194 years ago, on August 17, the battle of Oshakan took place between the army of Abbas Mirza, the heir to the Persian throne, and a Russian detachment led by General Afanas Krasovsky, which was rushing to help Ejmiatsin Monastery attacked and besieged by Persian forces. The victorious outcome of the battle was in general important for the preservation of Ejmiatsin and our spiritual values, but it was also crucial for the outcome of the Russian-Persian war.
On August 17, a solemn event and a wreath-laying ceremony were held at the memorial devoted to the memory of the Russian soldiers and Armenian volunteers killed in the battle.
Alexey Sinegubov, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Federation in Armenia, Deputy Minister of Education, Science Culture and Sport Arthur Martirosyan, Deputy Governor of Armavir Argishti Mekhakyan, Mayor of Ejmiatsin Diana Gasparyan, employees of Ejmiatsin Municipality, the military, the representatives of the Russian community in Armenia and others were present at the event.
In her speech, Mayor of Ejmiatsin Diana Gasparyan quoted the words of Nerses Ashtaraketsi, noting: "Several Russian brothers reached us through an army of 30,000 enemies. They gained immortal glory for themselves, and the name of General Krasovsky will forever remain in the chronology of Ejmiatsin".
She also added that Armenia and Russia have been connected by close ties of friendship, neighborliness and mutual support since time immemorial. The cooperation and strategic partnership of our countries based on good traditions is developing dynamically today, and we are sure that this friendship, tested over time, will continue to develop in the future.
Alexey Sinegubov, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Federation in Armenia, emphasized that on this day in 1827, the Armenian-Russian detachment under the command of brave General Afanas Krasovsky, despite the fact that the enemy exceeded them tenfold, broke the blockade of the Persian army and forced the enemy to lift the siege of Ejmiatsin monastery.
The key act of the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 once again demonstrated the ability of the two peoples to withstand external threats and the heroism of sacrificing their own lives for the common good.
In his speech, Deputy Governor of Armavir Argishti Mekhakyan emphasized that the Armenian-Russian fraternal alliance was once again strengthened at the Battle of Oshakan, which turned the wheel of history in another direction, and 194 years later the Armenian people remember with gratitude the heroism of Russian soldiers on the Armenian land and bow to their memory.
The event ended with a requiem service performed by the clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic and the Russian Orthodox Churches.

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