COMMEMORATION IN LONDON OF THE 94TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENOCIDE OF 1.5MILLION ARMENIANS IN TURKEY -1915-1921
The commemoration in London, of the Genocide of the 1.5Million
Armenians in Turkey, comprised a number of events as has become
traditional over the past years.
On the evening of Thursday 23rd of April – on the eve of the official
day of commemoration, a Solemn Silent Vigil was held outside the
Turkish Embassy in London.
At 6.00pm on Friday, 24th of April, a Memorial Service was held at
St Sarkis Church, at Iverna Gardens in Kensington, officiated by the
Primate of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom, Bishop Nathan
Hovhannisian, and wreaths were laid at the Memorial to Victims of the
Genocide in the grounds of the church, by the Armenian Ambassador Dr
Vahe Gabrielyan on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, and by Mr Ara
Palamoudian, Chairman of the Armenian Community & Church Council of
Great Britain (ACCC), on behalf of the British Armenian Community.
Following the Memorial Service at St Sarkis Church, at 8.30pm. members
of the community attended a Commemorative Evening at St Yeghiche Church
in South Kenington, organised by the CRAG (Campaign for Recognition
of the Armenian Genocide) committee of the ACCC.
Speakers were the Armenian Ambassador, Dr V. Gabrielyan, Mr Viken
Haladjian – Honorary Secretary of the ACCC and Chairman of its
Executive Committee ( Please Click Here to Read Speech ), and by Dr
Onnig Avakian on behalf of CRAG. After the speeches, there followed a
cultural programme comprising songs by Mr George Baghdoyan, followed
by a highly accomplished rendition of two classical songs by the
mezzo-soprano Miss Anais Heghoyan.
The evening’s cultural section was completed by a concert by the
Vardanyan String Quartet led by Miss Astghig Vardanyan, who played
several Armenian pieces mainly by Komitas, in a most sensitive and
touching manner.
The evening was ended by closing words by His Grace, Bishop Nathan
Hovhannisian who referred to the young performers of the evening and
to all young Armenians who are so actively and vociferously pursuing
the campaign throughout the World for recognition of the Genocide,
and the Bishop expressed his confidence that with the new energy shown
by the young generation of Armenians, the Genocide of our ancestors
will quickly be recognised by the whole World and the souls of the
1.5 Million victims will at last rest in peace.
The Commemorative March on Saturday started this year with a short
Memorial Service in the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Bayswater, London
W2 and the 2000 or so marchers then proceeded along Bayswater Road to
the Marble Arch. From there the procession proceeded along Park Lane,
Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square and ended
at the Cenotaph on Whitehall where prayers were said and wreaths laid.
A petition was presented by the Chairman of CRAG, Mr Raffi Sarkissian,
for the attention of the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Gordon
Brown MP at 10 Downing Street.
The Programme of Commemorative Events was concluded on Sunday 26th of
April 2009 with a Requiem Mass – Hokehankist held at the community’s
St. Yeghiche Church officiated by Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian.