Miassine
What if winter sports were more than just leisure?
In Ashotsk, a village perched high in the mountains, winter lasts nearly six months. Each year, as the first snow falls, the cross-country ski center comes alive. But here, it’s not about luxury tourism—it’s about social connection, equal opportunity, and local development.
This ambitious project breathes new life into the region, using cross-country skiing to create jobs, bring communities together, and give young people a snowy horizon of possibilities.
Skiing to Learn, Unite, and Move Forward
Supported by the Miassine Foundation, the program introduces hundreds of children—including those displaced from Artsakh—to cross-country skiing.
This low-cost, eco-friendly sport becomes a tool for learning, confidence, and health.
The goal is to establish a genuine winter sports culture in Armenia and utilize skiing as a catalyst for education, community engagement, and job creation.
Building a Ski Culture That Changes Lives
“The climate is perfect, but the culture of skiing doesn’t exist yet,” explains Satenik, the foundation’s director.
Through this program, hundreds of children, parents, and teachers discover an accessible, environmentally friendly sport that teaches perseverance, resilience, and teamwork.
But it goes beyond sports: it stimulates the local economy (transport, food services, lodging, equipment, coaching), creates jobs, and restores hope for young people, including displaced families now living in Gyumri.
Since its launch, the program has already reached over 500 young people from Gyumri, Ashotsk, and Artsakh.
In 2024, it even expanded to skating: 40 children experienced ice skating in Gyumri for the first time.
Strong Partnerships for the Future
Miassine Foundation works with a solid network of local and international partners.
In particular, a partnership with Switzerland enabled an Armenian student to train in Verbier Promotion in ski resort management. This exchange of know-how strengthens the program and paves the way for future expansion.
“This program can be an example for other mountain villages,” emphasizes Satenik.
The dream?
To make skiing a mandatory subject in mountain schools, with the support of the Ministry of Education. Because with limited resources, entire regions can be transformed, and sport can become part of everyday life for young people.
A Winter to Learn, Grow, and Dream
Cross-country skiing is no longer just a sport: in Shirak, it becomes an entry point to a brighter future, a source of inspiration for children, and a sustainable opportunity for local communities.
This project proves that in Armenia, too, snow can be a resource for social innovation—if we embrace it, one ski step at a time.