SOAR - Moscow Chapter
Moscow joined the SOAR family in February 2012. Russia possesses the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia, home to approximately 3 million Armenians, with more than 1 million Armenians, including seasonal workers, in Moscow alone. The Armenian Diaspora is the fourth largest ethnic diaspora in Moscow, after Ukrainians, Jews, and Tartars. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, the economic blockade of Armenia, and the war in Artsakh caused a powerful stream of migration to Moscow (as well as other Russian cities and towns). In Moscow, the Armenian Diaspora has formed a multifaceted and versatile layer that touches nearly every aspect of society. The Armenian Diaspora of Moscow has a history of about 600 years (the city itself is 800 years old), and the city’s cultural and educational life has been influenced by Armenians, beginning with the princely family of the Lazarevs, who promoted the resettlement of Armenians to Moscow in the 17th and 18th centuries. Armenian Yevgeniy Vakhtangov, the founder of a popular theater that now bears his name, and two great Armenian composers of the 20th century – Arno Babajanian and Aram Khachaturian – lived and created in Moscow.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Marianna Simonyan
President
Marianna was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. She is an alumni of Moscow State Lomonosov University and Higher School of Economics, currently pursuing her EMBA program. She is an expert in the fields of startups, people analytics and technology. Marianna is the technological representative of the Seed Group in Russia. Marianna loves to work with students by giving classes at university on how to create a startup from scratch, also mentoring startups in acceleration programs around the world. Twice a startup founder herself, she supports women in tech, women leadership across the globe as the Head of Female Entrepreneurship at innovative laboratory ImpactaLab. She sees her mission in reinventing Armenian cultural and female identity.
Susanna Ogannisian
Susanna graduated from the Khachatur Abovian Pedagogical University and the International Institute of Media, while also studying psychology. For many years, she worked at various television channels, such as “Progress” and “Special Report.” From 2010 to 2015, she moved to Moscow, where she started working at the first Russian-Armenian television channel ARMTV and became a special correspondent for the news agency “KAVNYUZ” kavnews. She created and hosted her own information-analytical program on YouTube called “Media Perspective.” Additionally, she organized work on creating various television projects, stories, and documentaries in collaboration with channels such as Culture, 360 TV, and others. Susanna also conducted interviews with Russian experts in various fields, including political science, economics, and culture. Currently, she is a special correspondent for the Armenian channel Erkir Media in Moscow and has also organized two Armenian Sunday schools in the Moscow region. Susanna actively collaborates with the Armenian community in Russia, covering the activities of the Armenian community in various areas and organizing events, including cultural and charitable ones. She is also a member of the Union of Journalists of Russia and the International Union of Journalists. Furthermore, Susanna teaches the Armenian language to students from different universities in Russia.
Сусанна окончила педагогический университет имени Хачатура Абовяна и Международный институт СМИ, параллельно изучая психологию. В течение многих лет она работала на различных телеканалах, таких как «Прогресс» и «Специальный репортаж». С 2010 по 2015 годы она переехала в Москву, где начала работать на первом российско-армянском телеканале ARMTV и стала специальным корреспондентом информационного агентства «КАВНЬЮЗ» kavnews. Она создала и вела свою информационно-аналитическую программу на YouTube под названием «Медиа Взгляд». Кроме того, она организовала работу по созданию различных телевизионных проектов, сюжетов и документальных фильмов совместно с телеканалами Культура, 360 ТВ и другими. Сусанна также провела интервью с российскими экспертами в различных областях, таких как политология, экономика и культура. В настоящее время она является специальным корреспондентом армянского телеканала Еркир Медиа в Москве и одновременно организовала две армянские воскресные школы в Подмосковье. Сусанна активно сотрудничает с армянской общиной России, освещает деятельность армянской общины в различных сферах и организует мероприятия, включая культурные и благотворительные. Она также является членом Союза журналистов России и Международного союза журналистов и преподает армянский язык студентам из разных вузов России.