Vitali Mkrtchyan studies at Russian school N 148 in Tbilisi and has just been transferred to the 8^th grade. He has good friends with whom he spends a lot of time with, and they all support each other.

Vitali is visiting Armenia for the first time. When he arrived in Armenia, he was so emotional that he kept trying to focus and understand if he was actually in Armenia or not.

“When I wake up in the morning, I feel like I’ve been living in Armenia for a long time, I’ve forgotten Georgia and have the spirit of an Armenian,” Vitali said.

The boy says he had always asked his parents to take him to Armenia, but it never worked out. He immediately fell in love with Armenia, especially Yerevan and the walks at night in the capital city.

Vitali took the advice of members of Georgia’s Hayartun Educational, Cultural and Youth Center and decided to participate in the “Ari Tun” Program.

“I feel great here. When I visit Armenian historical and cultural sites, especially the churches, I feel proud that we Armenians have such great and beautiful places to go. I also regret that I can’t visit those places every day since I live far from the Homeland,” Vitali Mkrtchyan said.

At the end, the boy voiced hope that there would come a day when he would finally move to Armenia since he has a great desire to settle in the homeland.

Gevorg Chichyan