Day 1 & 2
When we got on the plane to Paris it was huge it was probably the largest plane I’ve ever seen. While we were on the plane they fed us and gave us water. It felt like we were never getting off the plane because we were in it for so long. What I really loved about the plane was that they had mini tv’s and they had all of the great new movies.
The plane finally landed and we were in Armenia. I was speechless. I couldn’t explain how happy I was to land in Armenia and everyone else felt the same, but we were calm and we acted normal. We couldn’t believe we were going to Armenia us fifth graders. Entering Armenia was the happiest day of my life.
Gacia Vosbigian
Day 3
Today is Sunday May 18th. We woke up today and had a wonderful breakfast before going to Echmiadzin. Echmiadzin was built in 303 A.D. The town where Echminadzin is located is called Vagharshabad. On our way to Echminadzin we saw Mount Ararad and Arakadz, it was so beautiful. We talked a lot about the history of Echminadzin. When were at Echmiadzin there were many fountains and Khatchkars with different designs. There are 25,000 different Khachkars in Armenia and each one is unique just like each Armenian. The church has no chairs so don’t expect to sit down. Echmiadzin was very beautiful and holds the oldest bible in Armenian history and I kissed it, it was an honor to even be there. We then had lunch at Hai Miasnutuin Katch, it was a yummy meal with lavash, cheese, and potato fries.
Next we went to Oshagan and saw Mesrob Mashdots resting place but his body wasn’t there. No one knows where he is buried but they built a church in his memory. In the garden by the church we saw Khatchkars with the letters of the alphabet on each one and mine was A (in Armenian Ա). Later we went to Dzidzernagapert and we saw the eternal fire. Digin Ardemis got flowers for everyone to put the around the fire then we prayed for the 1.5 million Armenians who died in the Genocide. It was an amazing first day in Armenia!!
Ani Ourfalian
Day 4
Today, we are on our way to Karabagh. We started with a very yummy breakfast at the hotel. We went on the bus and we headed to Karabagh. On the way we stopped at “Կոմիտասի Անուան Պանդէոն” and we saw gravestones of famous people such as Komitas, William Saroyan, Silva Kapoutikyan.
We were on our way to “Khor Virab”!!! On our way there we sang lots of songs with Digin Ardemis and the parents. We also played knowledge bowl games on the bus against the parents and of course we won!!! It was a lot of fun on the bus!
When we finally got to Khor Virab we took a lot of beautiful pictures in front of Ararat. It was an amazing view. We also went down the stairs to where Gregory the Illuminator stayed for 13 years. After Khor Virab we went to visit the Kevork Chavush statue. We all took pictures in front of it. We were very proud that we had the opportunity to see and take pictures with the statue. After that, we went to Noravank the church which is the only church in Armenia that does not have a bell tower.
We went on the stairs along the church. It was so cool because it was really high and you could take really pretty pictures. We also went to Noravanks restaurant and had Khorovats. After that we went to Karahundj (Stonehenge). We saw the oldest observatories in the world. We walked a lot and there were about 300 rocks there. Finally, after a 12 hour drive and in the rain we arrived at Stepanakert. We enjoyed a nice dinner at 10:00 pm at the hotel and ended the day with a nice walk.
Elizabeth Krmzian
Day 5
We went to the Shushi school on Tuesday. We met the 5th graders at the school. The school was really big and looked brand new. We met the principal of the school, and she offered us coffee. We played soccer and basketball in the gym with the 5th graders. It was so fun to play. After a while we went into the school auditorium where we sang Armenia’s national anthem and Artsakh’s national anthem. We said good-bye and left the school.
After we went to «Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ». When we got there we lit candles and prayed. We went down to the basement, it was shaped like a dome. If you stood in the middle and said something out loud you could hear the echo loudly in your ear. It was really cool!
For lunch we went to a restaurant and ate ( mante ) , it was very good. For dessert we had candy and drank tea.
Next we went to a Visual Art Museum and saw lots of valuable paintings painted by famous artists. We saw the Պարգեւ Սրբազան who blessed us. We left before an opening book ceremony.
After, we went to Amaras, the first Armenian school in Armenia, created by Mesrob Mashdots. We saw the church where we lit candles and prayed. There was a staircase leading to an old, old, basement where Gregory the Illuminator’s grandson, Gregoris’ tombstone was. We went back up and went to the bedrooms where the Mesrop Mashtots’ students slept. The ceiling was carved with the Armenian letters. There was a 1,500 year old bathroom that we looked at. The bathroom was just a big hole shaped like a keyhole.
Lastly, we went to dinner at a restaurant called NVER, the food was really good. The food was fried fish, and beef. We sang and danced in the restaurant.
Berj Chekijian
Day 6
Today, we went to Sose Mangabardez which is sponsored by Armenian Relief Society where we watched little kids dance, sing and say poems. There are 107 kids in Sose Mangabardez. It was really fun watching them perform. We also sang a few patriotic songs to them. Then we said good bye and left.
Then we went to Khantsasar, which is a church made in the 13 century. Khantsasar was made by Hasan Dolan Jalal. Once we were there, our Tour Guide told us a story about a bee and a donkey. The bee’s symbol is hardworking and the donkey’s symbol is stubbornness. She said this because Artsakh people are like bees they’re hardworking.
After Khantsasar we went to Nigol Tuman’s home museum. Nigol Tuman was a freedom fighter. In his home we saw his guns his clothes and learned about his biography. Then we ate lunch.
The best part was Mamig and Babig. Mamig and Babig was bigger than I thought. It was HUGE!!! The monument symbolized the independence of Artsakh.
Shant Karamousayan
Day 7
Today, we saw the first tank to enter Shushi. The tank was enormous. It was built in 1972. We took the tank from the Azeri Army. We took tons of pictures. Then, we went to plant trees in Berdzor. There were ten 10th graders helping us while we planted the trees. After, we visited the trees that St. Stephen’s students had planted in the previous years.
Finally, we rode on the Longest Areal Tramway in the world. It was 330 meters off the ground. It took 11 minutes to arrive to the Tatev Monastery. The Boghos Bedros church was built in 906. They kept more than 10,000 manuscripts there. The monastery used to be a university that created manuscripts and miniatures. Although it was raining and was very cold, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and took pictures. As soon as we took the tramway back, we had lunch at the Tatever restaurant.
Antranig Atinizian
Day 8
Our first stop today was the Alexander Tamanian Statue. It was a lot bigger than I expected, especially the hands! That was because he drew the outline of Yerevan. I thought that The Alexander Tamanian Statue with the garden and the art museum in the back looked so pretty. I think all the statues in the garden were so artistic and interesting.
The art museum had a lot of abstract sculptures. Like the chandelier that was made of fake little people on each other’s shoulders. We went to the upper part of the art museum using the escalators that were a little steep and fast. When we got to the 4th floor (there are 5 floors) we went down the stairs (outside) back towards the Alexander Tamanian Statue.
We just planted red cedar trees in Broshian. I really enjoyed it, but taking the tree out of the bucket was difficult. But I enjoyed shoveling, and pouring water on my tree. After planting our trees we went to A.T.P. Nursery. First we ate some food. Then we watched some videos about littering and recycling problems in Armenia. Some of the main problems are plastic bag littering and all the animals that get hurt from littering. Finally, we got a tour of their pretty garden. The fun had come to an end and we had to go. We went to dinner at Lahmajun Gaidz. I liked the restaurant itself, and the food was great!
Knar Krafian
Day 9
Today, May 24th, we ventured into the beautiful city of Lori. Our first stop was Letter Park «Տառերու Պուրակ». It is a somewhat big field that has all the letters of the Armenian alphabet. On that field we took pictures with the letter of our names. The letters were made out of a rock called «Տուֆ Քար». This is a very light rock in a reddish brown color. There were also statues of «Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց» the creator of the Armenian alphabet.
As, we drove away from Letter Park we saw a big brown cross that was made out of 1,700 small brown crosses. The next stop was a bakery. The bakery made delicious breads and pastries. My favorite product from the bakery were the cream puffs. They were really good! At the bakery there was a “tonir”. A “tonir” is a big hole in the ground that has a fire and is used to bake bread. There was also a grocery store attached to the bakery, where we bought a couple of things.
After this stop we headed to Haghpat Monastery. It was made in the 10th century that makes it 1,100 years old. It was built by Khosrovanoush queen, for her 2 sons Kourken and Smpad. The Monastery is made out of a gray colored rock and is very old and delicate. Inside the church there were very high ceilings with intricate carvings. There were also many Swallows flying around the ceilings. The Hayrasbed was there so he preformed a blessing for us.
Outside the church, there was a field that looked out onto the mountains. It was a beautiful sight. After we finished touring and taking pictures, we were off to lunch. We ate lunch at the Toufankian Hotel in Lori. It was a delicious meal. When we had finished lunch we went to visit the Hovhaness Tumanian House Museum.
Hovhaness Tumanyan lived in a fairly big house. His dad was the Der Hayr in his village. We toured his house and observed some of the first drafts of his writing. We got to learn about his family and his life. While we were at his house, it started to hail. Most of the hail were the size of golf balls. Because of the storm, the power went out in the building. Luckily, there were flashlights on other peoples devices so we managed to still be able to read and see the exhibits. The hail finally stopped and turned into rain. When we had finished we hopped in the bus to leave. Unfortunately, we didn’t have all the time in the world, so at one time or another we would have to leave Lori, and that time was now. We headed back to Yerevan to enjoy a delicious dinner at Diamond Pizza.
Lori Ganjian
Day 10
To start off the day we visited four famous statues. We saw Vartan Mamigonian’s statue, Antranig Ozanyan’s statue, Sasountsi Tavit’s statue, and Argishti the first’s statue. Vartan Mamigonian was a general in the «Վարդանանց Պատերազմ». In this battle the Armenians were fighting for religion freedom. The artist of this statue was Yervant Kochar. Antranig Ozanyan was a famous freedom fighter. His statue had two big horses next to him. The artist of his statue was Ara Shiraz ( Hovannes Shiraz’s son ). Sasountsi Tavit was an epic hero in Armenian history. He was famous for killing Msrah Melik. The artist of this statue was Yervant Cochar. Argishti the first built the city of Yerevan in 782 bc. Yerevan means victory. The artist of this statue was Levon Tokmajian. The statue was built in 2004.
Next we went to the Erepuni museum. We saw many cool old relics. One of the things we saw were old seeds, and grains that the Armenians used in the old times. Another thing we saw were these cool old Armenian coins. We also saw shields that the people used do decorate the temples. Then we saw an old Armenian khatchcar.
Then we had free time for 3 hours. Most of us shopped at vernisage. Vernisage is about 30 little stands with either pottery, T-shirts, Key chains, glass, khatchcars, jewelry and many other items.
Next we went to an Armenian song and dance ensemble. I was amazed, they had talented dancers, beautiful costumes, and wonderful music! All the dancers were well trained and performed beautiful Armenian dances for us.
Then we went to the restaurant Mezzo. We all dressed really fancy for this restaurant. There was a jazz band there. Then we went and had desert at Jazzve, we had milkshakes, and cakes.
It was a really fun day with lots of adventures.
Isabella Balian
Day 11
This morning, our first visit was the Yeghishe Charents arch. His famous line is «Ով Հայ ժողովուրդ քո միակ փրկութիւնը, քո հաւաքական ուժի մէջ է». He was a very important writer and poet. He was arrested and killed during Stalin era and it is not known where he was berried. Here, we had a beautiful view of Mt. Ararat. It was my favorite view yet!
Our next stop was the monastery of Geghard also known as “Jayrapor” or “Airivank” church, since it is built from natural boulder surrounding the area in the IV century. It is also known that Christ’s spear “Geghard” was kept here for a long time. Which was brought here by St. Thadeous. It is in the Kotayk province.
There is an interesting legend about this monastery. The legend is that one morning, a girl and a boy found a rock and carved part of the church in it. Then, they continued building it with rocks . The legend states that the girl’s hair was very long and strong that she could pull and move the rocks. In the church, there were many carvings. In the center of the dome , there used to be a moving rock which shadowed a diamond shape light. As a result of earthquakes the rock has become stationary and we can not see the diamond anymore. The church has 12 columns. Another cool thing is, that when they were digging and carving, they found a spring. They drank out of it and if they were sick, they got better.
Next, we visited Garni. This was a pagan temple which was built in 100 BC. We also saw the bath house which is next to the temple. It was really cool to see that in the 3rd century, people used steam baths. Today, inside the temple there were four singers. It was so fun to hear them sing in here.
We also went to lake Sevan. We climbed the stairs to get to the churches. It was beautiful to see the lake. In the church, there was a really interesting cross stone. After that, next to the church, is lake Sevan. Some people put there feet in it and some did not. I did not expect lake Sevan to be that big!
After lake Sevan, we went to the English learning center. The kids at the school were fun. We played and learned. The games were really fun. We had a good time and I think they did too.
Garen Sahakian
Day 12
First we visited Grand candy! We ate bonchiks upstairs. A bonchik is fried dough with cream in it, it was very delicious! Then we had to enter the second part of Grand candy, to see all the little candies. While the parents were paying for the little candy, the kids and Digin Ardemis went to see the Madenataran.
The Madenataran has a collection of 19000 books and old manuscripts. The tour guide showed many different books, in many different languages. One of the things we saw was the Tzug. It is the smallest book in the Madenataran. It has 104 pages, it can fit in a matchbox, and is 9 grams. We also saw the «որդան կարմիր». It is red ink from a cochineal. My favorite part of the Madenataran was the statue.
After the Madenataran, we went to the kids museum. The kids museum is a museum with only kids artwork. It was very cool to see kid’s drawings from other countries! The age range was from 3-16. My favorite piece of art was this egg made in 2003, there was a mini background painting of palm trees and a beach.
After lunch we went to Play City, for free time. We did go carts and a 7D movie. Go carts were so fun! You couldn’t even imagine it!! You could go so fast. The 7D movie was awesome too. You sit in a chair and watch a 10 minute mini movie while the chair moves up and down and side to side. Water and mist also sprayed in your face. The movie was basically a video game without you controlling it and with way more fast movement. It was very special to do it in Armenia!
To finish up the day, we went to dinner at Lagonid and celebrated Knar’s 11th birthday.
Isabella Balian
Day 13
The first stop today was “Sardarabad”, we went today because it is May 28. May 28 is a very important day in Armenian history because Armenians fought for freedom against the Turks. Winning at Sardarabad on May 28, 1918 was a big accomplishment for the Armenians. And now, because of the victory at Sardarabad, May 28 is a major Armenian holiday. Our class is very lucky to get to go see Sardarabad on May 28.
After Sardarabad we went on the metro. The metro in Armenia is a lot cleaner and nicer than the ones in Boston and New York. The metro in Armenia has 9 stations, and chandeliers! We are now watching the “Մայիս 28” Celebration of singing and dancing, it is very pretty. We are overlooking the “Հրապարակ”.
We had our last dinner in Armenia at Parvana. We sang, danced and ate. When we got to the hotel we said our last goodbyes to the bus driver and the tour guide. We are really going to miss exploring the amazing and beautiful landscape of Armenia with Nune (tour guide) and Valera (bus driver).
Knar Krafian