On January 16, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received Director of Aleppo’s Saryan Academy, painter Hrazdan Tokmajian.

Since 1993, Hrazdan Tokmajian has been teaching at Aleppo’s Saryan Academy at the invitation of the AGBU and has been organizing education at the Academy. Today, Saryan Academy has 30 up-to 12-year old students and 20 students above the age of 12.

Mr. Tokmajian has brought with him the paintings created by more than 30 students of the Saryan Academy and showcased in Aleppo with the title “Troubling Days in Aleppo”.

Greeting the guest, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan praised Hrazdan Tokmajian’s efforts for the Syrian-Armenian community and preservation of the Armenian identity and attached importance to his mission to preserve spiritual values within the community and strengthen bonds with the Homeland. The sides decided to organize an exhibition showcasing the works by students of Aleppo’s Saryan Academy in Yerevan.

Tokmajian has held several personal and group exhibitions in Armenia, Syria and Lebanon.

Since 2007, Hrazdan Tokmajian has also been involved in ethnographic studies. In 2011, Aleppo’s Marash Compatriotic Union published his book entitled “Embroidery of Marash”. In 2014, Tokmajian published the book “Embroidery of Urfa” with the support of the Aleppo Diocese of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia. The book is dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In the first quarter of this year, with the support of Aleppo’s Krtasirats Cultural Union, Hrazdan Tokmajian’s third book entitled “Embroidery of Ayntap” will be printed by Armenia’s Tigran Mets Printing House.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the difficult situation facing Armenians as a result of the civil war in Syria.