ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF RUSSIA APPEAL TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ MEMORY

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 26 2006

MOSCOW, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Different events
dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took
place recently in Moscow and different regions of Russia, populated
by many Armenians. The liturgy dedicated to the memory of more than
1.5 mln compatriots was celebrated on April 24 in the Surb Haroutiun
Armenian church of Moscow by Bishop Yezras Nersisian, the primate
of the Russian and New Nakhijevan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church. Then a mourning mass meeting took place at the khachkar
(cross stone) placed in the yard of the church. Representatives of the
Embassy of Armenia to Russia, Russian Armenian public organizations
participated in the mourning rally. As it was before, a demonstration
was organized on the same day in front of the Embassy of Turkey in
Moscow where representatives of the Union of Armenians in Russia, the
Russian-Armenian Cooperation, the Armenian Community Organization of
Moscow, the “Ararat” cultural association and other organizations as
well as individuals participated and made speeches. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department,
after the midday opening of the exhibition of documentary materials
dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, then the presentation of the
“Four Years Under the Half-Moon” book written based on memories of
Rafael de Nogales, a witness of the 1915 events, hired officer of the
Turkish army, took place at the “Ararat Park Hyatt” hotel. Late the
same day a concert of the Belgian “Araks” group took place in the
“Hermitage” garden of Moscow. Atom Egoyan’s “Ararat” film was for
the first time shown by all nets of the Russian Federal (former ORT)
TV compnay late on April 23. The theme of the Armenian Genocide was
covered by Russian central and local mass media.