On July 2, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received Director of the Armenian National Central School of Constantinople Silva Gouyoumdjian and her husband, former editor-in-chief of Aras Publishing House Artashes Markosian.

The minister presented Silva Gouyoumdjian with the Movses Khorenatsi Order granted by the Decree of RA President Serzh Sargsyan of 17 September 2014. “As director of the Armenian National Central School for more than 35 years, you have made your notable contribution to the major task of preserving the Armenian identity, the minister mentioned.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan praised Silva Gouyoumdjian’s activities, that is, preservation and development of the traditions of the 130-year-old Armenian National Central School. “Renowned Armenian intellectuals such as Arshak Chobanian, Hrachya Atcharyan, Misak Metsarents, Vahan Tekeyan and Hakob Mdzuri have graduated from the Armenian National Central School, and the list goes on. The School has been under the leadership of notable Armenian intellectuals such as Gabriel Noratunkyan and Reteos Perperyan, and this list can also go on. Today, Mrs. Silva Gouyoumdjian is the one who is truly continuing to complete this honorable task. Today, the School has 222 students. All the graduates finish their studies with knowledge of Armenian and Armenian history, and 90 percent of them get accepted to different universities,” Minister Hranush Hakobyan mentioned.

The minister attached importance to the commemorative ceremony that the School organized in memory of great Armenian poet and survivor of the Armenian Genocide Daniel Varoujan on May 3, 2015. “Today, we see the booklet “Daniel Varoujan, Eternal Poet, Teacher, Intellectual” in Western Armenian, which presents the life and career of Varoujan. The book was released after the ceremony,” the minister mentioned.

Expressing gratitude for the cordial reception and the award, Silva Gouyoumdjian mentioned that she was receiving the order thanks to the great tasks of her ancestors. “This is not only my award, but the award of all the teachers of the School.”