“Armenians are one of the exceptional nations that have a powerful Diaspora and presentable communities in different countries of the world. Armenians are one of the peoples who founded the 223-year-old multinational Odessa, and today the community has its own role in this city,” said Armen Petoyan, the Founder President of the Odessa Cultural Heritage Foundation, our compatriot, Ukrainian citizen.

The important branch of the foundation is Armenian Studies because we do not have the right not to be loyal to our national cultural wealth inherited in a foreign land.

“Some people joke, calling me the Armenian Eagle with Greek and Ukrainian wings, because one of my assistants is Greek and the other is Ukrainian,” said he.

The foundation employs Greeks, Jews, Bulgarians and Ukrainians. Nationality has nothing to do, being a good specialist is important.”

We have had strong communities in Ukraine, the Armenian trace is everywhere, and by the efforts of the Foundation the work of the famous Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Dashkevich “Armenians in Ukraine” is spread.

Armen Petoyan said that the author of the book had donated half century to this study and had used about two hundred original sources, the collection represented the history of the Armenian immigrants of 15-19 centuries. He had founded a science school, where studies on the history of thousands of Armenians in Ukraine are still held.

Thanks to the foundation, in Odessa, Avetik Isahakian’s memorial board was opened at 24 Bunini Street, where he was deported in 1878, for a year, with the decision to exile the Hnchakians of Tsarist Russia in different terms.

“Shirvanzadeh was exiled to Odessa for two years and his memorial plaque should be opened here, too,” said Armen Petoyan. It turns out that Odessa’s businessmen are very helpful in implementing projects.

The winners of the regional tournament organized by the Armenian community of Odessa and sponsored by the Tsiatsan Charitable Foundation were rewarded with a one-week tour to Armenia. This was also suggested by Armen Petrosyan.

Now a documentary is being filmed about our patriarch Margar Sedrakyan, who was exiled to Odessa during the postwar years where he worked at the brandy factory and created “Ukraine” and “Odessa” cognacs.

When the factory was re-opened in the post-Soviet era, it was named after Shustov, and a museum also was opened, where Margar Sedrakyan’s name was never mentioned. Now the foundation is working on it.

“If we become more united, we will have more accomplishments. As my Armenian teacher used to say, if you do not listen with your ears, they will hit you, and then you will understand,” said Armen Petrosyan.