Armenian Institute

Home
United Kingdom
London
Armenian Institute

⭐️ Cultural events
📚 Library
📦 Bookshop
🇦🇲 Language centre
We are dedicated to making Armenian culture and history a living experience.

https://linktr.ee/armenianinstitute
The Institute is a UK Registered Charity No. 1088410.

31/08/2026

Did you know William Saroyan created hundreds of drawings and paintings alongside his celebrated writings?

He once reflected:
“Any painting is optically no more than a single (but static, and therefore invariable) glimpse of a scene. This is its physical nature. It’s so much more, however. It may be mood, idea, or song; or its appeal may be purely intellectual, as are the drawings I make… And when my writings stop speaking, if they ever do, then my drawings will start, and I have thousands of them.”

Today, on his anniversary, we honour Saroyan not only as a literary giant but also as a visionary artist whose creative spirit continues to inspire.

28/08/2026

The Armenian Institute is delighted to invite you to join us in celebrating our 25th anniversary on Friday, 6th November, at the Savile Club. This milestone is not only a celebration of our journey but also a tribute to the community of friends, funders, and partners who have stood with us over the years.

For a quarter of a century, the Armenian Institute has worked hard to promote Armenian culture and history, foster creativity, and build connections across generations and borders. This evening offers us a moment to reflect on our achievements, made possible through the sustained support of friends of the Institute like you, and to look ahead together to the future of our organisation.

To mark our anniversary, we launched a special initiative, ‘Dreams for the Future’, inviting UK Armenian artists to share their vision for the Armenian Institute over the next 25 years.

The gala dinner will feature a special performance by ArNor Duo, two of the artists selected by our initiative.

Event details:

Friday, 06 November | 6:30 PM
Savile Club
69 Brook Street, London W1K 4ER

Both individual and table bookings are available.

We look forward to sharing this evening with you.

Book now: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/RL3X6WDWBH7YA?Z3JncnB0=

16/08/2026

For the last twenty years, the Armenian Institute has proudly offered lessons in both Western and Eastern Armenian. By offering our courses online, our qualified and experienced instructors can meet you wherever you are, whatever your level, or preferred dialect.

Our terms run for 10 weeks at a time for 90 minutes per week and are delivered online to fit your schedule.

Group courses cost £650 for new students. This covers a year of tuition (3 terms), paid in full at the beginning of the course. Returning students receive a discount and pay £600. Any student enrolled at a school, college, or university receives a discount and is eligible to pay £525.

Register through our link in bio.

07/08/2026

Our language classes are starting again! This is always a special time of year, when we welcome both new and returning participants to explore, connect, and grow together.

Whether you’re beginning your journey or looking to refine your skills, in Western or Eastern Armenian, you’ll find a course designed for you.

- Why Learn Armenian with Us?

We Offer Both Eastern and Western Armenian! Choose between Eastern Armenian (spoken in the Republic of Armenia) and Western Armenian (common in diaspora communities).

We Offer Courses at All Levels! Our Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced classes develop conversation, reading, writing, and comprehension.

We Offer Flexible & Online Courses! Our terms run for 10 weeks at a time for 90 minutes per week and are delivered online to fit your schedule.

We Offer Personalised Tuition! If one of our courses does not work for you, or if you want individualised lessons for more directed learning, consider one-to-one private lessons that can be tailored to your goals.

Group courses cost £650 for new students. This covers a year of tuition (3 terms), paid in full at the beginning of the course. Returning students receive a discount and pay £600. Any student enrolled at a school, college, or university receives a discount and is eligible to pay £525.

Register now: https://www.armenianinstitute.org.uk/registration-form

11/06/2026

Last Saturday, we had the inaugural event from our series Armenian Heritage at our Doorstep: Exploring UK Collections in partnership with the Ancient India & Iran Trust in Cambridge.

It was an afternoon filled with engaging talks and new discoveries that will generate future projects.

We thank our speakers: Nouritza Matossian, Vazken Khatchig Hadjitavitian, Dr. Ursula Sims-Williams and Dr. Erin Piñon for all the insights given and their dedication to the event.

Our day wouldn't be the same without our great attendees, who once again provided another sold-out event for our books. Thank you for your support!

This event series honours the memory of the late Ruth Keshishian, a lover of books, archives, researchers, and intellectual life, and dear friend and supporter of the Armenian Institute.

05/06/2026

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting the UK book launch of "The 44-Day War: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Struggle for Nagorno-Karabakh" (February 2026), which offers a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary examination of the causes, conduct, and consequences of the war. The book was published as an open access volume by Bloomsbury Publishing UK and can be accessed in full online.

We thank the scholars Vicken Cheterian , Laurence Broers and Armine Ishkanian for an engaging talk that shed light on difficult topics. We also thank our attendees for helping make this another fully booked event in our season. Finally, we are grateful to our volunteers and partner Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, for their support in making the event possible.

28/05/2026

The declaration of the First Republic of Armenia on 28 May 1918 inaugurated Armenia’s first modern statehood. Despite its brief existence and the immense hardships it faced, the republic’s institutions and international recognition provided an essential legal and cultural basis for subsequent Armenian statehood.

This day symbolises the courage, resilience, and steadfast spirit of those who fought for Armenia’s freedom and sovereignty. As we mark this historic milestone, we honour their legacy and take inspiration from their example as we continue to shape a prosperous future for our nation.

Image: Irzhi Nosek - Sardarapat, 1984, canvas, tempera. Sourced from National Gallery of Armenia/ Հայաստանի ազգային պատկերասրահ

20/05/2026

Curious about these images?

Come see a lecture by Dr Vazken Khatchig Davidian on the work of Armenian artist Sarkis Katchadourian (1886-1947), who from the 1920s to the 1940s took inspiration from seventeenth-century fresco and mural paintings from Isfahan in Persia, as well as ancient Buddhist, Jain and Hindu wall paintings in Indian and Sri Lankan cave complexes including Ajanta, Badami, Bagh and Sigiriya.

It will be part of our event Armenian Heritage at our Doorstep: Exploring UK Collections - The Ancient India and Iran Trust,in Cambridge, on 6 June.

The programme will start with an introduction by Nouritza Matossian on Ruth Keshishian and her life, immersed in the world of books, art, and friendship. It will be followed by a discussion on the influence of Armenian manuscripts and the Aghtamar frescoes in the work of Arshile Gorky. Then we will have Vazken's lecture, followed by a rare opportunity to look closely at the Trust’s collection of Armenian manuscripts. In the company of distinguished experts, you will explore these precious volumes up close, and gain insight into their provenance, exceptional artistry, and growing significance to the study of Armenian manuscripts. Speakers include the Trust’s Honorary Librarian, Dr Ursula Sims-Williams, Lead Curator of Iranian Collections at the British Library; Dr Erin Piñon, art historian and operations manager at the Armenian Institute; and art historian Tatevik Davtyan.

We will end with a garden party in the charming gardens of the Trust's historic home in Cambridge. Enjoy an afternoon of conversation, light refreshments, and convivial company against a backdrop inspired by the timeless beauty of Persian and Indo-Persian garden traditions.

This event forms part of a new series dedicated to exploring Armenian manuscripts and material heritage in lesser-known UK collections. The Armenian Institute is pleased to partner with the Ancient India & Iran Trust for its inaugural off-site show-and-tell session.

This event series honours the memory of the late Ruth Keshishian, a lover of books, archives, researchers, and intellectual life, and dear friend and supporter of the Armenian Institute.

Book now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/armenian-heritage-at-our-doorstep-exploring-uk-collections-tickets-1986420106010?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

13/05/2026

On 28 May at 6:30 PM, join scholars Vicken Cheterian, Laurence Broers and Armine Ishkanian at our office for the UK book launch of "The 44-Day War: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Struggle for Nagorno-Karabakh" (February 2026), which offers a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary examination of the causes, conduct, and consequences of the war.

This volume, edited by Cheterian and bringing together chapters written by multiple experts, interrogates the collapse of the 1994–2020 ceasefire regime, the failures of diplomacy and mediation, Armenia’s strategic miscalculations, and the consolidation of authoritarian power in Azerbaijan. It probes the roles of external actors before turning to the war’s aftermath: stalled peace processes, the dramatic failure of the Russian peacekeeping mission, and the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh. It was published with open access by Bloomsbury Publishing and can be accessed in full online.

The book will be available for sale at the event.

This event is held in partnership with the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Book now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-44-day-war-armenia-azerbaijan-and-the-struggle-for-nagorno-karabakh-tickets-1986423492138?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

06/05/2026

On 14 May, at 6:30 PM, at our office, our Institute and Quarter Tone Poets invite you to a unique bilingual poetry workshop led by Lola Koundakjian, shaped by live music and shared writing.

Lola will share texts in Western Armenian and English and introduce a series of prompts for short, guided writing sessions. As you write, live instrumentalist Kourosh Kanani will perform acoustic, meditative music to create a focused, contemplative space. There is no set theme! This session is designed to generate new drafts and ideas rather than polished poems. Participants will be invited to share their work, if they wish.

The workshop will move between Western Armenian and English, depending on the language skills in the room. Eastern Armenian speakers are also warmly welcomed. We aim to create an open, inclusive space for writers of all backgrounds and levels.

This event is a partnership with Quarter Tone Poets, and is also part of the Armenian Institute's Heritage of Displacement: Oral Histories from the UK Armenian Communities (2023–2026) project, funded by a The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, thanks to National Lottery players.

Book now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bilingual-poetry-writing-workshop-with-lola-koundakjian-tickets-1986413440072?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

The cover illustration was made by Lola.

Address

1 Onslow Street
London
EC1N8AS

Website

http://www.armenianinstitute.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Armenian Institute posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Armenian Institute:

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Government Service in London?