The Armenian community of Kamchatka will remember New Year’s 2016 for a long time since it was a New Year celebration that was attended by many guests from Armenia and included many performances of Armenian folk songs.

On December 31, the Tsaghkazard Ensemble of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese gave a New Year’s and Christmas concert in the distant Kamchatka. The concert was organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

The ensemble’s artistic director and choirmaster Lilit Grigoryan shared her impressions of the tour in an interview with Hayern Aysor.

“In spite of the fact that we were all far away from our families on New Year’s Eve for the first time, we didn’t feel like strangers since we were very well received by our compatriots in Russia, especially head of the Armenian community Artur Khachaturyan.

As far as organizational issues are concerned, I must say that everything was very well planned so that we wouldn’t worry and could focus only on our performances,” Lilit mentioned.

The members of the ensemble were very happy when they saw how people had left everything aside and had come to participate in the concert. The members even saw Russians among the audience who listened to the Armenian songs until the end. The sincere reception was the reason why the members sang for one-and-a-half hour, without getting the least bit tired. There was so much excitement in the hall that the audience asked the ensemble to perform again, and the ensemble did just that.

The festive concert included the showing of the video congratulatory message of RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, as well as performances by the young gifted Armenians of Kamchatka.

“We performed in different communities and noticed that the Diaspora Armenians were united, but the Armenian community of Kamchatka was organized and interested in Armenian culture. They were very proud and would sing along with us during the performances. Based on their state of mind, we understood that they longed for the Homeland,” the ensemble’s director said.

Lilit praised leader of the Armenian community of Kamchatka Artur Khachatryan, who is devoted to the community, is concerned about his compatriots and loves his nation. It was in his house that the members of Tsaghkazard Ensemble celebrated the New Year.

On their free time, they were able to talk to their compatriots and noted that they are active and patriotic people. Being abroad, they do everything they can to be informed about the events taking place in Armenia and always feel close to the Homeland.

Let us also inform that Tsaghkazard Ensemble has been actively collaborating with the RA Ministry of Diaspora for the past seven years and has given performances during different events held by the ministry. At the initiative of the Ministry of Diaspora, the ensemble has given concerts for the Armenian communities of Germany, France, Australia and other countries with the purpose of disseminating Armenian culture.

Gevorg Chichyan