)| Comedy, Drama | 94 min
This film, which was written and directed by Hrant Matevosyan, centers on a police inspector who
investigates a case of missing sheep in a village in the Armenian mountains. It's one of the most
famous Armenian movies, with Mher "Frunzik" Mkrtchyan.
7. Tghamardik (1973) | Comedy, Romance | 69 min
A cult favourite in Armenia, this comedy follows a lovesick taxi driver and his devoted friends. It is
commemorated by a well-known statue in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
8. A Bride from the North (1975 TV Movie) | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 75 min
This musical satirizes Russian-Armenian relations through the love story of an Armenian man and a
Russian woman, and it features the popular songs of renowned Armenian composer Arno
Babajanyan. The Soviet film of the Leonid Brezhnev era continues to be a classic.
9. Delivery (1977) | Drama | 142 minutes
Aleksandr Myasnikyan, the Soviet Armenian statesman who worked to rebuild Armenia after years
of genocide, war, and destruction, is portrayed by Khoren Abrahamyan in Frunze Dovlatyan's grand
epic. Starring - Yeghishe Charents (Azat Gasparyan), Shushanik Kurghinyan (Eleonora Petrosyan), and
Martiros Saryan (Hrant Sargsyan).
10. Ktor me yerkinq (1980) | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 92 minutes
This classic Armenian film, which was directed by Henrik Malyan and was based on a story by
Armenian author Vahan Totovents, centers on the romance between a young, underprivileged man
(Ashot Adamyan) and a prostitute (Galina Belyaeva). It is a parody of the Armenian bourgeoisie's
hypocrisy, Starring- Mher Mkrtchyan and Sofiko Chiaureli.
Armenian architecture has a special character that is difficult to place within precise geographical
boundaries, as most of the monuments were created in the historical Armenian regions known as
the "Armenian Highlands."
Armenian churches
Armenian churches are known for many distinctive features that some believe to be the first
national style of church construction, as a result of the influence of Armenians on the surrounding
nature, as their pointed domes-usually polygonal from the outside, often octagonal, based on a
cylindrical tower—resemble the conical shape of Mount Ararat.
The churches were constructed from stone because the stone is more readily available in Armenia
than wood, and since stone buildings tend to be low and have thick walls, they are earthquake-
resistant. While small buildings and most residential buildings are usually built of lighter materials,
building materials located in the same place as stone are usually used in order to give the structure a
uniform color.
In cases where different coloured stones are used, they are often deliberately contrasted in a striped
or checkerboard pattern.
The system of building churches
The building system is divided according to Toros Toramanian (March 18, 1864-March 1, 1934), who
is considered the father of Armenian architectural historiography, into six styles:
1-Vertical-emphasis rectangular "Church of St. Gayane"
2-Cruciform "Etchmiadzin Cathedral"
3-Circular "Zvartnots church"
4-The radial "Saint Hripsime"
5-Domed basilica "Tekor Basilica Church"
6-Basilica "Basilica Church of Ererouk"
The development of Armenian architecture
Pre-Christian period
Armenian architecture flourished during the third millennium BC, as it was considered the basis for
the inclusion of many geometric shapes, as can be seen in the monuments located in the Gyul-Tepe
and Nakhichevan regions.
Urartian architecture is known for its use of intricately cut rocks, used as the foundations of mud-
brick buildings, usually built in a compact manner as in Erebuni. The urban architectural traditions,
and other forms of art in the years preceding the appearance of Christ and his subsequent
development, were influenced by Roman art.
Urartian architecture is famous for its use of intricately cut rocks, used as foundations for mud-brick
buildings, usually built in a compact manner as in Erebuni.
The Garni Temple, built in the first century AD, in the Hellenistic style, is the only remaining temple
in Armenia, as many other places were destroyed or converted to Christian places of worship under
the reign of King Trdat III.
Post-Christian period:
After the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of Armenia in 301 AD, architecture
experienced development with the preservation of Ancient Traditions.
St. Gregory the Illuminator gave the order to construct the first Armenian churches, many of which
were erected atop pagan temples while emulating elements of pre-Christian Armenian design.
The Armenian churches describe the general landscape of the Christian East at a time when
eyewitness testimonies were extremely rare, and also formed and preserved public memory,
bringing together diverse linguistic, religious, political and ethnic groups.
Armenian architecture of the Middle Ages
Armenian classical architecture of the Middle Ages is divided into four separate periods:
1- Formative period
2- Bagratunyats Hayastan
3- Zakarid dynasty
4- The Safavid period
Soviet era "19th - century"
Armenian architecture developed when the Russians entered eastern Armenia, a number of
architectural masterpieces were built in Alexandropol and Yerevan, as well as in Kars, which is now
part of Turkey. Armenian buildings of that time were mainly made of basalt, so those buildings were
black.
Modern times
Baghdasar Arzumanyan is one of the most famous architects of the twentieth century, he designed
numerous civil and church buildings, as well as legendary architects such as Alexander Tamanyan,
the planner of the capital Yerevan, Raphael Israilian, the architects of the Armenian Balyan family in
Turkey, and others. Ruben Hasratyan and Sargis Gurzadyan are today's Armenian architecture
masters.
Armenian monuments, particularly churches and cemeteries, were vandalized and destroyed as a
result of anti-Armenian movements, which began with Tamerlane's "five-year attack" as he ravaged
Diyarbakir, Armenia, and Karaj (present-day Georgia), and progressed with the QoraBagh (Artsakh),
where some of its people were killed and enslaved in a large campaign known as the "seven-year
campaign" (802-8-807 Ah / 1399-1405 A.D), the purpose of which was to punish the Mamluks for
helping Ahmad Jaliri the Khan of Baghdad in the war against him, the Ottoman Sultan "Bayezid I",
the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who ruled East Asia Minor, was disciplined.
In modern times, the Armenian architectural heritage, both in Turkey and Azerbaijan, has been
vandalized, especially in the disputed Artsakh and Nakhichevan, which currently belongs to
Azerbaijan, where Iranian reports at the end of 2005 showed Azerbaijani soldiers deliberately trying
to destroy tombstones. More recent photographs have revealed that the entire cemetery has been
razed, and a military training ground has been constructed on the site.
To find out the affected archaeological sites, visit:
https://www.artsakhmonuments.com/wp/
Armenian diaspora
As a result of Armenia's turbulent situation, Armenians moved to live in various parts of the world
and to preserve the architectural heritage and traditions, Armenian communities began to build
their churches influenced by existing cathedrals such as Zvartnots and Etchmiadzin, as is the case
with the Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator in Egypt in Ramses Square - Cairo, and the Cathedral
of Saints Gregory the Illuminator and Elias the Prophet for Armenian Catholics in the center of the
country Beirut - Lebanon.
Khachkar "The Stone Cross"
The khachkar is proof of Armenian identity, as it is made by carving a solid Tuff Stone inclined to the
red color for which Armenia is famous, with the addition of geometric motifs such as plant and
animal motifs, such as the lion and Eagle, which symbolize strength and determination, and
represented by botanical drawings and types of fruits for which the country is famous, such as
grapes, apricots, and pomegranates.
Khachkar’s History
The art of khachkar carving began in the early fourth century AD, and each of the Armenian states
was distinguished by a special style of khachkar carving. This art reached its peak from the ninth to
the thirteenth century; the oldest khachkar that exists today belongs to Queen kadraniteh in 879
A.D., and the second-oldest one is located in the Garni Temple and belongs to Krikor Aderneseh in
881 A.D. The art of khachkar is a feature of Christian Armenian art and was used as a monument to
commemorate the Armenian Genocide in the twentieth century, as it became associated with the
memory of the martyrs who died to preserve their Armenian nationality.
After the Soviets took control of the First Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Soviet Socialist
Republic ("Second Republic") was established in December 1920 and lasted until the fall of the
Soviet Union in 1991.
Soviet architecture
Armenia turned from a remote agricultural region into an important centre of industrial production,
which required the creation of vocational schools and factories, some of which are still in use today.
Armenia's rapid success in the world of technology is due, in part, to the country's heritage as an
educational center. Armenia has had the best schools since the Soviet Union's time, qualifying it to
be the Soviet Union's scientific center, the center of its research, and the source of nearly half of the
Soviet army's high-tech needs.
Educational renaissance
Yerevan State University (YSU) was first known as the National University of Armenia (NUA), which
was the only Soviet-era institution still in operation. It was founded in 1919 by ministerial decree and
followed a long tradition of higher learning kept alive by the church; it "renewed the ancient
traditions of Armenian scholarship in language and history that, during 600 years of foreign
occupation, had flourished only among the diaspora abroad."
Free education
Universities at that time were completely open to the public and free to attend. Technical and
agricultural schools, along with workers' universities, began to transform into new professionally
oriented institutes as early as the 1920s, concurrently with the Cultural Revolution reforms that
swept the USSR like the Armenian State Pedagogic Institute in 1922 and the Yerevan Polytechnic
Institute in 1933.
Following government directives, independent, career-focused institutes were established in 1930.

These included the Yerevan Agriculture Institute, the Armenian Construction Institute, and the State
Medical Institute. A significant increase in HE enrollment was seen in the 1970.
The architecture of the Soviet Union at the time included more than just industrial buildings; it also
included opera houses, movie theaters, public buildings, and museums, in addition to housing that
was being constructed more and more to accommodate the dense population.
Therefore, the architecture of Soviet Armenia is a unique chapter in Armenian history, a repository
of shared memories and aesthetics that are vying for recognition and inclusion in the nation's overall
transformation.
Yerevan's sights, the capital

The majority of buildings of Soviet architecture are located close to the centre of the capital and
within walking distance from the main attractions and each other.
Cascade Complex
One of the highlights is the Cascade Complex, which is one of the most impressive sites besides
being the main tourist attraction in Yerevan.
It was designed by architects Sargis Gurzadyan, Jim Torosyan and Aslan Mkhitaryan. Work on the
complex began in 1971, and nine years later, the first part of it was completed. Further work
continued in the 2000s.
The complex consists of several levels, where many modern sculptures can be found in addition to
Armenian folk motifs, and where the best view of Yerevan and the famous Mount Ararat can also be
enjoyed. You can also visit the Cafesjian Art Center—the Museum of Modern Art—to see the works
of some world-famous artists.
The 572 steps of the stairs of the complex are made of limestone. The stairs are interspersed with
tiers of greenery, fountains and waterfalls. This exotic masterpiece of the Soviet era, essentially an
Armenian copy of the ancient hanging gardens of Babylon, has undergone a complete renovation
and revitalization although it was only partially completed in the early 1980s.
Cinema Rossiya
It was the largest cinema in Armenia, built between 1968 and 1975 with a design similar to Mount
Ararat, with its peaks, accommodating up to 2500 people. After the Soviet Union collapsed, it turned
into a shopping center. Designed by architects Spartak Khachikyan, Hrachik Poghosyan, and Artur
Tarkhanyan.
Yerevan Opera Theater
On January 20, 1933, the building was officially opened with Spendiaryan's Almast opera
performance. Its building was designed by the Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian. It consists of
two concert halls: the Aram Khatchaturian Concert Hall with 1,400 seats and the Alexander
Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet National Theatre with 1,200 seats.
Based on Tamanian's design and under the supervision of his son, the theater hall was completed in
1939, and the opera building was renamed after Alexander Spendiaryan. Large-scale construction
work did not conclude until 1953, when the entire structure was finally completed in its current
form.
Yeritasardakan Metro Station
One of the most famous metro stations in Armenia, it is known for the characteristic tube above the
entrance and its close location to the Cascade Complex and the Opera House. Designed by architect
Stepan Kyurkchyan, it was built between 1972 and 1981.
Tigran Petrosyan's Chess House
Zhanna Mescheryakova is the architect who designed the triangle-shaped building, which was built
in 1970 and opened in 1971 and is considered one of the best chess education centres in the world.
Chess in Armenia is important; children are taught chess lessons in schools compulsorily from the
age of 6 (Armenia is the only country in the world where chess plays such a crucial role in the
education program).
Residential complexes in Soviet Armenia
Russian-born Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian created the first general plan for Yerevan
under Soviet rule, which was approved in 1924. The plan, which was overlaid on the preexisting city
layout and was influenced by the Garden City style of the time, was created to house 150,000
people. The new one took into account the majority, of the existing urban fabric.
Many buildings didn't survive this significant transformation as a result of the Soviets' early
internationalist ideological approach to religion and history; as a result, hundreds of homes and
historic structures, including churches, mosques, baths, bazaars, and caravanserais, as well as the old
Erivan fortress, were destroyed.
Similar to other socialist cities, urban Yerevan was typically envisioned as having a perfect balance of
labour and economic efficiency, social justice in terms of access to urban goods and services, and a
high standard of communal life for the urban populations.
Rapid industrialization sparked a mass emigration of people from rural areas to Yerevan. The
socialist government engineered and planned the population's flow into a unified workforce using
urbanization.
After Joseph Stalin's death in 1953, urbanization accelerated and was underpinned by new
ideologies from the early 1960s until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Mass production,
functionalism, and rationalism were supposed to take the place of Stalinism's "wasted" ornament
and grand planning. Architects were instructed to prioritize easy-to-reproduce designs, lower costs,
and quicker construction. Prefabricated concrete and modular construction methods are notable
results of these changes.
The resurgence of Armenian nationalism and the strategic repositioning of the diaspora as an
essential component of Armenian national identity were made possible by Khrushchev's relative
comfort with social and cultural constraints. Housing became increasingly scarce in Armenia,
especially in Yerevan, as a result of Armenians' return home in the 1960s and rising rural-urban
migration.
The lack of housing persisted despite Khrushchev's mass housing campaign into the 1980s, peaking
in 1988 as a result of widespread evictions brought on by the Nagorno-Karabakh "Artsakh" ethnic
conflict with Azerbaijan and the devastating earthquake that year. Many Armenians transformed
their state-owned prefabricated homes into distinctive domestic spaces over decades of addition,
expansion, and improvised interior remodelling. This was a natural reaction to such spaces' spatial
shortcomings in allowing for rural and local lifestyles.
Much of Soviet architecture is still standing today, more than 30 years after the U.S.S.R. collapsed,
particularly in Yerevan, the dynamic capital.
What is particularly alluring about Armenia's Soviet architecture is its local feel, incorporating
elements such as the classical Armenian style and the volcanic stone known as Tuff, which gives
Yerevan its nickname, "the Pink City."
Abandoned Soviet Heritage
The history and spirit of the Soviet Union can be felt in each of these remote locations. For example,
there are several abandoned Soviet camps in Vanadzor, including Astghik, Yeghnik, Artek, and
Tsitsernak.
Here are some landmarks that were once significant but are regrettably no longer in use.
ErAZ or Yerevanskiy Avtomobilny Zavod
It was an Armenian automaker in Yerevan, Armenia, best known for manufacturing the RAF-977K
van (also known as the ErAZ-762) from 1966 to 1996.
On December 31, 1964, the Council of Ministers of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic
announced plans to establish the ErAZ factory. The original staff received their training at UAZ in
Russia and the Riga Autobus Factory in Latvia. In 1995, ErAZ was privatized, and in 2002, it filed for
bankruptcy.
Cliffside Hotel, Jermuk
The mountain town of Jermuk in the Vyutsdzor province of southern Armenia was one of the most
popular Soviet vacation spots in Armenia, during the period of the seventies and eighties. Many
sanatoriums and buildings of the period of the Fifties and sixties in the city still stand, despite the
wave of new construction, albeit in various states of repair.
These still-in-use sanatoriums include the austere Jermaine Ashkharh Sanatorium (1975), the
imposing Gladzor Sanatorium, and the classically-styled Olympia Sanatorium (1958), as well as
deserted locations like a waterfront, a sports and Cultural Center, and the hotel built on a cliff.
The iron fountain of Gyumri
It was built by Arthur Tarkhanyan in 1982, near the Polytechnic University of Gyumri. Although a
significant part of the city was destroyed by the earthquake of 1988, the fountain still stands.
The Orgov Radio-Optical Telescope's control room
It is also known as ROT54 or the Armenian Orgov Herouni Mirror Radio Telescope. is located at the
RRI Aragats scientific center in the Armenian city of Orgov. It has a diameter of 54 meters (177 ft). It
is hemispherical, fixed to the ground, equipped with a secondary mirror that can be moved, and has
a 5 m (16 ft) diameter. Built during the Soviet era, it was in use only from 1987 to 1990.
The Soviet-era Culture Palace
It is a Kanaz Aluminum Smelting Factory property. There are two theaters there as well as a cinema,
a ballet studio, and classrooms. The famous dance troupe" Kanaz" received its training before
touring the world and even performing in Havana. Today, exhibitions are sometimes held in the
theater located on the ground floor.
The word “carpet” first appears in Armenian literature in the translation of the Holy Bible from the
5th century AD. Another interesting name is “khali” or “ghali,” which derives from the Arabic name
for the city known for its carpet-weaving craftsmanship, Karin (Kalikala).
Tufted rugs or knotted carpets that have been made in Armenia or by Armenians since before the
arrival of Christianity, roughly 1,000 BC, are examples of Armenian carpets, but they are not the only
ones. There are also several flat-woven textiles included. The term covers a large variety of types
and sub-varieties. The oldest complete surviving Armenian carpet, made between the 5th and 3rd
centuries BC, is on display at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Art and Craft
Armenian rugs had a lot of rituals, images, and ideal ornaments. The ornaments used in Armenian
carpets were also widely used in sculpture, miniature painting, architecture, and silverware.
Armenian rugs had harmonious colours of red, white, blue, green, and yellow and their variants.
The yellow colour comes from the yellow flower, the red colour from Armenian cochineal (vordan
karmir) and the roots of dyer’s madder (Rubia tinctorm), green and some shades of brown from nut
peels. For black, they used pomegranate peels. For blue, they used the method of mixing different
colours, but more often than blue, they used indigo, a famous colourant that was imported from
India. In the Middle Ages, Armenian carpets were very renowned for their shades made of vordan
karmir, for which reason they were also called “red rugs” during the Arabic period.
One of the characteristics of Armenian rugs is the “Balbas” sheep wool that was used as a raw
material. Anchorian goat wool was also widely used. They also used silk and cotton in the regions
where cotton and silk cultivation were developed.
Authentic Armenian carpets
Most experts believe the credit goes to Armenian rug makers for the unique funeral accessory. The
carpets were not the average area rug or floor mat, but were enormous commercial pieces, often
reaching as much as 600 square feet in size. Prayer rugs used by Arabs were often Armenian-crafted
rugs, despite the history of talented Oriental carpet makers within the Islamic world.
Because of the fall of parts of Turkey to the Egyptian Mamluks in the 13th century, Armenians fled
their homeland to Poland, Iran, Crimea, and Transylvania, where beautiful carpets appeared as
refugees shared their weaving secrets with their neighbours.
Mughal carpets from India, Polonaise carpets from Poland, and Persian carpets were all directly
influenced by the work of expert Armenian rug makers. Shah Abbas of Persia sent 100,000
Armenians to new homes in New Julfa, located outside Isfahan, Iran. The transplants received silk
and established trade outposts in India to help build a thriving market for the Persian leader.
Suddenly, cultures throughout the area where the Armenians settled started to produce incredible
carpets that included many Armenian traits.
The Armenian Genocide
During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, much of the history and talent for rug making were lost
because of the killing of between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians and the forced deportation of
many others. Armenians kept up with their traditions and retained their skills despite the struggle
and loss of their homeland. Soviet control also sought to wipe out the tradition of carpet-making
among Armenian populations.
Conformity and control as per traditional Soviet orders resulted in bland carpets manufactured and
sold throughout the area. However, Soviet control is only a memory as Armenians finally have their
freedom again.
Carpets in modern-day Armenia
Armenian production facilities are bringing attention to the heritage of the country’s carpet-making
culture. The facilities have made it possible for the world to finally experience a true Armenian
creation. As more than 1,000 locals can now support their families through their age-old trade, more
than 10,000 square feet of Armenian carpets arrive in the market for Western consumers.
According to Marco Polo, who lived in the 13th century, the Armenians and Greeks who resided on
Asia Minor's western coast, produced the world's finest carpets.
The Armenian Rugs Society was established in 1980 to find as many rugs with Armenian inscriptions
as possible and classify them based on design and technical analysis. Sheep, naturally occurring plant
materials for dyes, and the most significant metal salts, copper, tin, and alum, from the volcanic soil,
all contributed to the synthesis of the essential mordants that stabilized the dyes.
The mission of the Armenian Rugs Society, founded in 1980, was to find as many rugs as possible
with Armenian inscriptions and categorize them according to design and technical analysis. It would
be reasonable to assume that similar rugs without inscriptions should be attributed to Armenian
craftsmanship if several rugs of a particular type were discovered to have Armenian inscriptions.
Armenian rugs of Artsakh
Carpets from Karabakh are unique compared to others; they are a distinctive variety and are very
well-liked. One of the famous symbols of Karabakh carpets is a medallion. Most likely, this symbol
originates from the posters of popular Armenian princes. Another common symbol is a crowned bull,
which in ancient times was a very revered animal.
In 2013, Karabakh saw the establishment of the "Karabakh Carpet" company, which creates
handcrafted carpets in the traditional Artsakh style. The "Karabakh Carpet" company, which
manufactures traditional Artsakh handmade carpets, was established in Karabakh in 2013.
How can Caucasian rugs be distinguished?
The pattern cannot be used to classify Caucasian rugs in the same way that it can be with Persian
and Turkish rugs. Rug patterns were widely dispersed and inexorably copied because rugs were
frequently traded throughout the area. To identify and classify Caucasian rugs, their construction
must be examined. This includes the variance in the colour of the warp, the arrangements of the
strands, and the dyed colour of the weft, the way the ends are finished, the way the sides are bound,
and the quality of the wool (i.e., coarseness vs. luster).
Given that they are consistent with motifs found in Armenian manuscripts and relief sculptures on
Armenian churches and monasteries, these animal figures and crosses are thought to have a
religious significance. The cross shapes, human figures, and geometric bird and animal figures found
in many of the inscribed Armenian rugs are uncommon in non-Armenian rugs. These animal figures
and crosses are believed to have a religious significance, as they are consistent with motifs seen in
Armenian manuscripts and relief sculptures on Armenian churches and monasteries. The inscribed
Karabakh rugs frequently make use of red cochineal dye, which has been proven to be made by
Armenians.
The invention of the Armenian alphabet in 406 A.D. marked the beginning of the golden age of
Armenian literature. The literature, artwork, and illuminated manuscripts produced during this
period shed light on the importance of the role of the carpet in Armenian society as well as the
history of oriental rugs in general.
The written histories and heroic tales contain references to the Armenian rug. There are numerous
depictions of Armenian carpets in famous illuminated manuscripts and royal and religious miniature
paintings made by Armenian artists. Exaggerated rugs, woven with gold or silver threads, were
placed on the thrones and at the feet of Armenian royalty.
Ecclesiastical uses of Armenian rugs
The Armenian Church regarded the Armenian rugs as treasures of the church. Even though prayer
rugs are currently associated with Islam, historical records show that Armenian prayer rugs were
made by Armenians long before the 7th-century rise of Islam.
To commemorate a special event, such as a royal wedding, or to honour the dead, rugs were woven
and placed on coffins during royal funeral processions before being buried with the coffin.
The process of carpet weaving
Although Armenian inscriptions mention male weavers, provincial village women were the essential
rug weavers. The rugs were all made of wool, which was easily obtainable in the area.
Cotton was used only for weft threads and edging. According to Arthur T. Gregorian, "Armenian rugs
are woven firmly with the nap clipped very low, making the rugs supple and soft." "A great
preference is shown for delicate shades of soft blue with touches of green, coral, old gold, and tans."
All the patterns are outlined in either natural brown or wool dyed to this shade. The weavers knew
that, over time, this brown colour would fade faster than the other colours; thus, it was used for
outlining motifs. This colour was obtained by using iron pyrite in dyeing the wool.
Taraz the Armenia's Soul and Identity
The traditional Armenian costume is dominated by the colors of the four elements: Earth, Water, Air
and Fire. According to the fourteenth-century Armenian philosopher Krikor Tatevatsi, the Armenian
costume is made to express the ancestral soil, the whiteness of water, the red of air and the yellow
of fire. Apricot symbolizes wisdom and common sense, Red symbolizes courage and martyrdom,
Blue symbolizes heavenly justice, White symbolizes purity.
Some of the techniques used to make these costumes have survived to this day and are widely used
in Applied Arts, others have been lost. Each province of Armenia is distinguished by its costume and
such famous centers of Armenian needlework as, Van-vaspurakan, Karen (Erzurum), Shirak, Syunik-
Artsakh, Cilicia, stand out for their stereotypical and harmonious depiction of ornaments, color
combinations and composition. In an Armenian family, men's clothes, especially the head of the
house, were paid special attention, as men judged the family as a whole by their appearance.
The traditional Armenian costume for men consisted of a low-collared silk or cotton shirt with a side
clasp which was paired with wide trousers made from dark wool or cotton. Over the shirt was worn
a cotton or silk arkhalig, a jacket with a low collar fastened from the waist down with hooks or small
buttons.
Chapter 4
Serious steps toward the future
Armenia and Rwanda have many commonalities and a similar history. Both countries have passed
through several challenges, but at the same time, they have many advantages which can turn into
success.
Milestones in Armenian-Rwandan Relations

Armenian-Rwandan diplomatic relations were established on March 29, 2004. These relations
provided an opportunity for close cooperation between the two countries.
On April 6, 2019, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who was in Kigali on an official visit, met
with Richard Sezibera, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda. Sezibera
considered it symbolic that the official visit of the Foreign Minister of Armenia is taking place at the
same time as the events dedicated to the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan
genocide.
This visit paved the way for the two counterparts to collaborate in various fields, including digital
economics, information technology, creative education, and innovation. In addition, he emphasized
the collaboration on international platforms between Armenia and Rwanda towards genocide
prevention through the cooperation between the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and the
Museum of the Rwandan Genocide.
On November 25, 2021, the new Rwandan ambassador to Armenia, Frank Mushyo Kamanzi,
presented his credentials to President Armen Sarkissian. The Armenian President said that the two
countries have coincidental interests.
The achievements of Rwanda in electronic governance and new technologies are impressive, and
according to him, the partnership in these areas could be promising. He added that he links
Armenia’s future with the development of modern technologies, science, and education,
highlighting the implementation of joint innovation and research projects, besides cooperation in
high technologies and innovations.
On July 11, 2022, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation of Rwanda, Vincent Biruta, and the delegation.
Pashinyan valued Armenia-Rwanda cooperation within the International Organization of La

Francophone, expressing hope that it will also contribute to developing bilateral relations. He
recalled his contacts with the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, during his visit to Armenia on the
sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, reaffirming the readiness to deepen the
partnership. They exchanged ideas about cooperation within the OIF, and the prospects of
developing bilateral commercial ties, and emphasized the tourism sector as an area of interest.
Armenia-Rwanda Trade Relations: A Closer Look
Armenian-Rwandan diplomatic relations were established on March 29, 2004. They started
several trade relationships.
Important information about Rwanda
Capital: Kigali
Population: 13,276,517
Surface Area: 26,340 km2
Currency: Rwandan francs
Religion: Mostly Christianity
Belongs to: ACP, IMF, UN, AU
Important information about Armenia

Capital: Yerevan
Population: 2,968,128
Surface Area: 29,743 km2
Currency: Dram
Religion: Mostly Christianity
Belongs to: CIS, CoE, CTSO, EAEU, IMF, UN, OSCE
A glimpse of the Import-Export scale

The exports of Armenia to Rwanda have increased at an annualized rate of 2.69%, from
$6.92k in 2005 to $10k in 2019. The exports of Rwanda to Armenia have increased at an
annualized rate of 12.5%, from $1.61k in 2005 to $8.36k in 2019.
The main products that Rwanda exported to Armenia were Ball Bearings ($6.23k), Non-Knit
Women’s Coats ($2.12k), and Soap ($10). Centrifuges ($2.92k), insulated wire ($2.39k), light
fixtures ($649), electrical resistors ($1.8k), low-voltage protection equipment ($548),
semiconductor devices ($224), motor vehicles; parts and accessories ($588), rubber belting
($282), other rubber products ($123), iron fasteners ($394), and glues ($50) were among the
Armenian exports to Rwanda.
In 2020, Armenia ranked 77 in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI -0.37), and 128 in total
exports ($3.07B). Rwanda ranked 158 in total exports ($902M) that year.
In 2021, Rwanda’s imports from Armenia were US$121, according to the United Nations
COMTRADE database on international trade.

Invincible Nations Rwanda and Armenia

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Invincible Nations Rwanda and Armenia

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Invincible Nations

By: Ahmed Ibrahim

An Eye on The Armenian and Rwandan Genocides

Landlocked developing countries vs. climate change

How has Rwanda faced climate change?

Green initiatives in Armenia: Forests VS Climate change

Rwanda's unique experience of E-waste recycling

Recycling solutions in Armenia. What is recyclable and what is not recyclable?

The History of Rwandan Art

The History of Rwandan Cinema 1

The History of Rwandan Cinema 2

The History of Rwandan Architecture 1

The History of Rwandan Architecture 2

The History of Rwandan Architecture 3

The History of Rwandan Architecture 4

Rwandan Weaving History

History of contemporary art in Rwanda

The History of Armenian Cinema

The History of Armenian Architecture 1

The History of Armenian Architecture 2

The History of Armenian Architecture 3

The History of Armenian Architecture 4

The History of Armenian Architecture 5

Armenian carpets from the past and the present 1

Armenian carpets from the past and the present 2

Armenian carpets from the past and the present 3

Taraz the Armenia's Soul and Identity

Serious steps toward the future

Armenia-Rwanda Trade Relations: A Closer Look

The Rwandan Genocide’s History

Two Genocide Memorials

Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex

Available solutions for LLDCs:

• Long-term Water conservation

• Land restoration and climate-smart agriculture

• Alternative energy solutions

• Improved early warning systems.

The Rwanda Green Fund

The Green Growth strategy

Sustainable Forestry is the key point

The European Union projects

FAO and WWF Armenia efforts

The Challenge of E-waste

Social responsibility of the public and private sectors

Social and environmental responsibilities

Steps towards unemployment elimination

Why is this important?

1) Are milk and juice cartons recyclable?

2) Is cereal packaging recyclable?

3) Can you recycle pasta packaging?

4) Can CDs and DVDs be recycled?

6) Can you recycle plastic egg boxes?

7) What kind of plastic cups are recyclable?

HDPE — fresh milk bottles, shampoo bottles

PVC — squeeze bottles

LDPE — bin liners and bins.

8) Can PS plastics be recycled?

9) What can ceramics be recycled into?

10) Can you recycle car windscreens?

11) How are TV & PC screens recycled?

12) Are lamps recyclable?

Here is what you need to know about imigongo:

I'm with Paul

1. The trend of films in Rwanda (directed by foreigners).