On May 29, 2016, the 102nd traditional Sayat-Nova Vardaton (Feast of Roses) took place in the Vakhtang Gorgasali Square in front of the Saint Gevorg Cathedral in Tbilisi.

The Sayat-Nova Vardaton, founded by the great Armenian writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, artist Gevorg Bashinjaghyan and poet Ioseb Grishashvili, is one the most favorite festivals of the residents of Tbilisi. Every year, the last Sunday of May, people of different nationalities come to lay roses on the tomb of the great poet and musician Sayat-Nova buried in the church courtyard.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan attended the celebration. Among honored guests were Very Rev. Father Khoren Hovhannisyan, assistant to the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, the Chairman of Tbilisi Assembly (Sakrebulo) Giorgi Alibegashvili, Georgian MP Ruslan Poghosyan, the delegation of the Writers Union of Armenia, led by the chairman Edward Militonyan, poet and translator Givi Shakhnazari, the president of Georgian Writers Creative Union, Revaz Mishveladze, Co-chair Makvala Gonashvili, the Counselors at the RA Embassy in Georgia, Karen Melikyan, Armenian community representatives and guests.

The event started with the blessings from the Primate of the Diocese, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan. Then His Grace thanked Georgian government who supported the organization of the festival, as befits this multinational and multi-confessional city.

The Chairman of the City Council, Giorgi Alibegashvili, gave a speech and highlighted the importance of having a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multilingual society.

Armenian and Georgian writers and poets, the leaders of community-based organization also gave welcoming and congratulatory speeches recalling the great Sayat-Nova, who glorified in his works universal ideas, which after 300 years have not lost their relevance.

The celebration started with the traditional performance of The Sayat-Nova State Minstrel Song Ensemble (Artistic Director, Professor Tovmas Poghosyan). Solo singers of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and the Hayartun Center, the “Ksovrelebi” Ensemble, the Ani Dance Ensemble, the Vanq Dance Ensemble, the Jeyran Dance Ensemble, actors of Petros Adamyan Drama Theater also performed during the event.

The celebratory event was organized by Petros Adamian Tbilisi State Armenian Drama Theatre, Georgian Armenian's Union, with the support of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in Georgia, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to Georgia, Tbilisi Municipality and Sakrebulo (Assembly), the RA Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Culture and Monuments Protection of Georgia.