Kocharian Commemorates Victims Of Earthquake

KOCHARIAN COMMEMORATES VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE

Armenpress
Dec 07 2006

GYUMRI, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian and senior
government officials traveled today to Armenia’s second largest town of
Gyumri to commemorate the victims of a disastrous earthquake that hit
and destroyed the country’s northern provinces 18 years ago killing
25,000 people.

Kocharian laid a wreath at a monument to the earthquake victims
erected in front of a church in downtown Gyumri. Head of the local
Diocese of the Armenian Church, served a liturgy in memory of the
killed. Kocharian also spoke to local residents who were gathered
near the monument.

Powerful underground tremors wiped out the towns of Spitak, Leninakan
(now Gyumri), Stepanavan, Kirovakan (Vanadzor) and dozens of villages
and settlements from the face of the earth on December 7 eighteen
years ago.

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