On May 20, 2016, the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the “Hayartun” Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia hosted its next event. Titled “An Hour of Poetry”, the event was initiated by “Surb Grigor Narekatsi” (“St. Gregory the Narekatsi”) one-day Armenian school of the Diocesan Educational Department headed by the teacher Tamara Gaboyan. The students of the first and second grades took the stage, while Tbilisi Armenian intellectuals and poetry enthusiasts took their seats in the hall.

Eugenia Markosyan, Director of the Educational department of the Diocese, gave opening remarks and highlighted the novelty introduced into the curriculum of the one-day Armenian School in the current academic year – a course named “Gems of Armenian Poetry”. Besides teaching the Armenians, who are going back to their roots, to speak, read and write the Armenian Language, the goal is to inform them about the writers and poets of Armenian literature since the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots till now. This event helped to measure the novelty value.

A beautiful program of patriotic, philosophical, amorous poetry, written by the greatest figures in Armenian literature, was presented by the Sunday School students, who recited with not perfect Armenian accent and incorrectly placed emphasis, but understood the essence, were very earnest and sincere. Following the presentation of writers’ life and literary heritage by Kristina Minasyan and Mari Minasyan, Maria Badalyan, Nana Zakutova, Vitali Mkrtchyan, Ashot Arutyunyan, Lana Mkhitaryan, Milena Galustova and others recited poems, the Sunday School students sang a selection of songs.

The event left a deep impression upon listeners, as they took the roads of Armenian literature, which brought them to a rich treasury of Armenian heritage. The Director of the Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan, emphasized the importance of the Cultural Department, particularly the One-day Armenian Schools, yet he called upon parents to give their children an Armenian upbringing, to send them to an Armenian school, not to deprive them of their mother tongue, but to raise a patriotic generation.

Poetess and translator Anahit Bostanjyan expressed her sincere gratitude to the teacher for organizing a wonderful event, and suggested to add the Armenian poets of Georgia, as well as contemporary poets, to the curriculum.

The introduction of an hour of poetry into the curriculum of the one-day Armenian School was welcomed and appreciated.