ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF KHARKOV 10 YEARS OLD

Noyan Tapan
Aug 28, 2009

KHARKOV, AUGUST 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The 10th
anniversary of the Armenian National Community Kharkov’s regional
NGO will be marked this year. Since the day of its foundation in 1999
the organization has gathered around it the famous Armenians of the
region, public figures, businessmen, scientists, doctors, cultural
figures having their great contributions in the development of the
city’s economic, spiritual and cultural life.

In August of 2004, on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of Kharkov,
the Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians solemnly consecrated the Saint
Haroutyun Armenian Apostolic church the foundation-stone of which
had been put as far back as on July 1, 2000. An Armenian cultural
center was also built next to the church and today it works. These
two buildings are built with Armenian pink tufa.

The Armenian Sunday school of Kharkov has been working since 2001,
which at first was located in the territory of Kharkov hotel then was
moved to the building of secondary school N 110. Here the teachers
have set a task before themselves to teach the children not only their
mother tongue but also to acquaint them with the details and skills
of the spoken language, history of their Homeland, national folk lore,
national values, customs and traditions.

The teachers note proudly that not only schoolchildren study
at the Armenian Sunday school, Armenian students of higher
educational institutions and the adults also attend the lessons with
pleasure. Foreigners, Ukrainians and others, also study Armenian at
the school.

The Erebuni Dance Ensemble which was later renamed Armenia was founded
on June 1, 2001, on the occasion of Children Protection Day. The
director of the Ensemble is experienced pedagogue Nona Mirzabekian,
and Arman Guleyan is the artistic director and dancing-master. This
Ensemble has gain the love and sympathy of audience long ago. The
Armenia Song and Dance Ensemble has had perfect victories in numerous
Ukrainian and international competitions and festivals. One of the
next achievements of the Ensemble was its Grand Prix of Dancing Stars
2009 festival.

The first issue of the bilingual Kanch (Call) newspaper (Armenian
and Russian) was published on July 1, 2001 within the framework of
the Armenian Cultural Days in Kharkov. The editor-in-chief is Nina
Balasanian.

According to the director of Kharkov’s Armenia Song and Dance Ensemble
Nona Mirzabekian, the name of the newspaper, Call, has not been chosen
by chance, as such ideological and financial great work can be done
only with the call of soul and Homeland.

The activity of the community becomes more purposeful and solid year
after year expanding the spheres of the activity and completing also
the number of members of the union. The activity of the community
makes new run towards educational, cultural-pastime and benevolent
directions. Just from here a number of events have become traditional,
and the whole community celebrates them, Tearn Yndaraj, Mother’s Day,
Genocide Remembrance Day, the Day of Victory, the RA Independence Day,
the days of Armenian Culture, etc.

The goal of the activity of the community is to unite all Armenians
living in the region, and in general, the whole Diaspora, to create
such conditions that each Armenian who is far from the Homeland feels
himself a full member of a large and united family, as well as to
support the strengthening of the Armenian-Ukrainian relations in
any way.