RA Diaspora Ministry is cradle for Diaspora Armenians; togetherness in every endeavor is valued

Hamlet Sharoyan, President of “Krunk Armenian Community” regional NGO functioning in the RF Saratov region was lately awarded the “Gold Medal” of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

Seizing the opportunity, correspondent of the “Hayern Aysor” had an interview with Hamlet Sharoyan on the problems of the Armenian community in Saratov and on future arrangements.

-How long have you been managing the “Krunk Armenian Community” regional NGO in Saratov region?

– It’s already two years. The community has about ten thousand members, but there are over 64.000 Armenians living in Saratov.

-Does the community face problems on preservation of national identity and what measures do you take to preserve the Armenian culture?

– One of the problems is that our children are little informed about the Armenian history and do not read Armenian books. This is why we are now constructing a school that will be staffed with proper specialists, so that we can attract and involve more people, although we presently have a Sunday school. The community also has a good library. Construction works of the school, the Armenian cultural center and St. Mary Church have been on since 2007. There is also an Armenian school in Saratov. At the center of the city we have an Armenian khachkar (a stone-cross), gifted to us by ex-President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, who honored the opening ceremony with his presence. At the command of the governor of Saratov, national minorities residing in Saratov were to establish a “National House” in the Victory Park. We were not an exception, so we built our Armenian “hut”. Generally, the community is trying to support Armenians in every issue.

-Who are the Sunday school goers?

-People from 7 to 38 years old attend the Sunday school, i.e. there is no age restriction. Among them there are also Russians, who want to learn our language. These are Russian women married to Armenian men; they attend our school to learn Armenian so that they can better understand their husbands and children. So, we’re now building the school, after which we’ll try to get license from the RF Ministry of Education.

-Do Armenians here encounter any problems with other national minorities?

-There are lots of everyday problems, but they are not of national character. You know, Armenians are hot-tempered and arguments with the young representatives of other nationalities are almost inevitable. But we immediately smooth over the situation with the leader of the given community. We share warm relations with all communities and have no problems in this respect. There are no Armenians, Azeris or Uzbeks in Saratov, we are all together.

– What’s the aim of your visit to Armenia?

-The first and foremost aim was to see my parents and celebrate my 60th birthday with them. My mother is already old and it would be difficult to move her to Saratov, that was why I myself decided to come. Of course, I could have a luxurious birthday party in Saratov, but I preferred to celebrate it with my family and closest friends in my birthplace, Dzoragyugh. Besides, I was especially happy when I received an invitation from the Ministry of Diaspora and was awarded with a medal.

-How do you assess the role of the Diaspora Ministry in consolidating the ties between Armenia and the Diaspora?

-The RA Diaspora Ministry is a cradle for Diaspora Armenians; togetherness in every endeavor is valued.

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