On April 2, 2016, diplomats from the RA Embassy in Georgia, representatives of community-based organizations, experts and enthusiasts of classical music, the votaries of art from different nationalities took their seats in the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the “Hayartun” Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

Events commemorating the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide are being implemented at the initiative and with the support of the Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia in April each year. The commemorative events started with a classical musical concert featuring the Armenian students from violin class of Ernest Arakelov (String Music Department dean) from the V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatory.

In his opening speech, the Head of Culture Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, the Director of the Hayartun Center, Levon Chidilyan, spoke about the Armenian nation’s bitter fate and the life that has been full of struggle, highlighting life and death fight of freedom-loving people, he mentioned that Nagorno-Karabakh's border continues to see conflict, which causes the deaths and suffering of innocent people. The people present observed a minute's silence in honor of those who died in the early morning of April 2 on the Nagorno-Karabagh contact line.

Professor Arakelov introduced bachelor students Devi Aleksanyan, Ekaterina Kazaryan, Milena Jalalbekova, David Akopyan, Stella Mkrtchyan and MA student Marianna Kirakozova from violin class, who skillfully performed the works of Wieniawski, Bartok, Tchaikovsky, Paganini following one another. The violinists were accompanied by concertmasters Teona Mikeladze and Irina Platonova.

In his remarks, the Counselors at the RA Embassy in Georgia, Karen Melikyan, thanked professor Arakelov and his students for paying tribute to the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and Armenian soldiers killed in Artsakh. Although one and a half million Armenians perished, our nation has managed to maintain its culture and identity. The diplomat from the RA Embassy in Georgia expressed his gratitude to the Georgian people and those states and nations, who extended helping hand in an hour of need and provided shelter to Armenians, who escaped Turkish yataghan.

The President of the Union of Armenian Musicians in Georgia Artem Kirakozov urged to develop and strengthen the friendly relations between Armenians and Georgians through cultural programs and other projects.

His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, in his closing remarks, highly appreciated the work of the Armenian Professor of Tbilisi State Conservatory, who by teaching Armenian, Georgian and other students how to play and master string instruments, acquaints them with Armenian culture and music at the same time, thus making his contribution to the preservation of the Armenian identity. Today, despite the tense situation in Artsakh, when brave Armenian soldiers are dying from enemy bullets, the Diocesan Primate asked Almighty God to protect our soldiers standing on the border and called on people present to pray to keep them safe.

The evening of string music paid tribute to the memory of fallen and celebrated victory.