Vestnik (series: humanities and social sciences), №1/2025

Mirumyan R. Myth-making as a determining component of formation of political consciousness of the Armenian nation (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. In the article postulates and substantiates the thesis, that the political consciousness of the Armenian nation arose in the depths of the ancient Armenian worldview, which was mythological by its nature. Essentially, the political consciousness, mythological consciousness, as well as the worldview coordinate grid of the ancient Armenians represents a certain semantic triangle. And the core and basis of this semantic triangle is the desire for independence of one’s own existence, which reflects the specifics and level of development of self-knowledge/self-awareness of the ancient Armenians. And it is in the Armenian heroic tale of Hayk and Bel that the idea of independence is born as a condition for the realization of the freedom-loving nature and dignified existence, which are inherent to Armenians. Further (until the 20th century), the idea of independence of national existence formed the basis of the historical memory of the Armenian nation and became the core of Armenian philosophical, historical and political-philosophical concepts. One of the vivid demonstration of the semantic connection between worldview, mythological consciousness, and political consciousness was the Armenian national epic “Sasuntsi David,” which began forming approximately in the 7th century. Recorded in the “History of Armenia” by the father of Armenian historiography Movses Khorenatsi the ancient legend about the progenitor of the Armenians Hayk and the Armenian national epic “Sasuntsi David” became the archetypes of the Armenian national identity and cultural codes of the Armenian nation.
Keywords:  political consciousness of the Armenian people, Armenian mythology, cultural identity of the nation, historical memory, myth-making.

Sargsyan S., Gevorgyan A., Muradyan A. The U.S. soft power towards Armenia under George Bush’s presidency (1989–1992) (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT.  The collapse of the Soviet Union marked a pivotal moment for the former 15 Soviet states. The 15 newly independent states faced a myriad of challenges, including economic, political, geopolitical and social. Before the collapse, the Soviet Union acted as a single state and a single integrated economy, and the newly independent countries were not separate, self-sufficient republics. Therefore, the United States used its soft power policy back then by supporting those states through assistance programs, preventing the potential revival of the Soviet Union and the collapse of their economic and political systems. Armenia was one of the beneficiaries of the US assistance even before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in the form of humanitarian assistance during the devastating Spitak earthquake. Following the dissolution of the USSR, the US assistance played a crucial role for the newly independent Armenia. This article examines the soft power of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush’s administration towards Armenia during the post-Soviet transition. In particular, the following issues are analyzed: George H. W. Bush administration’s foreign aid to Armenia, his personal goodwill towards Armenians during the devastating Spitak earthquake, his support for the establishment of a democratic regime and a liberal economy in Armenia, and the establishment of legal basis for the relations between Armenia and the United States.
Keywords: USA, President George H. W. Bush, US foreign aid, Spitak earthquake, collapse of the USSR.

Simonyan T. Political and legal analysis of evolving mandates and their impact (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. This article explores the evolving role and effectiveness of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, focusing on the case study of the Central African Republic (CAR). It begins by contextualizing the historical background of the CAR conflict and the establishment of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) in 2014. Using a multidisciplinary approach drawing from international relations, peace and conflict studies, and political science, the article employs theoretical frameworks such as Liberal Peace Theory,
Realism, Neorealism, Constructivism, and Conflict Transformation Theory to analyze MINUSCA's mandate evolution and activities. The examination highlights MINUSCA's shift from traditional peacekeeping tasks to broader responsibilities, including fostering national dialogue,
supporting electoral processes, and aiding in institution-building. It examines how MINUSCA's mandate expansion reflects changing international norms and identifies motivations behind external actors' involvement in CAR, such as France and the UN. Additionally, the article
evaluates MINUSCA's effectiveness in contributing to peace and stability in CAR, considering factors like resource constraints and geopolitical dynamics. By synthesizing theoretical insights, historical analysis, and evaluative frameworks, the article also provides a nuanced understanding of UN peacekeeping missions' evolution, challenges, and implications for international peace and security. It contributes to ongoing discussions on the role of international organizations in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts, offering insights into the complexities of modern peacekeeping operations and their impact on conflict-affected regions like the Central African Republic.
Keywords:  United Nations, Peacekeeping missions, Central African Republic (CAR), MINUSCA, mandate evolution, Resolution 2149 (2014), Resolution 2196 (2015), Resolution 2217 (2015), disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program.

Voskanyan M., Petrosyan D. Analysis and valuation of assets of pension funds of the Republic of Armenia (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. As is known, pension funds, by their nature, carry several strategic tasks: they form long-term money, solve the social problem of providing for the population of retirement age, stimulate the development of capital markets and, in general, have a positive effect on the development of the financial system in the country. At the same time, an important issue is the reliability of pension fund assets and the predictability of risks that may be included in investments by pension funds. In this regard, given Armenia's transition to a funded pension system and the accumulation of a fairly large amount of capital in pension funds, the analysis and assessment of the assets of these funds is relevant, including in the context of the high level of volatility of global and regional stock markets.
Keywords: pension funds, asset analysis, asset valuation, investment strategies.

Donchenko A. Advantages and challenges of Armenia's foreign economic choice. Two vectors of integration (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. This article examines Armenia’s external economic development strategy in the context of choosing between integration into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union (EU). A comparative analysis of trade and economic indicators is carried out, including GDP, trade turnover, sectoral structure, export priorities, and legal frameworks. Special attention is paid to Russia’s role as a key economic partner of Armenia and the advantages and challenges of Eurasian integration. Based on the trends of 2023–2024 and long-term forecasts to 2030, possible scenarios for the country's external economic choice are proposed.
Keywords: Armenia, EAEU, EU, foreign economic policy, integration, trade turnover, Russia, Eurasian integration, export.

Davtyan A. Misuse of rights in civil procedure of the Republic of Armenia: issues and prospects for legislative development (PDF) 📥 

ABSTRACT. The article examines the issue of abuse of procedural rights in civil procedural theory and judicial practice of the Republic of Armenia. The author proposes legislative solutions to improve civil procedural legislation in this area: the introduction of the concept of civil procedural responsibility into the legislation, the definition of forms of abuse of procedural rights both in relation to the parties involved in the case and the court. 
Keywords: abuse of procedural rights, civil procedural responsibility, judicial sanctions, civil procedural legislation.

Avagyan I. Defense counsel's participation in juvenile proceedings (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. TThe current criminal procedure legislation establishes a single procedure for th investigation of all crimes, that is, a single procedural form and guarantees that ensure both effective investigation of crimes and protection of individual rights. The right of a minor accused to receive high-quality legal assistance is proclaimed both by the, Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the Code of Criminal Procedure, which defines the institution of mandatory participation of a defender, which in turn is a guarantee of effective protection of the rights and legitimate interests of the accused. The provision of mandatory participation of a defender in criminal procedural cases involving minors is conditioned by their age, mental state, lack of life experience and legal knowledge. The above indicates that it is necessary to provide mandatory participation of a defender for a minor in an adversarial process. The participation of the defender ensures the implementation of the tasks of juvenile justice, that is, not to punish the person who allegedly committed the crime, but to educate him, to make him
a full member of society. Summarizing the powers granted to the defense attorney in criminal proceedings, we conclude that both during the preliminary investigation and during the trial of a criminal case, juvenile defenders can be lawyers who are well versed in child psychology and have received some training in dealing with children. As a result of the analysis of this article, it is proposed to introduce certain amendments to the legislation and to involve in juvenile proceedings as “defenders” of the minor accused also those persons in whom the minor has more confidence (a blood relative, a class teacher, a favorite teacher). 
Keywords: minor accused, separate proceedings, rights of the defender, legal representative, juvenile proceedings

Avetisyan D. Regulation of grounds excluding criminal liability under the new legislation of the Republic of Armenia (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. The establishment of criminal law prohibitions and, at the same time, the systematization and structuring of legal norms that exclude criminal liability (punishability of an act) is one of the most important directions of the modern criminal law policy of the state. One of the advantages of the new Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the RA Criminal Code, adopted on 05.05.2021, entered into force on 07.01.2022) is, on the one hand, the systematization of grounds excluding criminality of an act, and on the other, the expansion of the system of such grounds. At the same time, instead of Chapter 8 of the RA Criminal Code of 2003 (Circumstances excluding criminality of an act), in the new Criminal Code, Chapter 6 is called “Grounds excluding criminal liability”, which attempts to unify such grounds, which were previously scattered throughout the General Part of the Criminal Code. Further research of new foundations has important scientific and practical significance, some of which have received their legislative consolidation for the first time.
The article proposed to the reader examines the general issues of distinguishing criminal behavior from non-criminal behavior, as problems of criminal law regulation. Some legislative changes and additions are proposed.
Keywords: crime, responsibility, lawful behavior, deterministic levels of criminal responsibility.

Ghahramanyan A. About some problems related to modification and termination of leasing obligations (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. TThe article addresses some issues related to the modification and termination of leasing obligations. The study finds that the legal provisions concerning these matters are not always capable of fully protecting the interests of the parties involved in leasing relationships and promoting the active development of leasing in our country. The article presents proposals, which can contribute to the solution of law enforcement issues, arising in connection with modification and termination of leasing obligations. In conditions of imperfection of legislative framework and absence of domestic case law on leasing matters, these proposals, in our view, are of interest. The recommendations derived from the analysis may also be used to improve the existing legislation.
Keywords: leasing, leasing agreement, fundamental breach of the contract, modification and termination of the contrac.

Matinyan K. Multilingualism and its role in the era of globalization (PDF) 📥

ABSTRACT. This article highlights the significance and role of administrative, managerial, and educational support staff in ensuring the smooth operation of a university. The study focused on examining the working hours of these staff members at the Russian-Armenian University. Over six months, a time-tracking study was conducted by recording their working hours. Based on the findings, measures were proposed to improve the efficiency of university staff.
Keywords: time-tracking study, higher education institutions, administrative staff, managerial staff, educational support staff, efficiency improvement.