United States
Born and raised in Russia, I have studied and worked in Norway, Armenia, Vietnam and the United States. I fluently speak and write in Russian and English, understand but do not speak Ukrainian, have a working proficiency in Italian and a basic knowledge of German.
I love talking to interesting people: if you'd like to chat, have a story tip or an opportunity to share, shoot me an email at sofiadymova2026@u.northwestern.edu or text via Telegram at @sonyaaaja.
As Azerbaijan’s troops approached the edge of Artsakh’s (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital Stepanakert on September 25, 2023, Lusine Gharakhanyan was standing in front of her bookshelf, perplexed. Five days before, Artsakh soldiers had started laying down their arms as dictated by a Russia-brokered surrender.
Pressure by activists to change the location of the COP29 is mounting as the United Nations climate summit is set to take place in Azerbaijan in November. Among the activists’ concerns are the inability of Armenians to attend, participants’ safety, as well as COP29’s potential to greenwash – and sponsor – dictatorship and genocide.
In recent months, the evolving relationship between Armenia and the European Union has become a central topic among the nation’s politicians and analysts. The shift comes as Yerevan grapples with questions about its future political alignment following Russia’s failure to protect Armenia’s interests in Nagorno-Karabakh during and after the 2020 war.
In a report released this week, Caucasus Heritage Watch said the number of Armenian heritage sites destroyed in Nagorno-Karabakh skyrocketed since October 2023, a month after the forcible displacement of nearly all of the region’s Armenians. While UNESCO fails to act, experts say the conflict-driven targeting of cultural sites can be detrimental to the prospects of peacebuilding between the nations.
One year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, hundreds of people gathered at Chicago's Ukrainian Village to denounce the war and demand global support for Ukraine on Friday. "We stand here mourning ... a daily watch of crime against humanity, aggression with no seeming end because of the criminal and monster Vladimir Putin," Chicago...
When students enter Evanston Township High School, a sign reading "All Are Welcome Here" greets them in more than 25 languages. However, some students say they've been less welcomed than others when walking through the halls. "Personally, I see more students of color being called out and being told, 'Where's your pass?'
Armenia is set to purchase an unspecified number of CAESAR artillery systems as a result of what French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu called a “new important milestone” reached Monday. The contract comes as part of a larger military-technical cooperation agreement between Armenia’s Ministry of Defense and the French military-industrial company KNDS.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, kicked off in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku on Monday, scheduled to run through November 22. The summit takes place as 2024 is projected to become the hottest year on record yet, beating the record-setting high temperatures of 2023. Fewer people are expected to attend amid the environmental and human rights concerns.
Azerbaijan formally applied to join BRICS – the Russia and China-led bloc of emerging-market countries – Baku’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ayxan Hacizada told Azerbaijan’s state-run news agency Report Tuesday. Azerbaijan’s bid to join BRICS comes as part of its broader foreign policy strategy to strengthen ties with the Global South, especially as Western military and diplomatic support for Armenia continues to grow.
Days before the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2022, an undisclosed senior official in the Turkish diplomatic establishment repeatedly sought assurances that New York Mayor Eric Adams would refrain from making any public statements regarding the genocide, federal prosecutors allege in a 57-page indictment against the politician unsealed Thursday.