GAOF ANNUAL RETREATS

We are pleased to take glance of our summer retreat program, which was effective this year: firstly, it was filled with numerous cultural discoveries, a very interesting program of educational visits, as well as many exciting events, and  birthday parties, a high level of organized work and a good mood, leaving unforgettable, joyful days of memories (In photographs, all this is obvious). The program was attended by students of the “Our Lady of Armenia” youth center Ani Bezikeyan, whose camp days were spent in the two most impressive cities of Georgia – Tbilisi and Batumi. We went to Georgia, providing the most comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for our participants. Within the framework of the project, a visit to the Scientific and Cultural Center of the “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan”, located in the very center of Tbilisi, was organized. Its third floor apartment now serves the preservation of Tumanyan heritage and cultural traditions. The atmosphere of Tumanyan’s house during our visit was filled with another shade when our girls sang “Out of the Cloud” with Armenian softness. Tumanyan definitely liked it. The next meeting was with the members of the “Hayartun” Center at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Yevgenia Markosyan, head of the education department of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, introduced to our girls the Armenian volunteers of the Center, whose efforts are aimed at transmitting Armenian song and dance, traditions, writing and fairy tales, Christian culture to our young compatriots, especially the younger generation. We have completed our visit In the St. Gevorg Church Etchmiadzin (also known as St. Etchmiadzin or New Etchmiadzin), by praying “Our Father”. Then, under the guidance of Fr. Tatev Marukyan, we visited the pantheon of Armenian writers and public figures “Khojivank” in Tbilisi, where Raffi, H. Tumanyan, G. Sundukyan, Muratsan, Nar-Dos, Jivani, Z. Agayan and others are buried. Inga Ghazaryan, a volunteer from SOAR-Tbilisi, was with us all this time. She was with us everywhere, as a homeowner, walked through the streets of the city and presented in historical sequence the results of Armenian creative thought and the work of Armenian men in Tbilisi. We are deeply grateful for Inga’s caring attitude. Then our fun train headed for the seaside tourist city of Batumi. Sunny days were the best companion of our visit, which further warmed the company of our team members. The moving sculpture “Ali Nino” by Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze introduced us to her unique love story. And the next stop was  the most famous dolphinarium in Georgia and the first in the Soviet Union. Very impressive dolphin performances were a good end to the day. Accompanied by continuous guitar songs, our cheerful group returned to Armenia, bringing with them a new worldview, a long-standing reality according to which the creative hand of an Armenian person, regardless of the corner of the world, has the inherent gift to create something solid. By the way, during our short 6-day visit, we tried traditional dishes and snacks of Georgian cuisine and celebrated three birthdays. And with a festive mood, we are still waiting for the next camp program.