The research will address traditional and neo-traditional magico-religious and healing practices existing in urban Armenia including healing, witchcraft, divination and clairvoyance practices. The author has already investigated the mentioned phenomena in rural environment and came to a conclusion that urban environment, huge information flows and globalisation processes might have influenced the tradition. On the other hand, non-official healing, divination and witchcraft evidently have occupied more important place in peoples’ life in a stressfull and unstable environment of nowadays than ever during the last decades of the Soviet period. Some of practices are being adapted to the market economy relations and turned to businesses, though preserving their mistic and religious nature. Flourishing of magico-religious and healing practices also needs special legal environment to address phisical and material detriment frequently caused by the specialists in healing, divination or witchcraft to their clients and patients. The author is interested in specifics of practicing healing, divination and witchcraft practices among urban population, the mechanisms of their survival and transformation, and how globalisation processes impact their traditional nature.

Yulia Antonian is currently in the process of defending her candidate thesis on “Armenian traditional healing and divination practices”. She has large field work exrerience in rural Armenia. Yulia has published about ten scientific papers in Armenia and abroad and participated in a number of local and international conferences.

Research topic:  Религиозно-магические и целительские практики в современнойгородской среде Армении