Tbilisoba - celebration in honor of the spectacular Georgian capital Tbilisi - has been marked every October since 1979. The annual festival is not only enjoyed by citizens of Tbilisi and Georgia, but also by international guests and tourists. This year former Tbilisi residents, Robert and Lamara Atoyan, based in Moscow, and Grirogy Harutyunyan, based in Yerevan, and accompanying them tourists from Yerevan and Artsakh have specifically planned their trip to coincide with the nationwide celebration.

On October 8, 2017, in the morning, the Armenian tourists visited the St. Etchmiadzin Church in Avlabari neighborhood. They laid flowers to the bust of the great Armenian benefactor, Alexander Mantashev, erected in the church courtyard, lit candles and said a prayer in the ancient church.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan received the guests from Armenia, Artsakh and Moscow, accompanied by the President of the Union of Armenians of Georgia, Genrikh Muradyan; and public figure Samvel Aghekyan, in the Diocesan Headquarters adjunct to the Hayartun Center. The Diocesan Primate spoke about the consolidation of the Armenians of Georgia, in particular the Armenian faithful of Tbilisi, around the Church, the dilapidated and functioning churches in Tbilisi, the faithful, and provided details on the Hayartun Center’s activity.

The guests visited the Tbilisi Pantheon of the Armenian Writers and Public Figures “Khojivank”, laid flowers on the tombs of Armenian Greats.

Let us add that, the guests took part in the Tbilisoba celebration, had participated in events concentrated in Rike Park and the old part of the capital, Ortachala Neighborhood and Meidan square, the previous day, tasted Georgian cuisine and other goods. Within the frames of the visit, the guests visited Mtskheta, lit candles in Jvari Monastery and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.