Culture: Mayor of Bird: Stream of guests of the 6th "Festival of honey and berries of Shamshadin" exceeded all expectations

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Monday


Mayor of Bird: Stream of guests of the 6th "Festival of honey and
berries of Shamshadin" exceeded all expectations

Yerevan August 8

Naira Badalyan. In the Armenian city of Berd, Tavush region, the 6th
"Festival of honey and berries of Shamshadin" was held on August 12 -
13. Lovers of natural honey, sweet berries, as well as jazz music had
the opportunity to taste and purchase the products of local
beekeepers, as well as drinks made from berries.

According to the director of the fund-organizer of the festival
"Spiritual revival of Tavush" Hayk Chobanyan, "Festival of honey and
berries in Shamshadin" is a good platform for the development of
tourism in the city of Berd, and the entire Tavush region. As
Chobanyan noted, in addition to sweet lovers, the festival attracts
the attention of businessmen and investors not only from Armenia, but
from foreign countries.

The festival traditionally starts with the initiative "Jazz on the
Border". This year the guests of the honey and berries holiday were
pleased with the "State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia", pleasantly
surprised by the representatives of local youth musical and
choreographic groups.

During the Festival the contest for the most delicious honey cake was
held, and Pastor Aram Mirzoyan delivered a speech and read a prayer in
honor of the Assumption Day, held a ceremony of consecrating the
grapes.

Mayor of Bird Harutyun Manucharyan proudly noted that the flow of
participants of the Festival-2017, in comparison with the previous
ones, started several days before the official opening. There were so
many guests that the city's hotels simply could not accept all comers,
he noted.

The first honey and berry festival was held on August 18, 2012.
Beekeepers from the vicinity, village farms, different producers take
part in the festival in Berd. Products they represent in small
pavilions on the territory of the arboretum "Soran", where about 15-20
tents are located, in which various varieties of flower honey are
displayed, as well as fruit crops. In addition, in the pavilions,
there are various kinds of souvenirs, samples of wood carvings,
handmade products, tapestries. The aim of the festival is to stimulate
beekeeping in the region. The event is also aimed at providing the
tourist flow to the picturesque places of Tavush.

Shamshadin is the current town of Berd, located on the bank of the
Tavush River, at a distance of 202 km from Yerevan, 69 km from the
regional center and 10 km from the border. It is located in a
favorable climatic zone, the average summer temperature is + 21C.
Surrounded by low mountains. Nearby are the ruins of the Tavush
fortress of the 10th century, the temples of Varagavanq, Horanashat,
here is the cyclopean fortress (I millennium BC) and the museum of
Berd. In 2 km there is a church of St. Nshan, also called the temple
of Mother Mary. In 2014, a new church of St. Gevorg opened in Berd.
From the garden of Surani you can see the city. Here are the Memorial
to the victims of the Genocide and the Historical Museum of Berd.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS