Ani Arakelyan, founder of ZINQ, was born in Artsakh. When she left her native village of Mets Tagher in the Hadrut region, she did not leave only a place, she left a living archive of family stories, customs, and landscapes that had shaped her identity for 21 years. The occupation of Azerbaijani controlled territory forced her relocation to Yerevan and with it a rupture that Ani describes as both personal and collective: “memory, culture, mountains, and a living presence of history” had been taken from her community. That loss, and the fear that the history of her people might be erased, became the seed of a project that has since outgrown its humble beginning. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Her childhood was spent in the mountains, and perhaps the most interesting memories of her life are connected with her grandmother, a woman in whom she placed her love for home and homeland. “It seems that even now I see how my grandmother picks beans very quickly, looking for me next to her,” Ani recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She remembers how her grandmother always brought a leaf home on the upper part of her right shoulder when picking beans. “I looked at it for a long time, wondering if she had hidden it somewhere else,” Ani says, her voice carrying the wonder of a child observing small, inexplicable gestures. “Oh how, oh how.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone went to her grandmother, but she always brought something when she came home. “She was an amazing woman who, after going so much, came and brought so much,” Ani reflects. The childhood she spent with her grandmother nurtured her interest in history and culture, which later became the foundation of ZINQ’s work. Those intimate moments, the precise details of daily life, the quiet generosity, the connection to place would become the emotional and intellectual core of everything Ani would build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In Yerevan, Ani began a personal blog focused on history, national identity, and values. What started as an outlet for processing grief and preserving stories quickly attracted readers. The blog’s intimate tone and careful documentation built trust among a readership eager for narratives that connected them to place and lineage. Posts began to turn into discussions, people began to share their stories, and a demand for more systematic content emerged. That trust and demand made clear a need beyond a personal diary: a structured, educational approach that could reach young people across communities and formally curate testimonies before they were lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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When asked when she decided to turn the blog into ZINQ, Ani explains that the transition emerged organically from this growing demand. “The blog was initially created as a personal platform to write about history and present stories that were rarely heard in the public discourse,” she notes. “However, over time, it became clear that this interest was much greater than a simple blog format could encompass.” From that recognition, ZINQ was born. “ZINQ was created as a national platform, the purpose of which is the study, preservation, and presentation of Armenian history in modern formats,” Ani explains. “ZINQ was created out of the belief that history should not only be studied, but also be accessible and alive for the public, especially the youth.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding early collaborators and mentors, Ani is candid about the solitary nature of her journey. No formal mentors guided the transition, though along the way, someone expressed a desire to make a small contribution to the ongoing work of ZINQ. For the most part, this has been a self-directed effort, sustained by personal conviction and resourcefulness, a reality that would shape everything that followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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What began as a written record evolved into a multifaceted platform combining lectures, archival work, and multimedia documentary projects. ZINQ’s programming emphasizes outreach: the platform currently organizes four to five lectures each month in different communities, usually at the invitation of local young organizers. Those sessions, rooted in history but framed to speak to contemporary concerns about identity and civic responsibility, reach more than 500 youths per month. For Ani, attendance numbers are not merely metrics. They are signs that trust remains and that memory can be actively transmitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond public events, ZINQ has built a living archive. The platform has collected dozens of personal stories, photographs, recorded recollections, and documentary materials from displaced families and elders. These items form the backbone of ZINQ’s educational materials and inform its documentary work, which aims to translate fragile oral histories into durable, accessible formats. Using video, audio, and curated exhibits, ZINQ seeks to make historical knowledge available in forms that resonate with digital native audiences while respecting the dignity and nuance of each testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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When asked how she defines “national memory” and what elements are most important to preserve, Ani offers a comprehensive vision. National memory is the awareness of our past, culture, and language that connects generations regardless of their location,” she explains. She notes that outside of Armenia, Armenian communities in the Diaspora have preserved and transmitted this heritage for centuries. “Therefore, the main components of national memory are accurate historical knowledge, cultural values, and events that represent the existence and heroism of our people. When these three are ensured, our memory remains alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The ambition behind ZINQ is deliberately expansive. Ani envisions the platform evolving into a national educational center and, ultimately, a school platform where young people receive historical instruction alongside ethical frameworks, strategic thinking, and lessons in national responsibility. When asked what values she seeks to convey through ZINQ’s programs, Ani identifies four foundational commitments that guide every initiative:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fidelity to history: To accurately and objectively present the past so that young people know the real history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Individual and community responsibility: To show that every person can influence society and preserve cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heroism and resilience: Recognizing and commemorating the people and events that have protected Armenian existence and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unity, regardless of geography: Connecting Armenians living in Armenia and the Diaspora through cultural and historical heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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“Through ZINQ’s programs, we seek to convey the values that have shaped the identity of the Armenian people and their ability to resist, especially in difficult times,” Ani emphasizes. For her, this mission is both restorative and forward-looking: a way of answering loss by equipping a new generation with the knowledge and values to sustain cultural continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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A question that often arises in educational work on sensitive historical topics is how to balance historical narrative with inclusive, critical perspectives. ZINQ presents history in a way that maintains accuracy while remaining open to different perspectives. Ani explains her approach: “We strike a balance by presenting historical facts, their social and political context, while ensuring that young audiences see the multi-layered nature of history.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her commitment to critical thinking is deliberate and central to ZINQ’s pedagogy. “Our approach embraces the importance of critical perspectives: we allow for questioning, analyze contradictory facts, and open up the field of discussion so that generations do not accept history as an immutable truth, but as a field of cultural and scientific inquiry where the ability to think and analyze is valued,” she states. “In this way, ZINQ not only presents history, but also builds a thoughtful, critical, and inclusive community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Yet the path from blog to national platform has not been easy. Until now, Ani has financed the project almost entirely from her own resources, paying for technical equipment, travel to remote communities, filming and editing, venue costs, and the production of educational materials. That personal investment has allowed ZINQ to pilot programs and demonstrate impact, but the current model is unsustainable. With growing demand for lectures and archival work, limited funds threaten to stall momentum. The platform needs stable funding to pay staff, upgrade equipment, expand outreach, and mount larger documentary projects that require specialized production resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the financial strain, Ani remains determined and strategic. She frames ZINQ as a civic response to displacement, an initiative that not only memorializes what was lost but also actively cultivates identity and civic literacy among the young. The platform’s community driven approach responding to invitations from youth groups, centering first person testimony, and prioritizing educational outcomes has helped it earn credibility in places beyond Ani’s immediate networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Supporters and potential partners see in ZINQ a project that fills a gap in national education, a grassroots mechanism to preserve local histories and integrate them into broader curricula that reinforce cultural continuity. For funders, the platform offers measurable touch points, monthly lectures, archived testimonies, and pilot documentary outputs that indicate both impact and scalability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The initiative’s long-term plans include structured curricula for schools and youth centers, a searchable digital archive of recorded testimonies and materials, and expanded documentary projects that can be used in formal education settings. Ani also hopes to formalize training for young facilitators so the platform’s work can be multiplied across regions without over-relying on a single organizer. These steps are intended to move ZINQ from an individualized effort to an institutional resource, a national platform capable of shaping how future generations learn about their past and imagine their civic roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“ZINQ is my answer to loss,” Ani says, returning the narrative to its human origin. The effort is both personal and communal: a single founder’s response to displacement that has inspired a growing movement of young people committed to remembering. As ZINQ seeks broader backing, its appeal to supporters rests on a simple proposition that national education and the preservation of memory are priorities worthy of investment. With external support, the platform aims to expand its reach, deepen its educational offerings, and ensure that the cultural continuity it champions survives not only in memory but in active civic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can follow Ani on instagram <\/p>\n\n\n\n