REQUIEM FOR PLANE CRASH VICTIMS HELD IN CHURCHES OF VIRAHAYOTS DIOCESE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 09 2006

TBILISI, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A requiem to the
memory of the Yerevan-Sochi plane crash victims was held on May 6 in
the Tbilisi Surb Gevorg and Surb Etchmiadzin, Batumi Surb Prkich,
Akhalkalak Surb Khach, Akhaltsikhe Surb Grigor Lousavorich (Saint
Gregory the Illuminator), Ninotsminda Surb Sargis churches of the
Virahayots Diocese. Representatives of the authorities, community
and public organizations were present. Before the mourning ceremony,
Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian visited the Embassy of the Republic of
Armenia to Georgia, writing his message of condolence in the Mourning
Book. The requiem was presided at the Tbilisi Surb Gevorg primacy
church by the primate. Those present prayed for memory and peace
of the victims’ souls. At the end of the ceremony, His Holiness
Vazgen expressed his condolence to the victims’ families, Karekin
II Catholicos of All Armenians, heading bodies of the Republic of
Armenian, all Armenians. His Holiness spo! ke with gratitude about
the Georgian Orthodox church, other sister shurches of Georgia, the
authorities of Georgia, employees of the Georgian Ombudsman’s Office
having sympathy for the Georgian Armenians during these days. He
expressed his gratitude to Ghazi Akhound Ali Aliyev, the authorized
representative of Muslims of Caucasus who personally visited the
primacy and expressed his sympathy to the Armenian people. During
the mourning ceremony, RA Ambassador to Georgia Hrach Silvanian with
his wife, Embassy Consul Artur Sargsian were in the church. Armenian
deputies of the Georgian Parliament, members of the Armenian community
administration, Leila Jejelava, the Coordinator of the Religious
Council attached to the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church,
Beka Mindiashvili, the Director of the Tolerance Center attached to the
Georgian Ombudsman’s Office, Sergo Vardosanidze, the Pro-Rector of the
Tbilisi Pedagogical University and others were in the church. President
of Georgia M! ikheil Saakashvili visisted the RA Embassy on May 5. In
his message of condolence left in the mourning book the President of
the country wrote: “I got to know about the tragedy in Sochi with
deep pain. Our thoughts and prayings are with the Armenian people
and families of the victims.” Prime Minister of Georgia Zourab
Noghaideli, State Minister Giorgi Khaindrava, Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Georgia Meran Antadze, representatives of foreign
embassies accredited in Georgia, of Georgian intellectuals as well
left their messages of condolence in the mourning book. According
to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the Press Services
of the Virahayots Diocese, 1 citizen of Georgia and 6 citizens from
Javakhk by origin were among the 113 victims died in consequence
of the air tragedy. Two of them were from the village of Ghulalis,
the region of Ninotsminda. On this occasion, 113 trees were planted
in the village on the initiative of region head Mels Bdoyan.