Uncovering Roots Season Two: There Was, There Was Not

 

 Uncovering Roots made an impact in December 2023 with its three-part series about the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and beyond by the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). In those two years of the genocide, over 1.2 million Armenians were sent on death marches to the Syrian Desert. In addition, about 200,000 Armenian women and children were forcibly converted to Islam and integrated into Muslim households.

In the first season, the creator, producer, and host is Maxim Saakyan recounted the story of Armenian Genocide survivor Aurora Mardiganian, who was the subject of the strong opening episode, pieced together with interviews from people who knew her. Resilience doesn’t come close to describing the woman who suffered torture and brutality before she eventually escaped to New York.

Saakyan comments on these episodes: "This three-part podcast series is very important to me. As an Armenian, the number of people who don't know about the genocide really hurts me. Then we look at Aurora's story, and it's just so unbelievably shocking. It's so unbelievable that so many people didn't actually think she existed. Like she was a fictional character that was made up to represent the pain Armenians went through. But she was real. She not only went through the genocide, but she also went through Hollywood exploitation as well. This story isn't just about teaching people about the genocide, it's about honoring her story."

 

Due to its strategic geographic significance, Armenia has suffered countless invaders and invasions throughout history. For example, from 1513 to 1737, Armenia was controlled by different conquerors 14 times.

 

 Uncovering Roots is an independently produced (Indie) podcast that is a moving and powerful new show that gives a voice to lesser-known people whose stories need to be heard.

The creator, producer, and host is Maxim Saakyan. He is Armenian, Spanish, and Russian, a complicated blend, to say the least. 

Saakyan was born in Italy, moved to London when he was young, and studied Math for both his bachelor's and master's degrees. His education led him quite organically to a data analyst job, but he craved doing creative things.

Max says: "My background is a tad funny when it comes to being in the creative world! I studied mathematics at university, which makes my journalism slightly more analytical at times, which I think is a different look from most storytelling. Childhood wise! I was born to Armenian-Spanish parents, born in Italy, and grew up in London. Someone always seems to ask 'Where are you from?'"

We asked Maxim Saakyan why he started this podcast. Max began discussing the podcast title. "One of the most difficult things about making a podcast is deciding on a unique name. Uncovering Roots felt perfect. We truly uncover the stories we tell, where it is a deep dive, finding out new things. And with that, we tend to find the root of the story by doing that."

Max explained: "How did I actually get into it? I realized I was living a relatively similar 9 to 5 life, came home from work, watched TV, went to the gym, and repeated. It became very monogamous. I needed something different, and I met a dear friend in Morocco who was an audio producer, and she really inspired me that you’re able to do both things. Investigate stories while you have a full-time job, but you have to love it."

"I'm a strong believer that creative outputs are the best ways to teach people about certain topics," says Maxim. "Whether that's about history, culture or current affairs, audio is also such an intimate way of talking to people, most of the time, you're literally in their ears speaking to them."

Maxim continues: "We seem to be living in a world where one-minute videos are the goal, but despite that, there is a rise in popularity with podcasts, which can be 30 to even 60 minutes long."

 

Make no mistake about it. Saakyan's storytelling and narrative prowess are so good that these episodes rival the emotional punch of Holocaust horror tales. What's more amazing about the emotional core of this podcast is Saakyan's admission that, "I virtually had zero storytelling podcast experience, no sound design experience, no mic experience. This was an entire learning curve for me, from fact-checking to interviewing. I think one of the hardest things was the sound design element. I never appreciated how crucial it is."

 

Season two of Uncovering Roots began in April 2025 with a story of the famous Baron Hotel in Aleppo, Syria. The latest episode returns to a tragic theme from season one -- the conflict between Armenia–Azerbaijan. Despite what U.S. President Trump claims about resolving disputes between the two nations, there are currently no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, though both countries committed to a peace agreement in August 2025.

The two nations have a long history of conflict, due to the five wars waged by the countries in the past century—one from 1918 to 1921, another from 1988 to 1994, and the most recent in 2016, 2020 and 2023—the two countries have had strained and largely hostile relations.

Max says: "Linum e, chi linum. There Was There Was Not. This is how Armenians begin their myths and stories, the same saying as Once Upon a Time." 

Filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian spent several years in Artsakh documenting four women building their lives and fighting for their place in society. The region is mountainous and has a complex political status due to the dispute over its control between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The episode follow two women -- Sose, a judo champion dreaming of the Olympics, and Siranush, a politician determined to prove women could lead differently. 

Then on September 27, 2020, arrived, and the question became: What do you do when your world suddenly disappears?

This episode was produced, written and sound designed by Maxim Saakyan. Voice-overs done by Mariam Koloyan (Siranush) and Nana Shakhnazaryan (Sose). Emily’s film, There Was, There Was Not is playing in select theaters.

This episode of Uncovering Roots is another example of the artistic craftsmanship of podcaster Max Saakyan. His documentary style is absolutely captivating, and he liquifies geopolitical events into the personal, the tragic, and the painful.