Armenian college director criticized for hiring husband as driver, raising pay

Armine Kolyan, acting director of Goris State Multipurpose College, is facing scrutiny after appointing her husband as her driver and increasing her own salary shortly after taking office.

Kolyan, who assumed the role on Dec. 2, 2025, confirmed to Hraparak that she hired her husband, explaining she did not want to sit beside another man in their small town. “Maybe it sounds old-fashioned, but I wanted to avoid unnecessary talk,” she said.

Staff members allege her husband did not report to work in December but still received wages and a holiday bonus. They also claim Kolyan increased her monthly salary to 570,000 drams without board approval and added another paycheck by assigning her 78-year-old mother, longtime agronomist Alvard Mirzoyan, to additional duties.

Employees further accuse Kolyan of fueling her personal car with gasoline purchased by the college, despite the institution owning a service vehicle. Kolyan countered that the college’s Niva is currently out of service and undergoing repairs.