IZMAIL’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY MARKS 10TH JUBILEE
BSANNA NEWS
Dec 8 2008
Ukraine
KYIV, December 8. /UKRINFORM/. The Armenian community of Izmail (Odesa
region, South Ukraine) celebrated its 10th jubilee. Participating in
the solemnities on Saturday were local authorities and representatives
of Greek, Bulgarian, German, Polish, Jewish and other national-cultural
organizations of this polyethnic Danube city.
Chairwoman of the Izmail Armenians Elmira Karakhanyan is a professional
pedagogue. She brought up 5 children, she is a mother-heroine,
and now has nine grandchildren. The family values have always been
honored by the Armenian people. Over 10 years the community members
(200 persons) delivered 37 children, created 14 families and there
is the first great-grandchild. The Armenia community operates Erebuni
Charitable Foundation.
On Saturday, December 6, Izmail commemorated victims of the terrible
earthquake in Spitak and Leninakan. The Armenians marked the 1988
earthquake 20th anniversary on December 7. The Izmail Armenians,
including members of Karakhanyan’s family, went then to the motherland
to help those suffered collecting a humanitarian aid for them.
Izmail’s land is not foreign for the Armenians. Even in the early
18th century, around 1,400 Armenians were living near the Izmail
Fortress. At a later time the Armenians were also playing a significant
role in economic and cultural life of the Danube city. In particular,
a lot of renowned persons, involving founders and heads of the Soviet
(the Ukrainian now) Danube Steamship Service, were of the Armenian
origin.
According to the 2001 census, as many as 100,000 Armenians were living
in Ukraine, including 7.4 thousand in Odesa region.