The Cultural Department of the Georgian Diocese (Director of the Department and head of the “Hayartun” center Levon Chidilyan) took part in the “Days of Choral Arts” within the second Panarmenian festival “My Armenia”, organized by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.

Together with 15 choirs from 10 countries, the “Nerses Shnorhali” (conductor Maria Aboulyan, pianist Karen Mirzoyan), “Makar Yekmalyan” youth choirs (conductor Hovhannes Hambardzoumyan) of the Georgian Diocese “Hayartoun” Center, as well as “Aghbyur” youth choir of Batumi St. Saviour church (conductor Ruzanna Ovanesyan) made their performance.    

The illustration of the national culture by the choirs of the Armenian Diaspora in the motherland started on August 1 in Aram Khachatryan concert hall. The event started with the inauguration of festival devoted to the 85th anniversary of the USSR People’s Artist Hovhannes Chekijyan. The choirs of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia under conduction of maestro took part in “We exist and will continue our existence” song premiere (music by Ara Gevorgyan and lyrics by Levon Blboulyan). The song was devoted to the 100th anniversary of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The second day of the festival the choirs were embraced in the song Flashmob organized in Tsitsernakaberd, as well as in the shooting of a video.              

Each day of the second Panarmenian festival “My Armenia” was full and interesting.

The choirs participating in the festival visited the town of Spitak and put flowers at the memorial of the 1988 earthquake victims. Later they took part in the concert organized in the Charles Aznavour cultural center in Vanadzor. The audience warmly applauded both to the performances of the Diaspora and the Armenians from Georgia.

The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia also took part in concert held in Arno Babajanyan hall. The Gala Concert held in Yerevan Gabriel Sundukyan State Drama Theatre was impressive and responsible. Here the “Nerses Shnorhali” (conductor Mariam Aboulyan, pianist Pavel Oganezov), and Batumi “Aghbyur” (conductor Ruzanna Ovanesyan) choirs made a nice performance.   

At the end of the concert the director of the cultural department of the Georgian Diocese and the head of the “Hayartoun” Center Levon Chidilyan thanked the organizers and the participants for the realization of the festival. He valued the great role of these festivals for joining the motherland to Armenians around the world, for preserving the identity of an Armenian and for developing the national culture. As a nice souvenir of the festival, Levon Chidilyan presented one of the icons of the famous Armenian painter from Tbilisi Merouzhan Shahoumyan to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs of RA.        

Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, and spiritual shepherd of Armenians in Adjara, Guria and Imereti at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, Priest Ararat Gumbalyan were also present at the closing concert of the Choral Arts of the second Panarmenian festival ''My Armenia''.

Within the framework of the festival ''My Armenia'' the ''Aghbyur'' choir of the Batumi ''St. Saviour'' gave a concert in Yerevan Arts Center Narek on August 7. Before the concert would start, the artistic director of the choir Priest Ararat Gumbalyan greeted the audience and introduced the history of the choir. Priest Ararat Gumbalyan thanked the Ministry of the Diaspora Affairs for the warm hospitality and support.       

The choir performed the works of Komitas, Sayat-Nova, Arno Babajanyan and others. Charles Aznavour's song ''For you, Armenia'' became the closing of the concert.    

Within the frameworks of the festival Levon Chidilyan and Samvel Elbakyan from the Georgian Diocese took part in ''The poetry evening’' in Yerevan. All the participants of the Panarmenian festival ''My Armenia'' were granted with certificates of participation from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs of RA.

At the end of the Panarmenian festival the Armenian choirs from Georgia visited Yerablour, as well as a pilgrimage to the monastic complexes of Sanahin and Haghpat.