Businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Azerbaijani military court on fabricated charges, turns 58 today. This marks the third consecutive year he is spending his birthday in an Azerbaijani prison.

The Free Armenian Prisoners team has set out to remind the public of what Ruben Vardanyan has achieved for Armenia, using quotes from Vardanyan himself that reveal the deeper meaning and purpose behind his actions.

Since 2000, Ruben Vardanyan, alongside his family and friends, has invested more than $700 million in Armenia, implementing around 700 initiatives that range from small-scale projects to identity-shaping megaprojects. Here, we highlight just a few.

Armenia 2020: How and Why It Was Created

Vardanyan could have easily continued his highly successful career outside of Armenia, but it was vital to him that his homeland be counted among the world’s “successful nations.”

To that end, in 2001, Vardanyan and a group of friends launched the Armenia 2020 initiative to identify long-term development scenarios for the country over the next 20-plus years. The initiative formulated four development paths for Armenia, highlighting sectors with the highest potential to catalyze a major breakthrough.

Many of the megaprojects Ruben Vardanyan later realized found their conceptual roots in the blueprints laid out by Armenia 2020.

"Anchor" Projects: The Tatev Revival and the Wings of Tatev Aerial Tramway

Vardanyan famously referred to certain initiatives as "anchor" projects due to their large scale, multiplier effect, and ability to trigger positive changes and a chain reaction of new developments.

One of the first such megaprojects was the construction of the Wings of Tatev aerial tramway, which was part of the more comprehensive Tatev Revival program.

“When we were starting the construction of the cable car, the deputy regional governor and the community leaders met with me and said they had found a way to save me three million dollars. The idea was to invest one million dollars in each village and another million in the monastery. This would build all the necessary infrastructure, show immediate tangible results, and save me three million dollars. At the time, I told them, ‘It's a good idea, but what happens in five years?’ Just as it's impossible to reach the monastery now, it will still be impossible then. And when we built the cable car with Swiss specialists, the ultimate goal became clear to everyone.”(Excerpt from a Forbes interview, 2019)

The Wings of Tatev tramway has been recognized four times at the international World Travel Awards, firmly placing Armenia on the global tourism map. Since its construction, tourist flow to the Syunik region has increased 17-fold, while private sector investments in the area grew 11-fold. This growth catalyzed massive infrastructural development, leading to the opening of more than 100 new hotels and B&Bs in the Tatev and Goris areas.

Education as the Key to National Development: UWC Dilijan

“Our role model should be the young Armenian student from a village school who wins a bronze medal at an international chemistry competition, and their teacher should be deeply appreciated.”(Excerpt from a Vardanyan interview, 2021)

Vardanyan and his wife, Veronika Zonabend, hold a profound reverence for education. They firmly believe that, in the 21st century, the most valuable resource is a talented, well-educated, creative individual who thinks outside the box — and that countries and regions with a higher concentration of such people will truly prosper.

In 2014, Vardanyan founded the UWC Dilijan international school in Armenia, establishing a bridge between Armenia and the world, and putting the country on the international education map.

“The impact of the Dilijan school is long-term. It might only be fully felt in 20 years. Children from around 90 countries study there. People used to tell me, ‘A school like that? Are you crazy? Who is going to come to Dilijan from Japan, America, or France to study?’ But, look at them now — they come. Young people from France, Germany, Chile, and Zimbabwe come to study in Armenia, and they become the future ambassadors of Armenia.”(Excerpt from a Forbes interview, 2019)

UWC Dilijan remains the only school in the United World Colleges network located within the post-Soviet space, bringing together students from nearly 100 countries. Over the years, 170 young Armenians have had the opportunity to receive a world-class education at UWC Dilijan and other schools within the network. For Armenian children from underprivileged families, this has served as a life-changing opportunity to access top-tier international education. Around 98% of these Armenian students studied free of charge, supported by scholarships from the school's sponsors, including the Vardanyan family.

Aurora: Armenians Have Something to Give to the World

We must break free from the victim mindset.

Together with like-minded friends, Noubar Afeyan and the late Vartan Gregorian, Vardanyan founded the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. The initiative was born out of gratitude to those who extended a helping hand to their ancestors during the Armenian Genocide.

The Initiative carries with it a profound message: rather than just reminding the world of the Armenian Genocide, it has reshaped the perception of Armenians as people of honor. By extending a helping hand through the Aurora Prize to individuals around the world facing extreme hardship and peril in the present day, Aurora demonstrates that Armenians are not perpetual victims. It shows that Armenians possess dignity, know how to express gratitude, and are capable of giving back and helping the global community.

“The core concept of Aurora, Gratitude. is a fundamental human value. Active gratitude, or ‘Gratitude in Action,’ is at the heart of any healthy, compassionate community. Being here in Baku, I am more inspired than ever by the Aurora Prize laureates and the broader Aurora community, people who serve others without seeking recognition or attention.”

(Excerpt from Vardanyan’s message transmitted from Baku prison, November 2025)

Preserving Spiritual and Cultural Heritage in Armenia and Beyond

“If we want our culture to be respected, we must respect the culture of others.”

At Vardanyan's initiative, nearly two dozen monuments of Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage have been restored, both within Armenia and beyond its borders. These include the Cathedral of Saint George in Tbilisi, the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus in Iran, and the Iranian Upper Govhar Agha Mosque in Shushi.

“The Armenian world is vast. We have Armenian cultural centers in Singapore, Jerusalem, Iran, Georgia, and various countries around the globe. It is crucial for us that they are preserved. And if we want our culture to be respected there, we must respect the culture of others here.”(Excerpt from Vardanyan’s speech, Artsakh, 2019)

Vardanyan’s entire life's work centers on humanism, creation, building, and helping humankind, often without expecting anything in return, not even gratitude.

“Goodness is eternal and immortal. It grows stronger when we do a good deed without expecting anything in return: anonymously, sometimes not even knowing who we are helping. Goodness is not an investment. Be grateful; do not return a good deed to the one who helped you out of a mere sense of debt, but pass it forward like a relay baton. It will return both to those who did good to you, and to yourself. Do not turn anyone away. Help, and share everything you have. Everything will come back."

(Excerpt from Vardanyan’s message transmitted from Baku prison, April 13, 2025)

Source: https://news.am/en/news/1038021