Handmade male stuffed doll from Armenia that depicts the culture. He is wearing an Armenian hat made from felt. He has pants made from burlap, a long-sleeved shirt and a vest of rug material. His shoes are knitted with wool. His face is embroidered, and he has a large mustache. Due to its geographic location, Armenia is often considered a part of Europe, Asia, or the Middle East.
Location: Middle East/Europe
Capital: Yerevan
Main language: Armenian
Currency: Armenian dram
Construction: cloth, wool, burlap
Height in Centimeters: 43
Height in Inches: 17
Reading Level: 5.13
My name is Sergo. I am 14 years old, and I live in Armenia. My country is located between Turkey, Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan. We used to be a part of the Soviet Union, but we have been independent since 1991. Independence is nice, but we are a very poor country.
My family lives on a small farm in a valley north of Yerevan, the capital. We grow wheat and barley. We also have goats and sheep in the pastures. I like living in the country. We grow our own food and do not have to worry about going hungry. Some of the people in Armenian cities are not so lucky.
Last summer, I wanted to travel and see more of Armenia. My cousin, Maro, said I could work with her and her friend on the “Stork Girls” project. We have a lot of storks in Armenia. The project was to visit villages and ask people to be “Nest Neighbors.” We handed out calendars and asked villagers to track the date the storks return in the spring. They also marked the days the little storks hatched and when they started to fly. Finally, they would note the date the storks flew away for the winter.
The project was great fun. I got to visit many villages and learned a lot about storks. Did you know storks are over 3 feet tall (100 cm) and have a wingspan of almost 6 feet? They build really, really big nests on the top of tall buildings and poles.
In our part of the world, a stork nest is a sign of good luck. In fact, storks are considered sacred in many Armenia legends. One of my favorite poems is called the “Song of the Stork.” It was written many, many years ago to honor the birds that spend spring and summer in Armenia. When the snow appears in the fall, the storks fly to Africa for the winter.
STORK, I welcome thy return.
Stork, upon our roof descend.
Stork, I would complain to thee:—
Stork, when thou our house didst leave,
Clouds obscured the brilliant sky;
From the mountain of Varag,
In our garden all was white.
Thou stork, I welcome thy return.
Thy coming is the sign of spring,
And thou dost joy and gladness bring.
Thou stork, upon our roof descend.
Upon our ash-tree build thy nest,
Our dear one, and our honoured guest.
Yes, stork, I would complain to thee.
A thousand sorrows I would tell,
The griefs that in my bosom dwell.
When last our ash-tree thou didst leave,
Cold, blasting winds the heavens filled,
And all our smiling flowers were killed.
Dark clouds obscured the brilliant sky.
Up there in flakes they broke the snow,
And Winter killed the flowers below.
From that great hill they call Varag,
The snow did all the earth enfold:—
In our green meadow it was cold.
Our little garden all was white.
Our tender rose-trees, fresh and green,
All died of Winter’s frost-bite keen.