Rostov Region commemorates repressed priests and teachers of "Surb Astvatsatsin" parish school

On September 24, near the Armenian Church "Surb Astvatsatsin" (St Mary's Church) of the Novo-Nakhichevan and Russian Eparchy, located in the village of Bolshie Saly, Myasnikov District of the Rostov Region, a cross was installed in memory of the repressed priests and teachers of the parish school.

One hundred trees were planted along the alley leading to the monument. Also, a photo exhibition was opened dedicated to the victims of repression - priests and teachers of the parish school of the "Surb Astvatsatsin" Church of Bolshie Saly village - and the history of revival and restoration of the church. Armenian companies staged a concert.

According to the rector of the church Ter Anania (Babayan), the search group, which was initiated and inspired by him, spent three years gathering historical materials, photographs, and archival documents about the victims of repressions in 1937-1938. Photos were found in the archives of the school, and in family albums.

In the rector's opinion, this sort of commemoration of repressed priests and teachers of the parish school took place for the first time in the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the region of the Don River.

Ter Anania said that on the initiative of Elena Adamyan, Principal of School No. 8, located in Bolshie Saly, he started giving spiritual lessons. He believes that through these lessons even junior pupils wanted to take part in planting tree along the alley leading to the monument.

The "Surb Astvatsatsin" Church was built in 1867 by Armenian resettlers from the Crimea and consecrated personally by Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg the Fourth.

In Soviet times, the absolute majority of Armenian Churches in Russia were destroyed or turned into warehouses, workshops or other local economy objects, where no clerical and spiritual life was possible.

In the early 2000s, under the guidance of the newcomer - the new priest of the church Ter Anania - the recovery of the "Surb Astvatsatsin" Church from ruins was undertaken, and in 2008 the revived church was completely restored and consecrated by the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin the Second.

The opening ceremony of the memorial cross was attended by Andranik Malkhasyan, the honoured teacher of Russian, veteran of World War II, eyewitness of repression and a student of the "Surb Astvatsatsin" parish school, and relatives of the casualties: a granddaughter of the priest Ter Sarkis (Martirosyan) Alfrida Nor-Arevyan, and Karapet Nor-Arevyan, a grandson of the repressed teacher Lusegen Nor-Arevyan.

The event was held jointly with the administration of the Myasnikov District of the Rostov Region and the Novo-Nakhichevan-on-Don Armenian community, with support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia in the Southern Federal District (SFD), the Armenian International Information-Analytical, Cultural, Educational and Legal Centre, Armenian Internet Community MIASIN and the newspaper "Nakhichevan-on-Don".