Wikipedia, the largest open-access, multilingual online encyclopedia, turns 25. The first Armenian-language edit on Wikipedia took place in January 2003, followed by the publication of the first Armenian-language article a year later. According to Arshak Shahinyan, President of the “Wikimedia Armenia” educational and social NGO, Armenian-language entries grow daily, with 10,000 to 12,000 new articles added annually. Today, the Armenian Wikipedia hosts nearly 330,000 articles.
Arshak Shahinyan, President of “Wikimedia Armenia” NGO:
“Articles on the most relevant current topics are created on a daily basis. Armenian-language entries covering national subjects, such as Armenian history, kings, churches, and historical monuments, are also translated into other languages, predominantly English, Russian, and German.”
In October 2013, the Renaissance Cultural Foundation launched large-scale initiatives in partnership with Wikimedia Armenia to develop Armenian digital content and expand the Armenian Wikipedia. Funded by the Renaissance Foundation, Wikimedia Armenia acquired essential equipment and computers, laying the groundwork for key project implementations.
Among these was the “One Armenian, One Article” campaign, which engaged Armenian political, cultural, and public figures in authoring Armenian-language articles.
“The “One Armenian, One Article” campaign significantly enriched Wikipedia with new native-language content, capturing international coverage from outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, and Newsweek. Other initiatives supported and joined by the Renaissance Foundation included WikiCamps and WikiClubs.
The first WikiCamp was organized in 2014, establishing a format that remains active today.
Over the years, thousands of young people have attended WikiCamps, where they learn to research, write, and edit articles: “A medical-themed WikiCamp was held recently, and in a few months, we will host a Finance and Economics WikiMonth. Since this is an election year, we will also run the ‘Wikipedia for Free Elections’ campaign, aimed at creating entries related to electoral processes.
Regional WikiClubs also remain active across the country. Youth in various provinces work alongside editors to learn online encyclopedic writing. Since traveling to Yerevan can be difficult for many young people, local clubs continue to open across all regions to ensure accessibility.”
The Wikimedia Armenia Foundation also conducts the “Wiki Loves Earth” and “Wiki Loves Monuments” photo expeditions. Two years ago, a photograph of the Haghartsin Monastery complex placed 6th globally in the competition. In the era of artificial intelligence, Wikipedia remains one of the world’s primary information repositories.
While direct article views have declined in recent years, AI models continuously retrieve and utilize information from the online encyclopedia during search processing. As the world’s largest online encyclopedia, Wikipedia continues to serve as a foundational data source for AI systems as well.