The warmest and most memorable meeting held in Armenia was held at Hrant Dink Armenian School #44 in Yerevan. The Horozoglus contacted the School’s director, Marina Tonoyan, who said she would wait very impatiently for the meeting since she had been seeking the representatives of the Hrant Dink Armenian School in Istanbul for a long time. Finally, on June 17, the long-anticipated meeting took place.

It should be mentioned that the meeting was cordial and exciting. The School’s teachers, under the leadership of the director, had lined up beautifully in front of the entrance to the school. The pupils had the most sincere and most hospitable smiles on their faces, and they had the traditional salt and bread in their hands.

Mrs. Tonoyan presented the history and achievements of the School and affirmed her desire to establish close and cordial ties with the Hrant Dink Armenian Schools in Istanbul and Paris. The pupils excellently performed Armenian songs and dances, recited poems and expressed their welcoming remarks and kind wishes. The event also featured the screenings of videos devoted to the change of the name of the school.

At the end, Deputy Director of Hrant Dink Armenian School in Istanbul Davit Khachaturian expressed deep gratitude for the wonderful reception and affirmed the amazing generalities between the Hrant Dink Armenian Schools in Yerevan and Istanbul, that is, the hospitality, diligence and great devotion to education.

Dalar Horozoglu also expressed gratitude for the reception, presented the history of the establishment of the Hrant Dink Armenian School in Istanbul and the hardships. Horozoglu also touched upon the support of the Armenians of Istanbul, the friendship between Armenian schools of Istanbul and their cordial ties. She also agreed that the environment at Hrant Dink Armenian School in Yerevan was a familiar one and added that they would visit again with great pleasure.

Mr. Harutioun Horozoglu stated that he was very moved and couldn’t find the words to express his feelings after such a reception. He presented the main layers of the ideology of the Hrant Dink Armenian School in Istanbul and how the School tries to push the pupils to visit Armenia.

During the cordial conversation, the friendship grew even stronger, and the sides expressed the sincere desire to deepen and continue the cooperation.

The sides agreed that the dance teacher of the Hrant Dink Armenian School in Yerevan, who helped the pupils perform excellently during the event, must visit Istanbul and teach the pupils of Hrant Dink Armenian School of Istanbul Armenian dances for about a month.

At the same time, the Horozoglus promised to provide funding for a pupil of the School to participate in the summer camp of TUMO Center.

It was hard for us to bid the already familiar school farewell. The pupils and I exchanged contacts so that our friendship would continue.

Lilit Poghosyan

Source: Hayern Aysor