Contested memories and everyday statehood in Armenia: translocal narratives of legitimacy in the South Caucasus Armenia is currently undergoing a seismic change in how society relates to the state. Following the June 2026 parliamentary elections, debates over political legitimacy have become increasingly intertwined with questions of memory, identity and national belonging. It is built – or eroded – through people’s everyday experiences with public institutions, local governance and official narratives. Contested memory in Armenia and the South CaucasusThe political meaning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has remained deeply contested in Armenia. Anna Vardanyan is an Armenian political journalist and researcher specializing in defence, international relations, and security issues in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.