The “Ambassador of the Mother Language” in Akhalkalak

The Armenian Youth Center of Akhalkalak hosted an event of paying homage to pedagogue and intellectual Vachagan Vostakyan during which the latter was awarded with the “Ambassador of the Mother Language” Medal of the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia. The event was organized by the Armenian Relief Society in Georgia.

According to the organizers, everyone in Javakhk knows Vachagan Vostakyan as an embodiment of a genuine intellectual, and he deserved a special event dedicated to his 80^th birth anniversary.

“ARS Georgia had a program of homage events devoted to intellectuals, but today’s event is special, and I would say it is devoted to a special person. Months ago, we addressed the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia with the request to award Vachagan Vostakyan with the “Ambassador of the Mother Language” Medal, and the Ministry paid heed to our request and granted the award. One can always learn from Vachagan Vostakyan. He is an intellectual who is able to raise and educate a generation,” ARS Georgia Chairwoman and event organizer Karine Tadevosyan said.

The Ministry of Diaspora awarded Vachagan Vostakyan with the “Ambassador of the Mother Language” Medal for his efforts for preservation and development of the Armenian identity and language and for his contributions to the provision of an Armenian education and upbringing for young Diaspora Armenians. The honorary ceremony was performed by Chairperson of the Council of Armenian Non-Governmental Organizations of Samtskhe-Javakhk and Quemo-Qartli Artak Gabrielyan.

Among the people in the audience were Vachagan Vostakyan’s childhood  friends and friends from his university, as well as co-workers and his peers.

Vachagan Vostakyan was born and raised in the Great Samsar village of the Akhalkalak region. He has dedicated 60 long and hard years to teaching and has taught at various general education schools and other educational institutions of the region.

Vostakyan was nervous since the award and the event had come as a surprise to him. Everything had been organized secretly, and Vostakyan’s grandchild, Rima Vostakyan had compiled all of his personal information.

“I don’t know if I deserve this diplomatic award or not, but in any case, I am deeply grateful to our Mother Homeland, as well as to the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Diaspora. I first and foremost owe it all of my teachers for this honorary award. I thank God for the fact that I am surrounded by such people as I approach the last years of my life,” Vachagan Vostakyan said.

Let us add that the “Ambassador of the Mother Language” Medal of the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia is granted to those individuals and organizations who have made great contributions to the preservation, dissemination and development of the mother language in Armenia and the Diaspora.

Aghunik Ayvazyan