It was our honor to visit the Armenian community of Odessa, and we ended it with a visit to the local Armenian school and left with great impressions. It is a wonderful initiative that is the worthy remuneration for the unwavering efforts of Mrs. Elen Poghosyan to our nation scattered across the globe and the devoted members and administration of the Armenian community in Odessa, that will keep the Armenians in Ukraine alive so that the torch of our nation stays lit and that all us Armenians will gather on our native land and next to Mount Ararat.

(2012, representatives of AGBU, Aleppo, New York, Buenos Aires)

It was May 28. One could hear the sounds of the famous graduation song that is a happy, yet at the same time melancholic song.

And the last bell rang. For the alumni of the 2016-17 School Year at the Mesrop Mashtots Armenian Sunday School in Odessa, it meant farewell to their school. Throughout the past five years, they had learned to not only read and write in Armenian, but had also been introduced to and had become the bearers of the great Armenian language and the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of a nation looking at the biblical Mount Ararat.

The graduates came out to the stage with a festive mood.

Early in the morning, paying heed to His Holiness, everyone prayed for the peace and welfare of our homeland at the local St. Gregory the Illuminator Church. At the ceremonies hall, after the Lord’s Prayer, the director of the School, hardworking teacher Elen Poghosyan addressed the attendees with a speech in which she briefly, yet substantially presented the main areas of activity and the achievements of the School. “Our goal is to instill in the souls of the Armenian children the feeling of patriotism so that they grow up and become a tree of life.” The director cordially congratulated the dear students and urged them to participate in the events of the school and community aimed at preserving the national identity.

She cordially expressed gratitude and praised the leadership of the community and the local cultural center, the spiritual pastor and the devoted people and parents who promote the activities of the School and stated that the event was dedicated to the 99^th anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia.

The event was held under the title “Language is the National Flag”. During the event, the graduates received their certificates. Among the speakers were president of the community Samvel Tigranyan, the pastor of the Armenians of Odessa, Priest Abgar Gilitchyan, as well as Hamest Petrosyan, Karine Hovhannisyan, Hripsime Melkonyan and Alexander Mkrtchyan, who are devoted to helping the generations preserve their national identity.

“Thanks to your pro-national activities, the Armenian Sunday School in Odessa has become the best place for the provision of an Armenian education and upbringing in Ukraine,” Mr. Tigranyan said as he expressed his satisfaction with and deep gratitude to the School’s director and the staff.

Afterwards, the certificates with Armenian emblems, flowery letters and designed with the samples of Armenian miniature art were granted to the graduates to the sounds of warm rounds of applause from the audience.

“Jesus Christ and St. Mashtots were also teachers, and the alphabet created by Mashtots became the religion of our nation that was the first to adopt Christianity as a state religion,” Priest Gilijyan said and prayed that God always blesses the graduates and the dear teachers.

Artur Sedrakyan gave a sincere and pleasant speech on behalf of the parents. They expressed their thoughts in the book for impressions.

With a look of sadness and happiness, the graduates accepted the wishes and words of advice of the adults, presented what the School had taught them and expressed words of gratitude to their Armenian language teacher and the School’s director Mrs. Poghosyan, the other teacher and the dear parents.

The day was also a celebration of the Armenian alphabet. During the event, the children presented the Armenian alphabet. The character of the creator of the Armenian alphabet Mesrop Mashtots was embodied by sculpting teacher Hovnan Manukyan. Alongside the odes to the immortal Mashtots and the alphabet he created, the children presented samples of Armenian folklore, its beauty and importance through choreographed episodes.

Their performance went to show once again that the Armenian language is the heart, soul and the home of an Armenian, the hope and sacred homeland of an Armenian. The love for the Armenian language is inseparable from the love for the mother nation and the mother Homeland.

The little students of classroom #0 participated in the event with their dance called “Dance of Flowers”. The Lerntsi Armenian Dance Group was also cordially received for its beautiful performance (artistic director Mary Balyants).

The victory march of the month of May continued. Besides the school bell, the bells of Sardarapat were also heard (Ara Gevorgyan’s homonymous song was played).

At the end of the ceremony, balloons were released into the air, making it seem like the people were praying to God for peace in Armenia, the safe return of Armenian soldiers and the eternity of the ancient Armenian language.

And the bells of the church were heard, mixing with the triumphant bells of Sardarapat and the school bell.

Narine Muradyan

Odesa

Freelance correspondent of Hayern Aysor