Beirut-Born Woman Becomes Master Khachkar Carver in Gyumri
From Beirut to Gyumri: How Narine Poladian became a khachkar carver
Narine Poladian, a 23-year-old from Beirut with an interior architecture degree, moved to Armenia in 2018 for a short volunteer stint through Birthright Armenia. A chance encounter with stone artisans on Aram Street in Yerevan redirected her path toward khachkar carving—the traditional Armenian craft of sculpting cross-stones. She settled in Gyumri, where she now works as one of few women in this historically male-dominated field. Initially, her family and community expressed doubt, questioning whether women could perform such physically demanding work. However, Poladian credits the local artisan community for welcoming her and helping her develop her craft. She views the work not as conflicting with femininity but as a means of understanding her own strength. Armenian tuff, the stone used in Armenia, offers different properties than the harder Lebanese stone she encountered initially.
