News

One could think of several ways to introduce Armenian literature and the Armenian writer to the public, but what has been initiated by the editorial staff of Pakin and which been undertaken in the last few months, may not be unique in its kind, but is interesting and very valuable.

Thus, on the second Wednesday evening of each month, the editorial staff of Pakin staff invite friends of Armenian literature to get further acquainted with an Armenian writer and his/her works. The authors and their oeuvres are presented to the audience either by experts, or by the authors themselves. Afterward, excerpts from the works are read. When the audience is the one to do the reading, then the atmosphere becomes even warmer. The next step is the exchange of opinions on the work being discussed, which not only further widens the horizon, but also sometimes surprises the audience with the opinions expressed, and which, we think, is the true mission of these meetings.   Cont.

A reading was organized by the Pakin literary magazine staff on Wednesday, February 10, at 7:00 PM, at Pakin’s editorial offices. During the evening, poet Elo Sarajian-Hergelian presented a selection of reflections by Gosdan Zarian.

Associate Editor Seta Krikorian welcomed the audience. She said this was the first meeting for the year 2010 and that similar meetings will continue to take place throughout the year. She presented Elo Sarajian-Hergelian as a poet, columnist, and author of various articles, as well as a teacher, adding that she also manages the Noah’s Ark exhibition hall. Ms. Krikorian added that Ms. Sarajian-Hergelian has studied Gosdan Zarian.   Cont.

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The P. Ganachian Music College hosted an evening dedicated to the memory of violinist Hagop Esmerian on Monday, February 8, 2010 at 7:30 PM, at the K. and H. Armenian hall of the Levon Center Cultural Center of Hamazkayin. Dr. Walid Gholmiyeh, the director of the National Conservatory of Lebanon, representatives of Armenian organizations, Armenian and non-Armenian artists and art lovers, Mr. Esmerian’s family, and members of Hamazkayin were all in attendance.

Following a moment’s silence in memory of Hagop Esmerian and his mother, Hagop Aprahamian welcomed the audience on behalf of the Parsegh Ganachian Music College of Hamazkayin. He said memorial evenings are the best opportunity for remembering those individuals who have influenced the mission of preserving and enhancing the Armenian people’s cultural legacy. He said that similar events serve to build new values from within the older ones, since new achievements are recorded when there are people who are familiar with the past, and believe in the values and responsibilities handed to them.   Cont.

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The Alumni of the Palanjian-Arslanian Djemaran of Hamazkayin hosted a rock concert featuring the band Mihr on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 8:00 PM at the Hagop Der Melkonian Theater.

Patil Yesaian spoke on behalf of the Alumni of the Palanjian-Arslanian Djemaran before the concert. She thanked the band members, who had agreed to perform this beneficiary concert, the profits of which would be allocated to the Students’ Fund of Djemaran.   Cont.

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Organized by the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Lebanon and the Punig Foundation, the Aram Khachatouryan String Quartet of Armenia gave a concert on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 8:00 PM, at the Assembly Hall of American University of Beirut. Artists, art lovers, and members of Hamazkayin attended the event.

The art director of the Aram Khachatouryan String Quartet is Vache Hoveyan. Members of the quartet are: Marie Margaryan (violin,) Haik Vardanyan (violin,) Vache Hoveyan (viola,) and Vahan Georgyan (cello.) The Quartet was reestablished in 2004 and has performed in Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.   Cont.

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The Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Syria assembled its first ever inter-committee meeting on Sunday, January 1, 2010, at 11:00 AM, at the Levon Shant Hall of Aram Manougian People’s House. Attending the meeting were Vahe Jamakordzian, member of the Central Committee of Hamazkayin, and about 40 representatives representing various Regional Committees of Hamazkayin, the assessment body, four chapter committees, and four unit committees.

Hrip Gananian, the chairperson of the Regional Committee opened the meeting. After welcoming the attendees, she mentioned the need for inter-committee meetings, especially to emphasize cooperation and to better get to know each other. She added that the word culture becomes more tangible when members of Hamazkayin, through their close relationships, make the invisible become visible.   Cont.

The Central Committee of Hamazkayin announces the death of the former member,
Kegharpy Yenikomshian (Der Melkonian)

who departed this world on Monday, 1st of February, 2010.
   Cont.

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Organized by the Gomidas Chapter of Hamazkayin, a lecture and picture exhibition on Cilicia, and in particular on the city of Adana, took place Friday, January 29, 2010, at 8:00 PM, at the Vasbouragan Hall of the Nshan Palanjian Center of Hamazkayin in Beirut. Bishop Kegham Khacherian, the Prelate of the Armenian Diocese in Beirut, representatives from national bodies, Armenian and foreign artists and art lovers attended the event. The lecture was presented by archeologist and antiques dealer Richar Shahin, who is of Armenian origin.

On behalf of the Committee of the Gomidas Chapter of Hamazkayin, Seta Khedeshian welcomed the audience to the the event, which was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Adana massacres. She said that Richar Shahin is the author of more than ten art and history albums and has created a dozen of color photo collections. Ms. Khedeshian said that in his three-story gallery, Mr. Shahin has organized several exhibitions dedicated to the works of Lebanese or foreign artists. Ms. Khedeshian added that in Brazil, the United States, the Arab world and many other countries Mr. Shahin has presented several lectures on topics he has studied and on his collections.   Cont.

Organized by the Regional Committee of Hamazkayin in Lebanon and by Aztag Daily, a lecture was held Monday, January 25, 2010, at 8:30 PM, at the K. and H. Armenian Hall of Levon Shant Cultural Center of Hamazkayin in Beirut. The topic of the lecture was “The Republic of Armenia in 2009: Promise and reality.” The lecture was presented by Tatoul Hakobyan, an analyst from the Civilitas Foundation of Yerevan and the Yerevan-based correspondent for Aztag Daily.

On behalf of the organizers, Raffi Demirjian opened the event. He said Armenia-Turkey relations are not merely political or, at most, economic issues, because the fate of a people is being scrutinized. He added that the issue is essentially pan-national and pan-Armenian and said that it is on this point that Hamazkayin in Lebanon participated this event.   Cont.

The year 2010 coincides with the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Djemaran of Hamazkayin and with the 75th anniversary of the Djemaran Alumni. Djemaran and its alumni have had their unquestionable role in the Armenianization of the diaspora, especially in the task of creating the national character. The Armenian Djemaran established on March 3, 1930, prepared teachers, editors, and national activists, who, in their turn, took over responsible roles in the social lives of many diasporan communities.

During the past months, the Committee of Alumni of the Palanjian-Arslanian Djemaran of Hamazkayin succeeded in implementing part of its planned initiatives, and plans to continue with the same drive. In this sphere, true to the nation-building vision of Shant and Aghpalian, the Committee of Djemaran Alumni will accordingly celebrate the both abovementioned occasions.   Cont.

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For more than a decade, the Institute of Armenian Studies of Hamazkayin has operated in Aleppo, where young Armenians are trained to acquire knowledge and skills in Armenian studies. They will become the educators of future generations with their knowledge of Armenian language and literature and will fulfill the need of teachers on Armenian subjects in Armenian in various cities and towns across Syria.

Therefore, it is obvious why the Institute is financially and morally supported by the Armenian community in Aleppo, such as the Kalousd Gulbengian Foundation, the Armenian Red Cross in Syria, and the committees of the Armenian Apostolic Churches. As such, it has become an institute of great importance.   Cont.

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The region of Middle East and especially Mesopotamia with its two rivers Tigris and Euphrates, has been the cradle of various peoples since ancient times. The Armenian history has been closely related to these regions since ancient times, as it is shown in the epics of Haig and Pel, Ara Keghatsig, and Sasountsi Davit.

It was on this topic that historian Bedros Tovmasian from Los Angeles delivered a lecture titled “The Armenian highlands and Mesopotamia.” The event was organized by the Hamazkayin in London and took place at the Navasartian Center in London.   Cont.

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On the occasion of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association’s 80th anniversary, the Central Committee of Hamazkayin, in an expression of its consideration towards the Armenian language and literature, presents the following publications:

“Anthology of Western Armenian Literature,” editor, Boghos Snabian,   Cont.

Organized by the Parents’ Council of M. and H. Arslanian Djemaran, the opening of the New Year Bazaar took place on December 15, 2009, at the Djemaran’s newly constructed Dr. Adrineh Karakashian Hall.

As in previous years, this year accessories, sweets, cakes, dried fruits, chocolates, children’s books, toys, as well as crafts handmade by the Djemaran students were exhibited.   Cont.

“Pakin” literary Magazine hosted an event to read and discuss excerpts from the two-volume novel “Antsoghign ou anjamantselin” by French-Armenian prose writer Movses Bchakjian on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at 7:00 PM.
Hagop Balian, the editor-in-chief of “Pakin,” welcomed the audience. Afterward, poet Sarkis Giragossian spoke about the novel and its author. Mr. Giragossian said Bchakjian succeeded in observing and describing, as well as in creating interesting characters and situations. He added that the style Bchakjian followed is simple, modern, and interesting.

Mr. Giragossian said that with his novel “Antsoghign ou anjamantselin,” the author presents his emotions, thoughts, dreams, and yearnings. The novel’s main character is Hovsep Spyurkayetsi, who is an incarnation of the author himself and in whom the author presents several issues which are troubling for Armenians in the diaspora, such as the Armenian Cause, and moral and psychological degeneration.    Cont.

On Sunday, November 22, there was a break in the daily life of Paris’ 9th Quarter, where the concert of Tigran Hamasyan, Levon Shatikyan, and the Aratta Ribert band opened the doors to the world of dreams.

With the cooperation of Hamazkayin and “France-Armenie,” this concert organized at the Rossini Hall of the City Hall of the 9th Quarter of Paris commenced with the welcoming words of Hourig Baghdasarian, the president of Hamazkayin in Paris. She thanked Paris Mayor Bravo (although he did not attend the event,) for his support of Armenian cultural events.   Cont.

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The Number 4 School, also known as the Levon Shant School in Yerevan, organized a celebration of the author’s life and achievements in concert with the Armenia office of Hamazkayin. The school’s students performed Shant’s play, “Ingadz perti ishkhanouhin,” in recognition of the event. The high quality of the production was particularly remarkable because it was prepared by the students.

Among those attending the event were representatives of the Public School Department of RA Ministry of Education, the deputy of the Education Council of the City Hall of Yerevan, as well as other members of the Council. The Armenia office of Hamazkayin participated to the event, emphasizing that the bond between Hamazkayin and the school will continue to be productive.    Cont.

LODI, N.J. (A.W.)–On Sun., Nov. 15, the organized by Hamazkayin drew in 1,200 members of the community.
The festival began with Armenia’s Minister of the Diaspora Hranush Hakobian’s video message and Hamazkayin Eastern U.S. Regional Committee chair Zarmayr Setrakyan’s brief welcoming remarks.

The festival featured Alla Levonyan, Babin Boghosian, the AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble, the Akhtamar Dance Ensemble of St. Thomas Armenian Church, the Yeraz Dance Ensemble of the St. Sarkis Armenian Church, the Hamazkayin Nayiri Dance Ensemble, the Arekag Children’s Choir, the Hamazkayin N.J. Dhol Group, and musician Garine Hassasian.   Cont.