Author: Onnik Krikorian

Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences reports that a Diplomatic Academy supported by the EU, OSCE and UN has been opened in Yerevan with the purpose of creating future career diplomats. The blog notes that several among the first intake were women.

As was the case last year, Sheki, Azerbaijan introduces its readers to the start of events leading to the holiday of Novruz with Water Tuesday. The blog also says that February is considered the toughest month of Winter, but says that it also marks the beginning of Spring.

Sheki, Azerbaijan marks the anniversary of a massacre taking place during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The blog laments the loss of life during war and hopes that the victims rest in peace.

To mark its first birthday, Scary Azeri in Suburbs posts an illustration to celebrate the occasion.

ANTV [AZ/EN/RU], an online citizen journalism site co-founded by now imprisoned video blogging youth activist Emin Milli, has received an award from ZEIT-Stiftung for its work in promoting independent voices and alternative news and views in Azerbaijan [RU]. The Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) also carries the news in English.

Ashley Corinne Killough visits the hairdresser and details the experience. The blog also comments on her encounters and observations while doing so.

Orxanbey posts a video on YouTube of what is described as an Azeri guy and and an Armenian girl dancing to the Lezginka (national dance popular in the North Caucasus), location unknown. Wearing the national flags of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Because of the still unresolved conflict between the two countries over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, not all comments [RU] are positive, but some are.

Adrineh Macaan details the trials and tribulations of working in Armenia. The blog says that conditions are inconvenient and lacking, hours are long, and salaries sometimes take months to be paid.

Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts photos of what could be the first ever publicly available condom dispensing machine in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The blog says that more are needed.

Emotions on Air, Mind Mute comments on healthcare in the oil-rich republic. Despite legislation guaranteeing access for all, the blog says, the situation is far from perfect and especially when it comes to bone marrow donors.

Scary Azeri in Suburbs approaches it's first birthday, but wonders why most search engine referrals come from queries on sex and prostitution.

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on the lack of democracy in the Caucasus in general. However, the blog says, some progressive youth are struggling to effect change and are the key to the future as they are the future.

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines blogger Arzu Geybullayeva comments on her audio interview conducted over Skype with Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor for Transitions Online. The blog says that communication is possible, living together is possible, breaking down existing barriers is possible and [that] this a message [it] would give to all non-believers in peace and reconciliation.

Following even more examples of homophobia in the media in Armenia, Unzipped: Gay Armenia has started a Homophobia Hall of Shame. In the first new posting for the list, the blog details the homophobia of the head of one major local radio station and advises international donors to choose wisely who they support in Armenia.

Despite the controversy following Sunday's national song contest to determine Armenia's entry into this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway, still lingering, the successful entrant, Eva Rivas, has launched a blog to accompany her bid at http://eva-rivas.livejournal.com/.

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on the continuing construction boom in Baku, Azerbaijan. The blog says that new urban development in the city is haphazard and is starting to adversely affect the old part of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

MrAshn [AZ] posts a video of members of the Azerbaijani Dalga Youth Movement with Armenian support holding a small flash mob in Tbilisi, Georgia, to mark their fifth anniversary and call for peace in the South Caucasus. The region has been riven by ethnic conflict, especially between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Signs were in Azerbaijani, Armenian, English, French, Georgian and German.

Women's Forum interviews culinary blogger Feride Sadikhova Buyuran while her AZ Cookbook posts a recipe for lemon upside down cake.

The Eurovision Song Contest, an international music competition usually better known for its kitsch and often cheesy performances rather than its music, is no stranger to controversy in the South Caucasus. In 2008, the Armenian opposition in Armenia urged a boycott of the competition following a bitterly disputed presidential election held in February and a State of Emergency declared in March, while Georgia eventually withdrew after poking fun at Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin before Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in some very public squabbling with even more controversy to come the following year.

Given how seriously each of the three countries in the region take Eurovision, many are already following developments closely. Indeed, speculation in Armenia was ripe that one act, Mihran and Emmy, had already been decided before voting took place in tonight's national final with others favoring another potential entry by Eva Rivas. Indeed, noted Unzipped, the choice was always going to be between the two acts even if the competition failed to excite Eurovision pundits in the same way as previous entries such as 2008's Sirusho had.

[…] if until last couple of weeks, no one had doubts that Emmy & Mihran will win our national selection, current ‘word of mouth’ favourite is Eva Rivas.

[…]

I was really looking forward to Emmy/Mihran’s song. There was anticipation and good buzz surrounding it. However, I am not impressed, perhaps partly because I am not really into that kind of music. […]

Eva Rivas’s song is classier. […]

Despite the concerns about the vote possibly being fixed, the situation seemed to suggest otherwise as tonight's final approached. Even a Twitter user in Azerbaijan agreed.

On the night of the competition itself, some Twitter users in Armenia updated followers on their opinion on the two acts. As others noted, this became especially useful as no live webcast had been set up. Most, but not all, seemed happy that Mihran and Emmy did not go through as had been initially expected although none seemed excited about the choices on offer.

Meanwhile, The Armenian Observer comments on the competition and also says that yet another controversy involving one of Armenia's estranged neighbors in the region occurred.

Emmy & Mihran were accompanied by a modern dance group, whose choreography was a tribute to Michael Jackson, but I’m still wandering – what was Emmy’s poor singing a tribute to? Why bring an American dance crew if you have no voice? This is a SINGING contest!

[…]

PS: Apparently there was a little scandal with National Finals. Initially 10 participants were announced, but Sonya’s song dropped out apparently for plagiarizing on last year’s Turkish entry.

In conclusion, Unzipped, perhaps the best blog to follow on Armenia's Eurovision entries, offers its thoughts on the final choice of Eva Rivas in the comments section of its previous post.

I have to say, show-wise (stage presentation) Emmy & Mihran were the best during the national selection night. However, although both Emmy and Mihran looked cute, Emmy’s voce sounded very bad, Mihran could have done much better without her.

As to Eva, she provided with OKish performance, her voice was much better than Emmy’s.

Now my advice to Eva & producers. You have to seriously think of presenting a better show for Eurovision. Otherwise, not even win, but top ten would be out of reach. Eva should learn to move on the stage, she did not feel the stage and there were lots of awkward movements. She should choose different dress and different haircut.

In fact, I stand 100% with the commentary I provided writing this post. Choices of songs were not impressive. There were no winner songs there. But Eva’s win was RELATIVELY deserved. It was RELATIVELY better than the other ones.

Good luck, Eva.