Back in 1815, the wealthy Lazaryan family established an Armenian school in Moscow that would later become a smithy for the mental and spiritual development of many great Armenians. It was truly a “constellation” of minds, and the Armenians of Moscow preserved the traditions of those great minds and are still able to establish Armenian schools, which are the most genuine institutions for the preservation of the nation and identity.

Russian is gradually becoming one of the world’s most common languages, and in this case, it is difficult for an Armenian child living and growing up in a Russian environment to have command of Russian and Armenian. Armenian teachers especially stand out with their awareness of this and their unconditional dedication and are the real heroes of our days. One of the greats of the world once said: “The teacher performs the most responsible task. The teacher shapes a human being.” With truly genuine and dedicated teachers in the Armenian Diaspora, we Armenians can be rest assured that Armenian children of the Diaspora will become good people and, first and foremost, good Armenians.

Such a devoted teacher is Moscow-based Armenian teacher Seda Khachatryan, who is participating in the Training Course for Teachers of Armenian Language and History and Organizers of Education, which is part of the “Diaspora” Summer School Program of the RA Ministry of Diaspora. In an interview with Hayern Aysor, Khachatryan said the following in the beginning: “My birthplace is Armenia, my homeland is Armenia, and I am simply living in Moscow with the desire to return to the homeland. No Armenian has left the homeland. We will all return someday because the endpoint of our roads is Armenia.”

Before leaving for Moscow, the Armenian language teacher raised and educated Armenian children in Armenia, but life gave her another mission, and that was to shape and educate Armenian children living far away from the homeland. Teaching at several Armenian schools and educational complexes in Moscow and at the “Hayordats Tun” Armenian School, the highly experienced Armenian language teacher is currently teaching at a Russian school/kindergarten as a teacher/psychologist and is organizing one-day facultative Armenian language courses for the children of Armenian descent. She also has a group of children at the kindergarten.

“Many Armenians say the detachment from identity is one of the major problems facing all Armenians around the world today, but since I have been educating generations of Armenians for years, I notice that more and more Armenians are returning to their roots, their identity and their history day after day. Mixed marriages have been a problem for us Armenians for a long time, but today, I see a beautiful trend. The Russian parent of the child is also interested in having the child learn Armenian and be provided with an Armenian upbringing. As a result, the child born from a mixed marriage grows up to become a full-fledged Armenian,” Seda Khachatryan stated.

Alongside all the positive sides, the teacher also notices the hardships of Armenian schools today. Armenian schoolteachers have to teach children Armenian and give lessons on Armenian history and culture in a matter of hours. Due to the lack of a special curriculum, this problem becomes more complicated, but teachers are able to find a solution. “I have also taught at the “Hayordats Tun” Armenian School of Moscow. It is not only a school, but also a cultural center and has become a large organization for preservation of the Armenian identity. Anyone between the ages of 6 and 60 and interested in everything about Armenia and Armenians can come and learn. The Armenian Sunday school is different. There is a more in-depth and comprehensive approach. Every year, I prepare a lesson plan based on my students’ interests, but I would like to have a plan at my disposal that would help me try to achieve higher results in the few hours that I have,” Seda noted.

The teacher considers the Armenian family and school as the pillars of the Armenian community. She is always in touch with the students’ parents and tries to be as close with them as possible. “The family is not only a home where the members gather in the evening, sleep, wake up and eat together. The family is first and foremost a living link for the future of a society or community. We are aware of all this and try to help Armenians build strong families. Today the young members of the community aspire to get married to Armenians and transmit only the Armenian gene to their children. This makes us happy and binds us to make the Armenian school better and the second home for the child,” the Moscow-based teacher said.

Khachatryan is proud that she has been able to educate children who keep the reputation of the Armenians high and thanks to whom Armenian culture and the Armenian community are loved and respected in Moscow. Seda Khachatryan has also raised her three children with the same spirit. Despite the fact that her children have grown up and been educated in a Russian environment, they are attached to the homeland, which has been in their souls since an early age.

“I visit Armenia often. I feel something different every time. This time I am participating in the “Diaspora” Summer School Program. I have come to see, feel and learn new things. As the saying goes, “live and learn throughout a century”. Yes, I am learning many things here, meeting other teachers from different Armenian communities and establishing close ties with them. There are a lot of things that connect us, including our mission and the job that we do abroad. What also links us is the longing for the homeland that we feel with the big and sensitive heart of a teacher. Toda I was looking at Mount Ararat from my window. I got emotional and cried. I always scream “Ararat, Ararat” to my students. This morning, it appeared to me with its splendor. It was so close and incredibly close to my heart.”

Amalya Karapetyan