Our podcast tells the stories of how Armenia is changing, but in this episode, we sat down to talk about how Armenia has changed each of us.

Plus we have an announcement: We just launched a crowdfunding campaign for our second season! If you've enjoyed listening to our podcast so far, we'd really appreciate your support to keep making it happen. You can donate here:

igg.me/at/countryofdust

Gayane Milonyan, a mother of two, has just been forced to flee her home in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), along with over 100,000 people – the entire indigenous Armenian population left in the region after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. We spoke to Gayane a day after her arrival in Armenia about what she lost, what she survived, and how she survived it.

Content warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

If you’re looking for a place to donate to help alleviate the refugee crisis, here are some organizations that are working on the ground:

All for Armenia
https://allforarmenia.org/

World Central Kitchen
https://donate.wck.org/give/522197/

Kooyrigs
https://kooyrigs.org/

AGBU
https://agbu.org/

Wine has been part of Armenia’s story since the beginning, and it can be a bridge from its ancient history, to the Soviet era, to today. In our final episode of the season, we talk to Mariam Saghatelyan, co-owner of In Vino wine bar, about the resurgence of wine culture in Armenia. And we delve into the unexpected ways that uncorking a bottle of wine can connect you to the pulse of the country.