“Cultural Diversity Is the Heritage of Humanity”

“Peoples have a common heritage in the great works of science, literature, and art, which preserve the imprint of genius throughout the centuries. This cultural heritage is an inexhaustible source for humanity.”

Frédéric Joliot-Curie

It has become a tradition for the “Ընտանիք” Children and Youth Creative Center of Gyumri under the Ministry of Education and Science to make annual visits to Artsakh and organize numerous cultural programs there.

This year, too, the students of the “Ընտանիք” Center, under the leadership of Director Arthur Minasyan, implemented a program in Artsakh entitled “Cultural Diversity Is the Heritage of Humanity.”

The aim of the program was to strengthen ties and dialogue between teenagers from Armenia and Artsakh in the field of cultural diversity; instill the ideas of unity and cooperation among young people; present the cultural characteristics, customs, and traditions of various ethnic groups living in Armenia; organize master classes in national crafts and arts for teenagers from Artsakh; recognize the role of young people in building Armenian statehood; and emphasize the importance of extracurricular education.

The teachers and students of the “Ընտանիք” Center were welcomed by Romela Dadayan, a member of the Artsakh National Assembly, and Margarita Taranian, a representative of its staff.

As part of the program, seminars on “Ethnic Culture” were held for students in the communities of Khnapat and Khachen, as well as at School No. 1 named after Khachatur Abovyan in Stepanakert. Master classes were organized in pottery, beadwork, embroidery, miniature painting, wood art, and dance, aimed at helping teenagers with career orientation and developing their abilities.

The schoolchildren’s enthusiasm and interest in national crafts and arts were particularly noticeable. Inspired by the ideas of unity and solidarity, teenagers from Artsakh and Gyumri created both collaborative and individual works depicting Artsakh and Armenia as one united state. The participants expressed their feelings and perceptions of their homeland and the history of their people on canvas. The compositions were woven with Parajanov’s symbolic pomegranates, the blue of Minas Avetisyan’s palette, and the radiance of Saryan’s sun.

During the organized exhibition-event, teenagers from Artsakh became acquainted with the handmade works created by students of the various national crafts and arts groups of the “Ընտանիք” Center, watched a slideshow entitled “The Churches of Western Armenia: Yesterday and Today,” and took part in performances of ethnographic songs and folk dances. The series of events concluded with a joint traditional circle dance.

The students of the “Ընտանիք” Center also made an educational visit to the historical, scenic, and picturesque sites of Artsakh, including St. Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi, St. Stepanos Church in Khachen, and the Gandzasar Monastery Complex, where they jointly raised their voices in prayer to God. At the memorial complex dedicated to the freedom fighters who fell during the Artsakh liberation struggle, they paid tribute to the heroic deeds of the Armenian sons who devoted themselves to the national liberation movement.

Through cleaning activities carried out around Artsakh’s historical and cultural monuments, the teenagers came to appreciate the importance of preserving cultural heritage and its essential role in maintaining Armenian identity.

The next stop was the Kristap(h)or Ivanyan Military-Sports College of the Artsakh Ministry of Defense, where the students of the Center attended the weekly military formation and demonstrations of exercises. At the shooting range, they had the opportunity to put into practice their knowledge and skills related to combat preparedness.

At the college, Colonel B. Muradyan, Head of the Department for Military-Patriotic Education and Relations with Public Organizations of the Artsakh Defense Army, presented the “Ընտանիք” Center, represented by Director Arthur Minasyan, with a certificate of appreciation from the Ministry of Defense of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic for its contribution to strengthening ties between Artsakh, Javakhk, and Armenia.

Romela Dadayan presented certificates of appreciation and commemorative gifts to the Center’s teachers for their contribution to strengthening Armenia–Artsakh relations, patriotic and labor education, and the development of ecotourism. She also emphasized the importance of organizing such events, noting that future visits would be mutual, further contributing to deepening and strengthening friendly relations.

Director A. Minasyan presented certificates and gifts to the host directors, teachers, and teenagers who had actively participated in the master classes. The libraries of the participating institutions were also enriched with numerous books.