GUD VELSIGNE OS…
Azg/arm
21 July 05
God bless us…
This is the title of a documentary about Armenians of Denmark and
Armenia shot in this Scandinavian country in 2002.
The Armenian Christian Cultural Center of Denmark headed by its
president Alexander Aghabalian decided to familiarize the Danes with
Armenia, its people, culture and history.
Celebration of 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia in 2001
gave the idea of the film. The first part of the film is dedicated to
the Armenian culture and history with a focus on Armenian Genocide of
1915. But the main theme of the film is the integration of Armenians
in Denmark.
The Armenian community of Denmark, greater after the collapse of
the USSR, managed not only to keep the homeland in heart but also
did everything to create a small Armenia in Copenhagen. “I wanted
to sculpt something that would remind me my home though so far away”
sculptor Armen Matinian author of “Origin” statue says.
“It cost me great efforts to get the right to serve Armenian liturgy
at the St. Andreas church in Copenhagen”, Aghabalian says, “There
is no Armenian church in Denmark, and I decided to give a chance to
compatriots to feel the breath of the homeland behind the walls of
that church. Moreover, in 1995, we managed to erect a khachkar at
the churchyard in memory of the Genocide victims”.
Many Armenians have succeeded in Denmark.
A number of Armenian scientists are doing research in cancer. “I
had to leave Armenia like many others as I had decided to get on
in science”, Mariam Grigorian says. “It’s better to be a good baker
in Denmark than a bad architect in Armenia”, Karen Kocharian says.
Sergey Azizian is considered the first violin of Denmark.
Alexander Aghabalian skillfully featured all these in the documentary
titled “God Bless Us…” that was first shown in Copenhagen. The film
helped the Danes, almost unaware of Armenia and Armenian culture,
understand who the Armenians are.
By Anna Harutyunian