The RA Ministry of Diaspora has opened its doors for hundreds of young Diaspora Armenians through the 2017 “Ari Tun” Program for homeland recognition. During the solemn opening ceremony marking the launch of the 2^nd stage of the Program, some of them were accompanied by the members of their host families, while others were with their parents who hadn’t missed the opportunity to visit Armenia to see their relatives as well. My interlocutor is Tehmine Aleksanyan, who is a philologist from Tver. Her son, Davit Petrosyan is participating in the Program with his mother’s advice, and Davit’s sister, little Syuzanna is currently in the role of a witness and might become one of the participants in the future. Hayern Aysor presents the short interview.

Karine Avagyan: Mrs. Aleksanyan, your son said you had let him know about the “Ari Tun” Program. How did you learn about it?

Tehmine Aleksanyan: Yes, I told Davit about it, thinking it would be a wonderful program for homeland recognition and would serve as an opportunity for him to interact with young Armenians from different parts of the world. I had heard about the program a long time ago. Later, I learned more about it on the Internet, and my friend, Lusine Abrahamyan had told me about it…The “Ari Tun” Program is a very interesting and instructive program. I think it is a wonderful initiative to raise our children to become patriotic Armenians. This program serves as a wonderful link between the Homeland and young Armenians abroad. Most of them visit Armenia for the first time.

Karine Avagyan: Do your children attend an Armenian school?

Tehmine Aleksanyan: They don’t attend an Armenian school. There is an Armenian Sunday school, but they don’t go because it has just opened. It was opened and closed on and off, but now it is operating again. Unfortunately, my children can’t read and write in Armenian, but I consider it the duty of my soul to teach them how to read and write in Armenian. However, they have no problem with communicating in Armenian. Armenian is our household language, and our visits to Armenia contribute to that. We are Armenian from head to toe. We are Armenian in essence, and we also think as Armenians. We preserve all Armenian traditions. Our roots are very deep!

Confiding in the power of those roots and the sincerity of an Armenian woman and mother, I want to believe in the famous truth that has been tested for centuries and reassured by the wise Tumanyan-the mother is the one who preserves the Armenian language in the Armenian family…Indeed, it is the formula of the Armenians of all times with which the generations living in different corners of the globe will receive an Armenian education and will speak in our marvelous Armenian language.

Karine Avagyan