Oral History Archive
Browse our collection of oral histories documenting crisis and displacement
About the Database
The Digital Oral History Database was developed to preserve and share the rich memories of Armenian communities and those affected by historical crises. Initiated by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography (IAE), the project has built upon decades of oral history work, starting from the 1990s.
The platform integrates the outcomes of various research projects into a single institutional digital repository. The IAE has accumulated thousands of oral history interviews since the 1990s, including valuable documentary content about the Soviet era and other historical periods of crisis.
The project continues to record the oral histories of Artsakh residents and processes them using digital tools. A notable collection within the database is the interviews with refugees conducted during 1988–1990, comprising over 30 recorded interviews.
Database Features
Our digital archive provides powerful tools for searching, browsing, and analyzing oral history interviews
Advanced Search
Search through interviews by theme, location, date, and keywords
Metadata & Annotations
Comprehensive metadata and thematic annotations for each interview
Community Collections
Browse curated collections organized by theme and region
Ethical Access
Controlled access respecting privacy and consent agreements
Voice-to-Text Alignment
Accurately synchronize interview audio with transcribed text for easy reading, searching, and analysis
Featured Collections
Explore our curated collections of oral histories organized by theme and region
120+ interviews
Artsakh Displacement 2023
Coming soon
85+ interviews
Host Community Integration
Coming soon
45+ interviews
Identity Documents & Memory
Coming soon
120+ interviews
Artsakh Displacement 2023
Coming soon
85+ interviews
Host Community Integration
Coming soon
45+ interviews
Identity Documents & Memory
Coming soon
Request Access
Access to the full digital archive is available to researchers, educators, and community members through our access request system.
Access Categories
Public Access
Selected interviews and collections available for public viewing and educational use.
Researcher Access
Full database access for academic researchers with approved research projects.
Community Access
Special access provisions for community members and displaced individuals.
Preserving colloquial Armenian and endangered dialects by developing specialized linguistic protocols and AI-driven speech-to-text (ASR) tools to capture the nuances of unscripted oral speech.
Developed in collaboration with the Center for Advanced Software Technologies (CAST) and linguistic expert Pollet Samvelian (France).