Our Story

Story Beyond The Ruins is an oral history project.  We aim to preserve memories and lived experiences from and beyond the 1988 Armenian earthquake. The stories range from courageous tales of survival to life-changing moments in a person's life.  Through our conversations with individuals, we have tried to provide a canvas for an authentic depiction of life during and after the earthquake. We hope that these stories will strengthen the Armenian heritage of storytelling and give outsiders a glimpse into a profound event that led up to modern Armenia today. Below, you can read how this project originated from a simple interest in an earthquake, to one that brought us closer to what it means to be Armenian.

Support This Project

Story Beyond The Ruins operates entirely on the work of volunteers. Maintaining the website, translating text, and arranging and conducting interviews all cost money. If you find this project and website meaningful, we ask you give a small donation to support it. We are excited to be partnered with the Paros Foundation to raise funds for this project. 100% of donations through their platform will support this project directly.

You can also help by volunteering with Story Beyond The Ruins. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to support this project in website maintenance, interviewing, translating, and partnership management. Please click “Volunteer” if you are interested in one of those positions.