On May 20, president of the Armenian community of the Lithuanian city of Klaipeda Manvel Galstyan passed away after suffering from a long illness. Manvel Galstyan was born on November 6, 1957 in the Verin Getashen village of the Martuni region of Armenia. In 1982, he graduated from the Department of Engineering and Construction of Yerevan State Polytechnic Institute. We met the patriotic Armenian as he was preparing his series of articles devoted to the Armenian community of Lithuania in Vilnius in December 2013. The staff at ORER magazine expresses its deep condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Armenian community of the Lithuania on the occasion of the heavy loss.

In December 2013, ORER Magazine’s editor-in-chief Hakob Asatryan sat down for an interview with Manvel Galstyan, and ORER Magazine presents the conversation about the Armenian community of Klaipeda.

In 1982, president of the VAN Armenian Community of Klaipeda Manvel Galstyan graduated from Yerevan State Polytechnic Institute and received a pass to work in Tallinn, Estonia. In 1987, he settled in Lithuania after being appointed director of the Klaipeda branch of a company. While he was in Tallinn, he had gotten married to a Lithuanian woman and had two daughters.

The following is what Manvel Galstyan had to say about the local Armenian community: “The Armenian community of Klaipeda was registered in 2003 and has nearly 200 members. There are 50 Armenian families, and there are 50 young Armenians. Most have left for abroad to work or study, and they are mainly in England, Germany and Denmark. The youth maintain ties and don’t deny the fact that they are Armenian. There are different levels of activism. There are many mixed marriages. The Lithuanian partners of some Armenians even speak Armenian at home. The Armenians have adapted to life in Klaipeda. The atmosphere is different. There are different nationalities, and the country doesn’t strictly control the use of the language. If you ask a question in Russian, you will get an answer. There are also adult Armenians who don’t know Lithuanian well.

Among the famous Armenians of Klaipeda is Nara Stepanyan, who often performs in not only Lithuania, but also in Armenia. She and her family moved from Yerevan to Klaipeda four years ago. We also have famous Armenian football players who play for the city’s football team and musicians who perform with various orchestras in Lithuania. We also have famous doctors. For instance, Albert Albertyan opened his own clinic and is one of the owners. Most Armenians have restaurants. There are also Armenian builders. I am involved in design, and we all work with people in other countries across Europe. My children speak Lithuanian at home, but Armenian with me. Currently, they are studying in Holland. Those who stay here participate in our community events.

Twelve children between the ages of 7 and 9 attend the local Armenian Sunday school. We have a dance group and a performing arts group, and the youth read the scripts for plays.

The Armenians of Klaipeda also participate in the events of national minorities and the celebrations of Armenian holidays. We also celebrate the Armenian Vardavar holiday. We organize exhibitions and events devoted to Armenian composers and invite foreigners. On April 18, 2015, we placed an Armenian cross-stone dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in central Klaipeda.”

Photo by Hakob Asatryan (ORER)

ORER Magazine

Vilnius-Prague