110th Anniversary of the Genocide – Commemorations in Warsaw

110th Anniversary of the Genocide – Commemorations in Warsaw

This year’s 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was commemorated by the Armenian minority community in Warsaw
with the respect due to this anniversary. Events prepared by various minority organizations lasted for three days. The commemorations of the victims of the Genocide of 1915 began with a concert organized on Wednesday, April 23 in the Evangelical-Augsburg Church of the Holy Trinity in Warsaw by the Armenian-Polish Social Committee.

Concert in the Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity in Warsaw

The concert was preceded by speeches by, among others, the representative of the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Poland – Bishop Markos, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Poland HE Alexander Arzoumanian, the President of the Armenian-Polish Social Committee – Hracjia Bojadzhyan, the organizer of the concert. In the concert program the audience heard pieces by Komitas, M. Masztoc, A. Babadżanyan, H.M. Górecki and contemporary Armenian music performed by the Silesian Chamber Orchestra led by Grigor Arakelian, a conductor from Armenia and the choir “Resonans con tutti” from Zabrze prepared by Arlena and Waldemar Gałązka. The concert and especially the wonderful composition by the conductor Grigor Arakelian to the words of Mesrop Masztoc enjoyed particular recognition from the listeners.

Scientific conference at the University of Warsaw

Another day of the anniversary of the events that were so painful for the Armenian nation 110 years ago, April 24, was commemorated with the conference “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day” which was prepared by the Armenian Youth Organization in Poland bringing together young Armenians studying in Warsaw universities. During this conference there were thematic panels organized in which both experts and people deeply involved in commemorating the tragic history were taking part. The speeches were very interesting touching on the subject of Genocide, its perception in the world in the scientific and media space. The fact of the 20th anniversary of the resolution of the Polish Sejm, by which Poland joined the countries recognizing the barbarity of 1915 as genocide was also recalled.

Ecumenical prayer at the Armenian Square

After the conference everyone went to the Armenian Square at Powsińska Street in Warsaw where HE the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Poland, Alexander Arzoumanian took the floor emphasizing the importance of historical memory and dialogue among nations. Then a prayer was said for the victims, led by: the pastor of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Poland, Fr. Minas Hachwerdian and the pastor of the Armenian Catholic Church in Poland, Fr. Professor Józef Naumowicz. In the following part of the ceremony delegations from several institutions, parliamentary groups and social organizations laid wreaths, flowers and lit candles arranged in the shape of a cross.

April 25 is another, already the third day of the celebrations of the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. These celebrations were held under the honorary patronage of the Metropolitan of Warsaw, Archbishop Adrian Galbas, the Ordinary of Catholics of the Armenian rite in Poland. Due to his participation in the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis His Excellency was unable to take part in that day’s events in person.

Discussion panel “Armenian Genocide in the eyes of the world” at the House of the Archbishops of Warsaw

At 4:30 p.m. on Miodowa Street in the seat of the Metropolitan Curia a discussion panel “Armenian Genocide in the eyes of the world” took place referring to the 20th anniversary of the resolution of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland condemning the Genocide prepared by the Association of Armenians in Poland from Gliwice named after Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz . The event was honored by the presence of His Excellency Bishop Rafał Markowski. The panel included Rev. Prof. Józef Naumowicz, former Marshal of the Sejm and co-initiator of the aforementioned resolution of the Sejm – Marek Jurek, scientist and publicist, expert on the Middle East – Dr. Witold Repetowicz and co-founder and former president of the Foundation for the Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians – Jan Abgarowicz. The event was hosted by editor Krzysztof Ziemiec. At the end of the conference, a prayer for the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was led by Rev. Prof. Joseph Naumowicz.

Opening of the exhibition “Armenians – Baku – 1905” in Armenian Lane (Ormiański Zaułek) at Freta street in Warsaw

The next act of the celebrations of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide that day was the opening of the exhibition

“Armenians – Baku – 1905” at 6:30 p.m. prepared by the Foundation for Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians. The events of 1915 were not the beginning of the extermination of the Armenian nation. Tragic acts had been taking place since the end of the 19th century. One of the manifestations of this barbarity was the several-day massacre in 1905 in Baku – carried out by Muslim Caucasian Tatars, later called Azeris, on the Armenian community of the city. A family of Polish Armenians, Stanisław and Zofia Łukasiewicz left the territories of Austria-Hungary at the end of the 19th century and settled in Baku, then the “oil Eldorado”. The several days of riots and the murders of the Armenian population were deeply etched in the memory of this family. After several years when they left Baku they took with them the collected photographs documenting these events. Several years ago, the great-granddaughter of the Łukasiewicz family donated them to the Foundation Archives. Using this gift the Foundation for the Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians prepared an outdoor exhibition on the 120th anniversary of the massacre, “Armenians – Baku – 1905”.

Armenian Catholic Mass in St. Jacek’s Church in Warsaw

The exhibition is on display until May 4 in front of the Dominican Church at 8/10 Freta Street. After the ceremonial opening of the exhibition, we participated in the Armenian Catholic liturgy celebrated by Rev. Prof. Józef Naumowicz. We pray

ed for the

peace of the souls of 1.5 million innocent Armenians murdered in this first genocide of the 20th century. In his homily, the

Armenian Catholic pastor in Poland recalled the historic Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica in 2015 on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and also recalled the figure of Blessed Archbishop Ignacy Maloyan, Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Mardin, a martyr for the faith, the decree on his canonization was one of the last decisions of Pope Francis. The priest also recalled the canonization of all the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide by the sister Armenian Apostolic Church.

After the Holy Mass, the next event of the day was an Armenian music concert prepared by the NUR Cultural Initiatives Institute Foundation. The performers were three Armenian artists – a special guest from Armenia, the wonderful singer Mrs. Hasmik Baghdasaryan-Dolukhanyan (soprano), who as well enriched the liturgy with her wonderful singing, Nelli Martirosyan playing the duduk, and violinist Kristine Harutyunyan.