Participant of the “Ari Tun” Program Maria Mkrtchyan: “For me, participating in the “Ari Tun” Program was like seeing one of the best fairy tales of my life in reality”

All the days and hours spent in Armenia are memorable for the participants of the 2016 “Ari Tun” Program, and some of those days are the days of the interesting Armenian language courses held at Yeghishe Charents School N 67 in Yerevan. Some of the participants of the 4th stage of the “Ari Tun” Program shared their excitement and talked about other topics in their interviews with Hayern Aysor.

Maria Mkrtchyan, 16, Saint Petersburg

“For me, visiting Armenia was like seeing the best fairy tale of my life in reality. I have great impressions. We have visited many sites in Armenia, but I liked the Battle of Sardarapat Memorial the most. The pagan temple in Garni and Geghard Monastery are also very symbolic. We also took Armenian language lessons at Yeghishe Charents School. I know how to read, write and speak in Armenian, but I gained more knowledge and learned the grammar rules that will help me write perfectly. I am thankful for everything. I felt the warmth and generosity that only a familiar person could surround me with. Wonderful air, tasty water, kind people, new friends, beautiful city and historic and cultural monuments, cordial host family and delicious food…what else do I need to feel good? I am very thankful to the RA Ministry of Diaspora, all the organizers, the teachers, the police officers escorting us, the bus driver and the escort. I think the upcoming camping event will also be interesting. Our friends having participated in the previous years have told us about the camping event with so much excitement that I can’t wait until we get there. The “Ari Tun” Program truly serves as a wonderful platform for homeland recognition and the establishment of contacts with our peers.”

Anahit Martirosyan, 15, Saint Petersburg

“I have been to Armenia three times. My grandparents live in Ashtarak, which is a beautiful city with many parks and sweet-tasting fruits. True, I visit Armenia, but this is the first time I am participating in a program that gathers Armenian teens and youth from different corners of the globe. I attach great importance to our contacts and exchange of views. What impressed me a lot was our visit to a military unit where I talked to real soldiers for the first time ever. They are very modest and patriotic boys, and I believe that our soldiers can defend us and the borders of our Homeland. Out of all the historic and cultural monuments, I liked the temple in Garni and Geghard Monastery the most. We learned Armenian, hung papers stating our goals and desires and our future goals to visit Armenia from the branches of a tree at Yeghishe Charents School, and we hope our wishes come true. I am thankful for everything and for making our stay memorable with the tasty food that we ate, the best hours that we spent resting and the interesting events that we participated in. I love you, Armenia!”

Interviews by Karine Avagyan

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