Although there are only 10-15 young Armenians attending the Armenian Sunday school in Bishkek, the school remains open. After all, the Armenian language is the main safeguard for preservation of the Armenian identity, and the local Armenian community does everything possible to enroll more children and youth. Henrikh Balyan, who is the founder of the Armenian community and through whose efforts the school mainly operates, is certain that more and more children and youth will come and will learn the language. Each student will bring a friend or relative, but in order for them to come to school with pleasure, the school needs to be attractive. The lessons need to be interesting, and great importance needs to be attached to the lessons on Armenian culture and history.

In late 2015, it became clear that most of the children can already read and write in Armenian, know the poems of classic Armenian poets by heart and can sing songs devoted to Armenia and Yerevan. What would happen if Santta Claus visited the children, participated in their lessons and….spoke in Armenian?

They decided and did just that.

Candidate of Technical Sciences, Honorary Builder, Honorary Consul of Hungary in Kyrgyzstan, President of the Kyrgyzstan-Hungary Friendship Group, President of the Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and Honorary Sport Master Henrikh Balyan, whom all members of the community deeply respect, had also sent his New Year’s congratulatory message to the children.

The New Year’s events are unique, and everyone believes that their cherished dreams will come true in the New Year. So, let the year 2016 become the year for the prosperity of our homeland and a year of welfare and a year in which every Armenian accomplishes his or her goals and turns his or her cherished dream into a reality.

Andranik Matinyan

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan