On July 20, 2017, an event commemorating poetess, writer and translator Anahit Bostanjyan, who passed away unexpectedly, was held within the framework of the “Diverse Georgia” project of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia. The event was organized by G. Leonidze State Museum of Georgian Literature. The project in Akhalkalaki is being implemented for the second time.

In attendance were Eduard Aghasaryan, Akhalkalaki’s Head of the Administration; Hamlet Movsisyan, the Chairman of Akhalkalaki’s Regional Assembly; the clergy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Tatev Marukyan and Rev. Father Armash Poghosyan.

In his opening remarks, Alexander Grigalashvili, the project coordinator and master of ceremonies, noted that Anahit Bostanjyan’s passionate speech, dedicated to the Armenian-Georgian friendship, particularly the strengthening of literary relations, had been the highlight of the last year’s event. And today, alas, we commemorated the poetess. The film dedicated to Anahit Bostanjyan was shown.

In the vestibule of the Culture House the collections of Anahit Bostanjyan’s poems, her translations, the issues of Almanac “Kamurj”, as well as handmade items made by the members of the “Apagai Tun” (“House of Future”) Center, were presented.

The President of the “Vernatun” Armenian Writers’ Union of Georgia, Gevorg Snkhchyan; Head of the Cultural Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan; photographer Yuri Mechitov, and others spoke about the poetess’s poems, her translations and publications, her work with the young generation. Gevorg Hayasa recited his own poem dedicated to the talented poetess.

Later a diverse concert was held. Among the participants of the commemoration event were Ivane Mkrtchyan, the duduk class tutor at the Hayartun Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, his student Derenik Mkrtchyan, the dhol class tutor Robert Kashavanidze, singer Anna Badalyan, responsible for music background Sergo Harytyunyan. The local musicians, pianists Anahit Stelmashova and Karine Kazanjyan, as well as dudukist Tigran Mgdesyan also gave good performances. The program included the recitation of poetry and other performances by the students of the “Apagai Tun” (“House of Future”) Center (adjunct to the Surb Khach(Holy Cross) Church in Akhalkalaki) and the “Rafael Javakh” Center. Levon Chidilyan and Maya Dersadze recited Anahit Bostanjyan’s poems in Armenian and Georgian. Anahit Bostanjyan’s granddaughter, Ani Torosyan performed Kakha Tsabadze’s “In Old Tbilisi” song, based on her grandmother’s poem. At the conclusion of the concert, a group of active students from the local schools received books for good academic performance and active participation in the events during the whole academic year.

The following day, the group of the Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, accompanied by the leaders, visited the Saint Sargis Church in Ninotsminda and the “Rafael Javakh” Center, and on behalf of Anahit Bostanjyan’s daughters donated books to the Center’s library.