Aram I to Deliver Keynote Address
WATERTOWN, Mass.—A tribute event to mark the 97th anniversary of the establishment of the independent state of Armenia, in 1918, has been jointly organized by the ARF “Sardarabad” Gomideh and the St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church, with the participation of the Armenian Relief Society, the Armenian Youth Federation, Homenetmen, and Hamazkayin.
The event, entitled “Triumph over Tragedy: The Birth of the First Independent Armenia, 1918,” will take place on Thurs., May 28 at 7:30 p.m., at the Hovnanian Hall of the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) in Watertown. It will feature His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, as the keynote speaker.
The program will also include remarks by Dr. Antranig Kasbarian; musical performances by the Zangakner Children’s and St. Stephen’s Church choirs; poetry recitation by Ani Arakelians-Avakian; and solo songs performed by Hovhaness Khacheryan and Meghri Der-Vartanian.
In 1918, during the heroic battles of Sardarabad, Bash-Abaran, and Karakilisa from May 21-29, Armenian forces defeated and stopped the Ottoman-Turkish advances. On May 30, 1918, the Armenian National Council signed a declaration in Tbilisi, Georgia, announcing the formation of Independent Armenia amid the post-World War I chaos in the Trans-Caucasus. In the words of British historian Christopher J. Walker, had the Armenians lost these battles, “it is perfectly possible that the word Armenia would have henceforth denoted only an antique geographical term.”
At the May 28 event this year, made special with the attendance of His Holiness Aram I, the Boston community will pay tribute to the heroes who, through their courage and sacrifices, ushered in a new era for a nation that almost lost its statehood.
The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited. A reception will follow the program. The ACEC is located at 47 Nichols Ave. in Watertown.
Guest Contributor
The Cold War is over, no more political restrictions, yet still Armenians fall short in rightful assessment of the significance of May 28, 1918. I’m talking pan-Armenian and not party-politics.