On October 8, Ejmiatsin celebrated its 2709th anniversary of establishment. A variety
of events were planned for the festive day. The day began with a flower-laying
ceremony to honor the memory of our heroic sons.
The official part of the day featured a ceremonial session of the community council and
an awards ceremony for our athletes. During the council session, a decision was made
to establish the form and procedure for awarding the "Community Mayor's Medal" in
Vagharshapat.
Following the session, a ceremony took place to recognize the athletes and coaches of
our community who achieved the best results in international and national competitions
over the past year. At the end of the ceremony, King Vagharsh led the guests to the
"Village-City," where they had the opportunity to experience the traditional way of life of
the ancient Armenians.
In the Armenian-themed pavilions of the "Village-City," the works of our community's
talented entrepreneurs were displayed, including a section featuring daily life artifacts,
carpets, and images from Old Ejmiatsin.
One of the best traditions of our city's anniversary celebrations, the grand festive

parade, involved hundreds of representatives from the core organizations of our
community.
This time, the public schools showcased the royal families of Armenia.
The grand finale of the procession involved a collective dance performance by the
dance groups of our community.
The parade concluded at Komitas Square with a ceremony for the "Community Mayor's
Medal" awards. The day's events began with the presentation of the newly established
medal, approved by the city council, which was first awarded to dance instructor Anahit
Sargsyan, "Aria" vocal studio director Anahit Koshkaryan, sculptor Sevak Nalbandyan,
head of the "Arm fighting Ejmiatsin" sports club Andranik Karapetyan, president of the
NGO for the development and preservation of Armenian culinary traditions Sedrak
Mamulyan, and singer Saro Tovmasyan.
The second Khufta Festival took place. It has the goal of preserving, developing, and
promoting the best traditions of our national cuisine, as well as supporting tourism
development. This year, the festival featured 17 participants, including restaurants,
NGOs, and public catering establishments.
Three awards were presented in the categories of "Best Presentation," "Best Concept,"
and "Best Taste," with the winners being "H Hotel & Restaurant," "Phlox," and "Nor
Dvin" restaurants.
The main prize was awarded to "Gastro Plaza."
In addition to the winners, all participants and jury members were presented with
certificates of appreciation.
The creative competition organized by the town hall was also concluded, and the
winners were awarded special prizes.
The festival was accompanied by a concert from the "Menk Project" group and
performances by our community's dance ensembles. The day ended with a grand
concert by Saro Tovmasyan and the Karen-Sevak Band, which was the singer's gift to
mark the 2709th anniversary of our Ejmiatsin.