On May 16, 2018, “Armenian Dolma” festival took place for the first time at the courtyard of the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church in Akhaltsikhe (the Armenian Diocese in Georgia) with the blessings of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan. The festival was organized by the Union of Women of the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church under the leadership of Deaconess Anahit Vardanyan. About 20 types of Armenian dolma were served during the festival. The attendees tasted dolmas with great pleasure. The artists of the “Akhaltskha” Song and Dance Ensemble (adjunct to the Spiritual Superintendence of Akhaltsikhe) made the festival more joyful and colorful with their performances.
The festival was established and held for the first time in 2011, by the “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions” NGO. The aim of the festival is to provide the popularization of the Armenian traditional dish Dolma and to spread non-material values of the Armenian culture, in particular, Armenian cuisine.
The Spiritual Superintendence handed over certificates and kitchen aprons to the participants of the festival, which presented dolmas made by their own hands.
The Spiritual Superintendence, in the person of Rev. Father Hakob Sahakyan; Rev. Father Torgom Vardanyan, Pastor of Akhaltsikhe and nearby settlements and Deaconess Anahit Vardanyan expressed their profound gratitude to the all participants of the “Armenian Dolma” festival.