Religion, collective memory and contemporary transnational processes in Armenia and Armenian communities of Russia

This project's objective is to analyze and access the impact of religious institutions and everyday religiosity on the collective memory and identity of Armenian communities in both Armenia proper and in Russia's Armenian diaspora. So far, only social and economic aspects of transnational relationships have been studied, while this project will deal with religious aspects as a major symbolic ferment of communal and transnational networking. Drawing on a variety of empirical data, the project will address such theoretical problems as de-secularization and post-secularity; symbolic resources of ethnic and national collective memories and identities; the place of religion in transnational and migratory processes.