On July 24, Armenia’s Shirak Province hosted the Armenian dance companies participating in the 3^rd “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival organized by the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia. The festival is dedicated to the 25^th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia.

On the way to the province, the participants of the festival visited the 7^th century Saint Grigor Armenian Church (Arutchavank) and the St. Mary Mother Church or the Holy Seven Wounds Church in Gyumri.

in the evening, the Kroonk Dance Company (Isfahan, Iran), Armavir Dance Company (Krasnodar, Russian Federation), Massis Dance Company (Argentina), Meghri Dance Company (USA), Vank Dance Company (Georgia), Ani-Mariam Dance Company (Georgia), Taron Dance Company (Georgia) and Nayiri Dance Company (USA) gave a concert at the Atchemyan State Dramatic Theater of Gyumri and received warm rounds of applause from the audience.

Among the attendees were Deputy Governor of Shirak Province Seyran Petrosyan and Head of the Division for Culture and Sport of the Department of Education, Culture and Sport of the regional councilo of Shirak Province Vache Vardanyan.

At the end, Vache Vardanyan, on behalf of the regional council of Shirak Province, expressed gratitude to the RA Ministry of Diaspora, especially Minister Hranush Hakobyan for carrying out this pro-national and highly important program. “This is the third time that the Armenian dance companies of the Diaspora are visiting Shirak Province and setting us in a great mood. Thanks to this festival, thousands of Armenians visit the Mother Homeland. Today I would especially like to express gratitude to the dance companies from the United States of America and Argentina,” the Head of the Culture and Sport Division stated, as reported Hayern Aysor.

Artistic director of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival Eduard Yesayants expressed gratitude to the staff of the Shirak regional council, especially Governor Hovsep Simonyan and to the audience of Gyumri for receiving the Diaspora Armenian dance companies with open arms and motivating them with their rounds of applause. Yesayants urged the young Diaspora Armenians to visit Armenia more often, become attached to their roots and, most importantly, speak Armenian.