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Board exhibition: *MOUNTAIN KARABAKH: endangered Armenian heritage*. It is co-organized by the Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation with the French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient. This exhibition, dedicated to the endangered Armenian cultural heritage in the areas of Nagorno-Karabakh – the historical part of Greater Armenia, has been opened!

Opening of the exhibition at the Priest Jan Twardowski square in Warsaw on October 4, 2024 was performed by HE Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Archbishop-Metropolitan of Warsaw and Ordinary of Armenian Catholics in Poland who was accompanied by the auxiliary bishop, HE prof. Michał Janocha. The exhibition will be presented until October 18, 2024. Special speeches were given among others,by: HE Alexander Arzoumanian – ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Poland, prof. Bishop Michał Janocha – auxiliary bishop of Warsaw, representatives of the French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient in the persons of its president – Mr. Jean-Yves Tolot and Fr. Jean-Marie Humeau – member of the council of the Ordinariate of France, faithful of the Eastern rites, Mikołaj Murkociński, representative of L’Œuvre d’Orient in Poland and Maria Ohanowicz-Tarasiuk – president of the Foundation for the Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians, thanking the representatives of the French organization for making the exhibition available.
Among the distinguished guests were present too: Priest Dr. Janusz Bodzon, Chancellor of the Warsaw Metropolitan Curia, friends and supporters of the Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation. After the opening of the exhibition, the gathered people entered the hospitable threshold of the History Meeting House in Warsaw, where lectures on the history and tragic contemporary fate of Nagorno-Karabakh (Arcakh) were delivered by HE Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, ambassador-nominator of the Republic of Poland in Armenia, and the priest prof. Józef Naumowicz, pastor of Armenian Catholics in Poland. After the Armenian refreshment, the guests from L’Œuvre d’Orient visited the headquarters of the Foundation for the Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians, where they became acquainted with the collections of the Treasury of Polish Armenians.
We would like to express our special thanks to Mr. Mikołaj Murkociński, who came up with the idea of moving this exceptionally beautiful exhibition from Paris, where it was previously presented to Warsaw. He was actively involved as well in its organization here among others by translating the French texts into Polish.
A detailed report on this event will be published in the issue of the Armenian magazine “Awedis”. The exhibition presents historic objects: buildings, churches, monasteries and khachkars. It illustrates the religious and cultural heritage of the Armenian people over almost two millennia, now being destroyed by Azerbaijani aggression.

Photos: Armen Artwich and Władysław Deńca

Dear Readers!
The constant fight for memory and truth became the leitmotif of this issue of “Awedis”. We open it with information about two exhibitions: the exhibition “Christian heritage in the multicultural identity of Azerbaijan” – which distorts history and the present – as Witold Repetowicz writes in our pages – and the exhibition “Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsak) – heritage in danger” showing the ongoing process of erasing Armenian traces). In the face of constant manipulation, the voice of Armenians must be loud on this matter and clearly show where the truth and where is falsehood.
We also need to remember with a loud voice that Armenians fell victim to two genocides: the merciless anti-Armenian campaign in the Ottoman Empire organized 109 years ago and – what is less talked about – the Volhynia-Galician crime planned and carried out by the UPA during World War II. On the following pages, we present reports from the commemoration of the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide taking place at khachkars throughout Poland and a unique ceremony at the cemetery in Oborniki Śląskie, where in one of the graves earth from the grave of two girls – sisters Janina Rozalia and Stanisława Pudło – murder victims was placed. in Kuty in the spring of 1944. It is preceded by shocking testimony from those days.
A difficult history and present, marked by pain and loss, and at the same time so much life in the Armenian community! In our pages, we show the always hospitable Armenian House, where the Year of Arshile Gorky is celebrated on a grand scale – an outstanding, although unfortunately less known in Poland, Armenian painter, whose life was also marked by the dark time of genocide.
Leaving you with this sometimes difficult, but – we hope – interesting reading, we wish you a peaceful holiday time.

To download “Awedis” No. 59 visit www.awedis.ormianie.pl

Editorial staff

Like every Saturday, the Treasury of Polish Armenians opened its doors to visitors, but June 15 was a special day because Mr. Tomasz Kuba Kozłowski from the History Meeting House invited two groups of long-time lovers of historical walks to the headquarters of the Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation – the Warsaw Initiative Kresowa History Meeting House. The main topic of the meeting with history this time were Polish Armenians. The special guest of the meeting at the Armenian Treasury, invited by the Foundation, was the parish priest of the Armenian Northern Parish in Gdańsk, parish priest and guardian of the Sanctuary of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Grace from Stanisławów, Father Cezary Annusewicz. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace from Stanisławów is located in the church of St. Peter and Paul, at the Żabi Kruk ( Frog Kruk) street in Gdańsk. After an extensive introduction by Mr. Kuba Kozłowski, the guests were first shown around the museum exhibition – The Treasury of Polish Armenians. Then in the second room, sitting down, they had the opportunity to listen to the story of Fr. Cezary Annusewicz about the fate of the miraculous painting from Stanisławów and the history of the church at the Frog Kruk. However this was not the end of the attractions, because they also had the opportunity to watch archival short films and photographs from the coronation with papal crowns of this miraculous image, which took place 87 years ago, on May 30, 1937 in Stanisławów. Father C. Annusewicz gave our guests commemorative books and medallions, which, thanks to the efforts of the last parish priest in Stanisławów, the late. priest Kazimierz Filipiak, were saved and after World War II they were brought to the church in Gdańsk. The guests also saw our temporary exhibition “Suitcase of memories – Zachariasz Gregorowicz (1884-1961)”. There was no end to questions about various details. Those interested received maps with a walk along the Armenian trail in the Old and New Town, plans of the Old Powązki Cemetery with Armenian burials marked, and bookmarks with the Armenian alphabet. This Saturday was extremely intense, because the first guests arrived well before… 11:00, and we said goodbye to the last ones at approx. 18:00. I hope that everyone left satisfied and full of impressions, many people promised to pay the visit again with their loved ones.

mot, fot.Monika Agopsowicz; Władysław Deńca

The tenth anniversary issue of “Lehahayer ” the Journal devoted to the history of Polish Armenians” has been published. “Including Year 10, which we are presenting to readers this year, we have published 84 articles and source editions, 17 scientific contributions, 18 reviews and 5 occasional texts by 60 researchers from Poland, Armenia, Ukraine and Belarus – i.e. from modern countries , on the lands where the history of Polish Armenians once took place – as well as from France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Sweden, Belgium and Great Britain” – write in the introduction the creators and editors of this scientific journal – Andrzej A. Zięba and Krzysztof Stopka.
It is thanks to their determination and hard work, with the financial support of the Lanckoroński Foundation and the Faculty of History of the Jagiellonian University as well as cooperation with Księgarnia Akademicka which is a unique magazine that has been published since 2010. It is invaluable for the development of research on the history and culture of Polish Armenians and those associated with Poland.
We wish you further fruitful years in the field of Armenian studies!
The team of the Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation!

Yesterday, on May 21, 2024, the Palace of the Republic of Poland was grandly opened, which has now become the treasury of the National Library presenting its most valuable objects. Among them, one of the most valuable Armenian manuscripts – the Skewra Gospel, called the Lviv Gospel, is the most valuable object in the legacy of Polish Armenians, which consists of resources saved after World War II from Armenian-Catholic parishes from the former Eastern Borderlands. Carefully and prudently hidden throughout the post-war years, it saw the light of day only in safe times, and due to its priceless value, in 2006 it was deposited in the National Library. Earlier, in Poland, it was presented at the “Armenian Exhibition in Lviv” in 1932. So, after almost 100 years, we can admire the original of this work again. Visiting the exhibition where the National Library made available real pearls from its resources, the oldest manuscripts, prints and sheet music – was not an easy matter, because there were proverbial crowds of people willing to do so. A coherent team of the Foundation for the Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians, supported by their closest friends, led by Vahram Mhitaryan, an Armenian director who is currently making a film about the fate of the Gospel Book, went to visit the exhibition at around 11 p.m. We were exceptionally lucky to have a “personal” guide, arranged in advance by Vahram, Dr. Maciej Szablewski, head of the Collections Access Department of the National Library. Our Guide showed us around subsequent rooms of the Palace, telling us about the extraordinary exhibits, and over time, the group of concerned people grew into almost a crowd of people concerned.
The final stage of the tour is an extremely moving room in which, against the background of animations and inscriptions, an urn with what the then employees of the Library found after the Warsaw Uprising is presented – ashes and volumes crumbling to dust – the German invader burned our national heritage!
We finished visiting this exceptionally interesting exhibition at 1:00 a group photo, of course, at the display case with the Skewra Gospels. A truly moving experience!

mot, photo: Mag

The twentieth Night of Museums in Poland and the fifth at the Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation is already behind us. Our Armenian offer turned out to be interesting again and attracted a lot of visitors of all ages. We had something nice for everyone. Starting with one and a half-two hour walks with Warsaw guide Eliza Korzeniewska in the footsteps of Polish Armenians in the Old Town, through a tour of the Treasury of Polish Armenians and the temporary exhibition “Suitcase of memories – Zachariasz Gregorowicz (1884-1961)”, to short films of the POLONIKA Institute about the Armenian cathedral in Lviv – a cartoon for children and a documentary story for adults. We opened the Foundation’s doors at 3 p.m. and until 23 we were constantly giving tours. Each of the seven volunteers had their hands full: Hania, Monika, Marina, Krysia, Danek, Armen and Wojtek. Our little bookstore was open, and those who were thirsty were given water, and everyone received a cookie for making an entry in the commemorative book. We heard that our place was not only interesting, but also nice. And how many interesting people we had apleasure to meet: Armenians, descendants of Polish Armenians, historians, our neighbors from Świętojerska and the surrounding area, people from the borderlands, including those from the West! One of the visitors, Tatevek Shekoyan, spontaneously sang beautiful Armenian songs – Komitas and folk songs – several times.
magician, photo: Marina Khanamiryan, Danek Deńca

May 11, at noon at 12:00, we opened a new, this time temporary exhibition at the headquarters of the Polish Armenian Culture and Heritage Foundation: “Zachariasz Gregorowicz 1884-1961 – Suitcase of memories”. The pretext for organizing this exhibition were the contents of a suitcase that was in the collection of the Gregorowicz family. It was filled with souvenirs, documents, and photographs of Zachariasz – the great-grandfather of Kasia, who became friends with the Foundation last year and is a member of our team. The exhibition was prepared by Hanna Kopczyńska-Kłos in cooperation with Kasia Gregorowicz, the poster is by Zuzanna Kłos, the boards and leaflet are by Maria Ohanowicz-Tarasiuk. A large group of Foundation supporters came to the opening of the exhibition, including: representatives of many Armenian families. People who came to our headquarters for the first time also had the opportunity to see the permanent exhibition “Treasury of Polish Armenians”.
Leaflet
We invite everyone willing to visit two exhibitions, the next opportunity is Saturday’s Night of Museums.
mot, photos Franciszek Wasyl

We met Sister Miriam Isakowicz on January 18, 2024 in Radwanowice at the funeral of Fr. Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, her nephew. Shortly afterwards, five of us visited her in Laski and promised to meet again – with ArmenianHoly Mass for his soul. And so, on a hot Saturday, April 7, Fr. Józef Naumowicz presided over the Holy Mass. in the “home” chapel of Fr. Władysław Korniłowicz (1884-1946), collaborator of Blessed Mother Czacka, co-founder and spiritual director of the Center for the Blind in Laski. The celebrant mentioned the great value of prayers for Fr. Tadeusz and drew attention to the graces that the deceased can ask God for us, for Polish Armenians and for our ritual.
Sister Miriam told us about her life with humor and eloquence at the Retreat House. When asked how she discovered her vocation to serve the blind, she said: – During the first year of my mathematics studies in Krakow, I belonged to the “choir” led by Fr. Karol Wojtyła, we were joined by blind people who sang beautifully: Genia Pęcak and her brother Janek. At one meeting, Fr. Wojtyła decided: “You will be bringing along Genia to the meetings.”

Professor Krzysztof Stopka recollects the Exhibition in Krakow (Cracow)

At the headquarters of the Foundation for the Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians on February 25, 2023, a solemn promotion of the publication “Women with Pastorals. Portraits of the Duchess of the Benedictine Armenian Nuns in Lviv; history, contexts, comments” was held.

We were honored by the presence of many important guests, including Professor Antoni Kamiñski from the Polish Academy of Sciences – Academy of Kresy Heritage, Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak – Director of the National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage abroad “POLONIKA”, Polish ambassadors in Armenia – Marianna and Tomasz Knoths and Jadwiga and Jerzy Nowakowskis, Priest Professor Jozef Naumowicz, PriestPrelate Aleksander Seniuk, representatives of the media, many supporters and friends of the Foundation.

The participants of the meeting

However, the most important guests from Krakow were Professor Krzysztof Stopka, director of the Jagiellonian University museum, Collegium Maius and the authors of the publication Professor Andrzej A. Zięba – director of the Center for Research on the Culture of Polish Armenians, Jolanta Pollesch – Chief Conservator of the Jagiellonian University museum and Jolanta Sławinska, art historian of Krakow’s Collegium Maius. Among the authors was also our friend Monika Agopsowicz. The others – Tomasz Krzyżowski, Marcin Łukasz Majewski and Marek Stasiowski unfortunately could not take part in this meeting.

read more…

The next, 9th issue of the Lehahayer magazine edited by Andrzej A. Zieba has been published.

Marcin Łukasz Majewski opens this issue with an article devoted to the records of the Armenian parish in Zamość. Andrzej A.Zięba writes about the manuscript songbook of the Armenian Benedictine nun Antonina Grzegowiczówna from 1757. Among the published publications, we will find an article devoted to the Benedictine nuns of the Latin and Armenian rites, their mutual relations and coexistence until the time of expatriation from Lviv to the new borders of Poland – written by Urszula Ososko

Tomasz Krzyżowski studied old prints from the collection of Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz, and in the second material he dealt with the topic of plans to create a Slavic-Armenian-Catholic church union in the 1930s.
Ewa Siemieniec-Gołaś explored the scientific achievements of Professor Edward Tryjarski in terms of his research on the Armenian-Kipchak language. Of course, these are not all the materials included in this interesting magazine.