Homeland Recognition Program for the Youngsters of the Armenian Diaspora

Homeland Recognition Program for the Youngsters of the Armenian Diaspora

“Ari Tun” 2016

Attention

The succession of program days, visits, places of group gathering are subject to change in case of climate changes or any other unplanned circumstances.

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  An adult member of a host family accompanies the participant to the starting spot at the specified time and then back home at the end of the day.
  
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  Participants should come to all events in T-shirt and cap with the symbol of the program.
  
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  Participants must follow the rules of discipline presented by the staff.
  
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  All the museums, visited by the participants of the program during the tours are free of charge
  
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  The participants have a meal in Yerevan or at the appropriate place of visit on tour days
  
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  Traffic Police officers accompany the participants throughout the whole program.
  
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  The participants of the program are accompanied by a nurse on tour days
  
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  The participants are accompanied by a guide. One can find a brief information on the sights, the participants are going to visit.
  
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  On tour days the starting point for the departure of the participants is the school, they take lessons, and the host family welcomes the participants at the Square named after Shahumyan.
  
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  On camping days the participants of the program sleep and eat at camps, have classes, meetings, take part in rest and pastime activities. At the end of the program participants present their impressions and suggestions to the head of the program in a written form filling in the impression sheet of the guide-book.
  

“Ari Tun” 2016

Phases

I June 12 – June 25

II June 19 - July 2

III July 3 – July 16

IV July 10 – July 23

V July 17 - July 30

VI July 31 – August 13

VII August 7 – August 20

VIII August 14 - August 27

Day 1 – Sunday

In course of the day	Arrival of the participants, their welcoming
	Accommodation of the participants in host families

Day 2 – Monday

9:30	“Welcome” The participants of the program visit the Ministry of Diaspora with the host family. The participants are given equipments with a special symbol “Ari tun” (T-shirt, cap). The participants meet the representatives of the coordinating council of the program.
10:30	The official opening of the program “Ari Tun” (3 Vazgen Sargsyan Str. RA Ministry of Diaspora)
12:00	A visit to Yerevan History Museum
12:30	A visit to Oshakan
13:30-14:00	Lunch in Oshakan
14:00	A visit to Mughni
16:30	Returning to Yerevan, acquaintance to the capital city
17:00	Welcoming of the participants by the host families at Shahumyan Square

Yerevan History Museum

Yerevan History Museum was founded in 1931. In the past it was called a Communal Museum. It is located near the Yerevan Municipality. The architect of the museum is Jim Torosyan. The museum displays more than 87,000 artifacts, which represent spiritual and material culture of Armenia from ancient times to the present day. Archeological, ethnographic, numismatic, fine arts, photos and other collections, ranging from ancient time to the present day and representing the outstanding history of the past and present-day capital city and its dwellers are kept in the museum.

Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church

(Oshakan)

Mesrop Mashtots is the creator of the Armenian alphabet and the first teacher of Armenian. After the invention of the Armenian alphabet (405 AD) he founded many schools in various districts of Armenia. The church in Oshakan, named after Mesrop Mashtots, was founded in 443 AD by one of the most influential Armenian princes: hazarapet(commander-in-chief of a military detachment, cosisting of 1000 soldiers) Vahan Amatouni. In the following centuries the church was completely restored and then, a new construction was founded on the site. On the ground floor of the sacristy rest the remains of Mesrop Mashtots. The crypt of Mesrop Mashtots has become a sanctuary, the visiting of which is considered the inmost dream of every Armenian. A park of stone letters is located in the yard of the church.

Saint Gevorg Church of Mughni

Saint Gevorg Church is situated in the southern part of the village of Mughni. It was constructed in the 10^th and restored in the 17^th century. When the Emperor Diokghetian begins his persecutions against Christians, Saint Gevorg tears up the manifesto, forbidding Christianity, in the square for what he was tortured and killed in 303. His remains were removed to Mughni in the 13^th century. He is described as one, sitting on a white horse, killing the dragon with his lance. Lots of myths and legends have been invented about him. In the 13th century to treat the Georgian prince, part of the remains of St. Gevorg was moved to Tbilisi ( Georgia). For further preservation of these remains, a Church of St. Gevorg was built in Tbilisi, where "the Bible Mughni" is kept.

Day 3-Wednesday

09:15	Armenian language class (school №67 named after Yeghishe Charents, 9 Amiryan Str.)
11:00	Leaving for Sardarapat
12:00 - 13:00	Tour at Sardarapat memorial and Armenian National Museum of Ethnography and Liberation Struggle History
13:30	Lunch
14:30	Leaving for Echmiadzin
15:30- 16:00	Tour at Mother See of Holly Echmiadzin
16:15	Leaving for Zvartnots
17:00	Returning to Yerevan
17:30-18:00	Welcoming of the participants by the host families at Shahumyan Square

Sardarapat Memorial and Armenian National Museum of Ethnography and Liberation Struggle History

This memorial symbolizes the glorious victory of the Armenian people against Turkish invaders in May, 1918. Sardarapat heroic battle not only checked the Turkish invasion, but also laid a foundation for restoring Armenian statehood. Two winged bulls guard the entrance of the memorial and a path, lined with five eagles lead to the Ethnography museum, a constituent part of the memorial, visiting which, one can get acquainted with the culture, crafts and routine of different districts of the Armenian land from the ancient times to the present day.

Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin

According to legend, during the preaching of Christianity in Armenia Gregory the Illuminator had a vision. With a golden hammer in hand, Jesus Christ descends from the heavens and strikes in a place where there was a pagan temple. In this place the temple of Echmiadzin was built. "Echmiadzin" means the place where Jesus, the God’s son came down. According to Agathangelos (V century), Echmiadzin Cathedral was built near the royal palace during the times of Tiridates the III of Armenia (298-330 AD) and Grigor the Illuminator in the first years of Christianity being recognized as a state religion(301-303). The residence of the Catholicos of all Armenians is situated here. There is a museum next to the church.

The temple of Zvartnots

The temple of Zvartnots was constructed by the Armenian Catholicos Nerses III Ishkhantsi (The constructor) (641-661). Zvartnots stood till the end of the 10^th century. At the end of the 20^th century Zvartnots was in ruins, covered with a thick layer of earth. The excavated objects witness the existence of IV-V century constructions before Zvartnots was built. Presumably, on the site of Zvartnots was the pagan temple of the God Tir. Zvartnots is considered a new type of construction in the Armenian architecture. In course of the following centuries the Armenian architecture bore the influence of Zvartnots. In 1937 a museum was built, not far from the ruins of Zvartnots, where the excavated objects are exhibited.

Day 4 - Wednesday

09:15	Armenian language class (school №67 named after Yeghishe Charents, 9 Amiryan Str.)
11:00	A visit to Yerevan State University, Armenian-Russian (Slavonic) or French Universities, AGBU Virtual University
12:30	A visit to the Matenadaran
14:00	Lunch in Yerevan
15:00	Leaving for Garni
16:00 – 17:00	A tour at Garni pagan temple
17:00	A visit to Geghard, A tour at Geghard Monastery
18:00	Returning to Yerevan
19:00	Welcoming of the participants by the host families at Shahumyan Square

The Institute of Ancient Manuscripts after Mesrop Mashtots

(The Matenadaran)

The Matenadaran was constructed in 1959. It’s a large center of ancient Armenian manuscripts. More than 17.000 Armenian and a comprehensive collection of foreign language manuscripts, relics of some manuscripts, handwritten books and other pieces are kept here. The oldest manuscript in the Matenadaran is “The bible of the Blessed Virgin”, created in the 8^th century. The “giant” book- “Msho Tjarentir” and “The ecclesiastic calendar” (1934) are also worth inviting one’s attention to. The former is the biggest Armenian manuscript book, weighing 28 kilos, and the latter weighs only 190 grams. The handwritten books, collected here, include nearly all the spheres of ancient and medieval Armenian science and culture. Besides Armenian books, Arabic, Persian, Greek, Assyrian, Latin, Euthopian, Indian, Japanese manuscripts are also kept here. In this institute of Cultural Heritage have been preserved many texts that have not survived in their native language, and only their Armenian translations are known.

The Pagan Temple of Garni

The pagan temple of Garni is situated on the right bank of the river Azat. According to a XIV century manuscript, it was founded in 2166 BC. Legend states that Movses Khorenatsi considered Garni to have been founded by the great-grandson of Forefather Hayk, Gegham, and the temple was named Garni after his grandson Garnik. In the middle of I century AD it was destroyed by the Roman troops. In the 70s of I AD the temple was reconstructed by Tiridates I of Armenia in the Greek records of whome it was named an “unassailable fortress”. The fortress, which is standing to the present day was constructed in III-II BC. The compositional center of the forest constructions was the pillared temple. To the west of the temple, on the very edge of the cape stood the massive construction of the palace. After adopting Christianity it became the summerhouse of the sisiter of Tiridates III of Armenia-Khosrovdukht.

Geghard Monastery

Geghard Monastery was founded by Grigor I the Illuminator. Initially, it was called Ayrivank, because of its cavern constructions. The sacred javelin, the iron end of the lance that wounded Jesus, brought to Armenia by the apostle Tadevos, has been kept in the monastery since the half of the 13^th century. Since then, the monastery has been called Geghardavank (The monastery of the javelin). Geghard Monastery was an important spiritual and cultural center of Medieval Armenia and besides constructions of worship it also housed a school, library, a room for copying manuscripts, many rocky chambers for the residence of monks.

Day 5 – Thursday

9:15	Armenian language class at school (school №67 named after Yeghishe Charents, 9 Amiryan Str.)
11:30	Leaving for Khor Virap
12:30	A tour at Khor Virap and a group discussion on the themes, interesting for the participants
13:30-14:00	Lunch in Khor Virap
14:00	Leaving for Noravank
14:30–17:00	Tour at Noravank
17:00	Returning to Yerevan A visit to the House-museum of Vazgen Sargsyan (if there is time left)
19:00	Welcoming of the participants by the host families at Shahumyan Square

Khor Virap

Khor Virap Monastery is situated on a hill near the village of Lusarat in the marz of Ararat. In ancient times, here it was the capital of Armenia Artashat with its high citadel. On the site of the present-day monastery stood the royal prison. According to Agatangeghos, the virap (the underground chapter) was a deep hole, full of snakes, venomous insects, where all the convicted were put in. According to narrators Grigor the Illuminator experienced his sufferings in this underground chamber. In 642 Catholicos Nerses III built a chapel on the sacred underground chamber, then a church was built. Khor Virap monastery was a center of education, and had a congregation.

Noravank

Noravank was the spiritual center of Syunik in the 13^th century and the patrimonial cemetery of the Orbelyan prince family. In the 2^nd half of the 12nd century the architect Siranes and in the first half of the XIV century the famous miniature painter, sculptor and architect Momik worked here. The main church of the Noravank Complex , St. Karapet Church, was built by the prince Liparit Orbelyan 1219-1223. The church porch was reconstructed by the architect Siranes in 1261 on the initiative of Smbat Orbelyan. Later, after the earthquake of 1321 the constructionhas suffered again. Most likely, the reconstruction of the church was realized by the architect Momik.

The House-Museum of Vazgen Sargsyan

The Armenian national hero Vazgen Sargsyan is one of the prominent figures of the Artsakh liberation war. The people have named him Sparapet to stress his role in this war. On October 27, 1999, he was murdered, becaming the victim of conspiracy. On March 5, 2003, on the day of the 43^rd birthday of the hero, in the village of Ararat of Ararat region, was opened his house-museum, where the history of life and biography of Vazgen Sargsyan as a writer, soldier, sparapet and politician is presented.

Day 6 – Friday

09:30	Armenian language class (school №67 named after Yeghishe Charents, 9 Amiryan Str.)
11:00	Leaving for Tsitsernakaberd Memorial and a tour in the museum
12:45	A visit to the Yerablur
13:30	A visit to a military unit or the educational centre “Pokr Mher”. Getting acquainted with the everyday life in the RA army.
14:30	Lunch in the military unit
16:00	A visit to the “Zoravar Andranik” museum and pantheon and museum after Komitas
18:00	Welcoming of the participants by the host families at Shahoumyan Square

Memorial, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide victims

(The Tsitsernakaberd)

The memorial, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, is situated on a hill in Yerevan, called Tsitsernakaberd. Every year, on April 24, hundreds of millions of Armenians and foreigners walk up here, to honor the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkey. In 1965, on the 50^th anniversary of the Genocide, demonstrations were organized in Yerevan and in 1966, the construction of the memorial began, which ended in 1968. The 44 meters high column of the memorial symbolizes the renaissance of the Armenian people. The 12 stone slabs, arranged like a circle, represent the 12 Western Armenian provinces, inhabited by the Armenians, situated in the territory of the present day Turkey. At the center of the circle is lit an eternal flame. On the territory of the memorial complex is a 100-foot wall of mourning with the most famous names of towns and villages which have been subjected to massacres. In 1995, an underground museum was opened in the territory of the memorial, where one can find information on the 1915 events. Beside the museum, there is a park, where the foreign officials plant trees to the memory of the victims of the Genocide, when visiting the Tsitsernakaberd.

The Yerablur

The pantheon of Yerablur is a military cemetery in Yerevan, where representatives of different generations of Armenian liberation struggle have found their last refuge. Andranik Ozanyan and sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan, Sose Mayrig, fedayis of Artsakh liberation war and soldiers rest here. Yerablur is not only a sanctuary, but also a place of pilgrimage for the young people. It symbolizes the heroic image, the pride and the perpetual aspiration for liberty of the Armenian people.

Zoravar Andranik Museum of Fedayi Movement

Zoravar Andranik Museum of Fedayi Movement was founded in 1995 on the 130^th birthday of Andranik Ozanyan . The museum was closed two years later and reopened in 2006 near Komitas Pantheon. The life, activities and personal articles of Ozanyan as well as other figures of fedayi movement, Artsakh liberation war and other prominent national figures are illustrated in the halls of the museum. The sculpture of Andranik guards the entrance of the museum and the sculptures of other fedayies are placed in the park nearby.

Pantheon and Museum after Komitas

Komitas pantheon was founded in 1936, a year after removing Komitas’ remains from France to Yerevan. Later the cemetry was turned into a pantheon of cultural and prominent figures. The wives of Martiros Saryan(Lusik Saryan, 1893-1974), Avetik Isahakyan(Sofya Isahakyan, 1882-1966), Stepan Zoryan(Satenik Zoryan, 1901-1975) are also buried here. Not far from the pantheon, in a peaceful corner, is the cementry of the well-known poetess Shushanik Kurghinyan (1876-1927).

The museum was opened in january, 2015. The author and architect of the museum design is Arthur Meschyan. Financial expences have been covered by the “Pyunik” pan-Armenian Human Resource Development Foundation and “Luys” Foundation. The museum-institute has a permanent exhibition, exhibition halls for provisional exhibitions and a concert hall. As part of the building will operate a research center, a music studio, a library and a publishing house. The author and curator of the exhibition is Vardan Karapetyan, designer-artist is Alberto Torsello. The life and activities of Komitas, his musical- theoretical and spiritual activities as well as the rich ethnographic heritage are represented in permanent illustration of the eight halls of the museum. The author and the curator of the illustrations are Vardan Karapetyan, the painter and desighner: Alberto Torcello. The program has been realized by the Armenian National Committee of The International Councile of Museums.

Yerevan

Yerevan is the capital of the Republic of Armenia. It has a population of about one million people. The name of the capital has descended from Erebuni fortress of Urartu, which was built by the king Argishti I in 782 BC. Yerevan is 2797 years old. It is situated on the bank of the River Hrazdan, the latter being the tributary of the River Arax. Warm, dry summers and relatively short and cold winters are characteristic to the cimate of Yerevan. Yerevan has been the administrative centre of the province of Yerevan and has become the 12nd capital of Armenia since 1918. The city has a form of an amphitheatre, having been designed by the prominent architect Alexander Tamanyan. The panoramas of the mountains Ararat and Aragats give a special look to Yerevan. It’s also famous for its monuments, museums, cultural centers, parks, fountains and drinking fountains.

Days 7, 8 – Saturday, Sunday

An Administrative District/Community Day

Pastime with the host family

Day 9 – Monday

09:30	Armenian language class (school №67 named after Yeghishe Charents, 9 Amiryan Str.)
11:00	A visit to Yerevan Zoo
12:00	Leaving for the Sevan, a visit to Sevan Monastery
14:00	Lunch in Sevan
15:00- 15:30	Visiting Lake Sevan, resting on the Sevan beech
17:00	Returning to Yerevan
18:00	Welcoming of the participants by the hast families Shahumyan Square

Yerevan Zoo

Yerevan zoo was founded in 1940. Nearly 200 species of birds are kept here, including animals and birds, peculiar to the Armenian Highland: striped hyena, bezoar goat, rock partridge, fishes, shield-headed vipers and other reptiles. 34 of the species kept in the zoo are registered in the International union of the Preservation of Nature list and 50 of the species in the RA Red Data List.

Sevanavank Monastery

The monastery of Sevan was founded by Grigor I the Illuminator in 305 AD on the island of Sevan (now it has become a peninsula). The island was fortified by fortress still in the age of bronze. There has been a pagan temple here. In the IX century the princes of Syunik made the Sevan their foothold. In 874 the daughter of the king Ashot Bagratuni and the wife of the prince Vasak Gabur, Mariam, constructed two churches here: The Saint Arakelots church and the Saint Astvatsatsin Church. There are many khachkars in the territory of the island. The churches were reconstructed during 1956-57.

Camping Days

Day 10 – Tuesday

09:30	The participants gather at Shahumyan square
10:00	Leaving for the camp
11:00	The participants accommodate themslves in the rest house and make a tour in the territory. The opening of the camp. The participants are divided into detachments, according to age groups. The best participants raise the flags of “Ari Tun” and the camp. Speeches and welcoming words are heard. The participants get acquainted with the rules and the timetable of the camping stage.
14:00 – 15:00	Lunch
16:00	Acquaintance to each other/games for participants aging 13-15 and 16-18
17:00	Classes of Armenian Studies, national song and dance
19:00-20:00	Dinner
20:00	If participants wish, competitions between detachments and events are organized
23:00	Good night

Day 11 – Wednesday

08:00	Wake up
09:00	Breakfast
10:00	Sports games, classes of Armenian Studies, national song and dance
14:00- 15:00	Lunch
16:00	Interest group activities
18:00	Discussions, debates on important issues are organized with the efforts of the participants
19:00- 20:00	Dinner
20:30	Cultural events/film watching, discussions, meeting, presentations, rehearsals for a concert
23:00	Good night

Day 12 – Thursday

08:00	Wake up
09:00	Breakfast
10:00	Hiking/interest groups/cognitive lessons
14:00 – 15:00	Lunch
16:00	Classes of Armenian Studies, national song and dance
19:00- 20:00	Dinner
20:30	Film watching/quiz free pastime
23:00	Good night

Day 13 - Friday

08:00	Wake up
09:00	Breakfast
10:00	Sports games, cognitive lessons
14:00 – 15:00	Lunch
16:00	Meeting well-known people, getting prepared for the farewell party
19:00 – 20:00	Dinner
20:00	Farewell bonfire, made with the efforts of the participants with the participation of guests
23:00	Good night

Day 14 – Saturday

08:00	Wake up
09:00	Breakfast
10:00	At the end of the program the participants express their opinions and suggestions to the head of the program filling in the impression sheet of the guide. Leaving for Yerevan
11:30	Welcoming of the participants by the host families at Shahumyan square