On April 13-14 a closed conference on "The Problems of Periodization of the Armenian History" was held at YSU Academic hall. The chairman of the conference was YSU Rector Aram Simonyan. The conference was organized by "The Historians Association of Armenia" NGO in cooperation with YSU Institute for Armenian Studies, YSU faculty of International relations and faculty of History, NAS RA, Armenian State Pedagogical University, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, National Archives of Armenia, Vanadzor  and Artsakh State Universities and with the support of State Committee of Science of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia. 

The conference aims to review the classical periodization of the Armenian History and paving new formats to adjust it the context of world history. According to YSU Rector Aram Simonyan the historiographical issues that require new approaches and bear contradictory potential should be discussed through these round tables, conferences which will help help to get new answers for organizing future activities. “Speaking about universal processes, being a part of all these and being subjected to the general rules of periodization, our history has its own peculiarities that are worth to be spoken of today”.

Director of NAS RA Institute of History, Professor Ashot Melkonyan in his opening speech stressed the importance of establishing “The Historians Association of Armenia” and the importance of periodization of the Armenian History. Director of the Institute of Archeology and History Pavel Avetisian added that if we compare perceptions and approaches of the periods of the world history and the new criteria of periodization proposed by the Armenian historians in 1992, their episodic manifestations today, the contradictions between former and current criteria, basic concepts of world history and criteria and phenomena that serve as a base for the periodization of the Armenian history will become more clear. 

10 reports were presented during the two-day conference. The reports were presented by NAS RA Institute of Oriental Studies R.Safrastyan, senior researcher of Institute of History A. Shahnazaryan, dean of YSU Faculty of History E. Minasyan, head of the chair of Diaspora Studies A. Yeghizaryan, Professor in Historical Sciences V. Tunyan, head of the department of world history and foreign regional studies of Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Professor in Historical Sciences Ye. Margaryan, head of the chair of History of Vanadzor State University, F. Movsisyan,  head of the National Achieves of RA, A.Virabyan

The periodization of Old, Middle and Modern times was discussed and every participant-historian proposed his theory around it. They also spoke about archaeological and civilizational periodization, comparisons were made between the western and eastern methods of periodization and it was noted that the history of all nations cannot be viewed through European model of periodization, as Asian civilizations have earlier origins. The periods of the History of the Armenian Diaspora was touched upon in a separate report highlighting its inclusion in the context of the Armenian history.

The conference was followed by a discussion during which participants had the opportunity to clarify issues of concern through questions and answers.