On November 4, 2011, we informed in the article of Aravot Small, but Influential Community about the ancient city of Shumen (Bulgaria), where there are only 250-300 Armenians, but the local Armenian community is quite active. Although there is a big Turkish community and strong lobby, the Armenian Genocide is recognized at the level of the city hall. The leader of the Armenian community in Shumen is Grigor Panosyan. He told
us that when 4 years ago the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide had been discussed at the city hall, only one vote had been lacking. The Armenians applied to the member of the city council whose wife was an Armenian to get that one vote and “threatened,” “Choose – either your wife or your party.” The representative of the city hall naturally voted in favor of recognizing the Genocide for the sake of love. Today, Mr. Panosyan informed www.aravot.am that he had created a website www.arminbg.org, where the Armenian Bulgarian community will be able to get acquainted with not only their internal life, but also Armenia and the latest world news.
Grigor Panosyan says that since the threat of assimilation was big, they use every minor occasion and possibility to bring up the youth in the Armenian manner and have them not forget their origin. For example, they ordered Our Father in Armenian words and Bulgarian letters the other day, as well as the Armenian alphabet magnets, which can be attached to the fridge or the commuter.
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The leader of the Armenian community in Shumen thinks that although this trick may seem simple, it is a means for the prayer in the native language and the alphabet to constantly be before the youth’s eyes. According to Panosyan, Our Father in Armenian words and Bulgarian letters has been spread throughout Bulgaria.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
