Day: January 2, 2024

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—Breaking with a decades-long tradition, Armenia’s state television did not broadcast a New Year’s Eve address by Catholicos Karekin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church increasingly at loggerheads with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The annual addresses by Karekin II and his two predecessors, followed by similar speeches delivered by the incumbent president or prime minister of the republic, had been aired shortly before midnight on December 31 ever since 1990.

“This year, at the last minute, the Public Television Company informed, without any reason, that His Holiness’ New Year’s message will not be broadcast before midnight, as was traditionally customary,” the church’s Echmiadzin-based Mother See said late on Sunday. It said it rejected the state-controlled broadcaster’s offer to air the message during an earlier news program.

Public Television did not issue any statements on the matter as of Tuesday evening. Its executive director and spokesperson did not answer phone calls and written questions from RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

The apparent snub drew strong condemnation from some senior clergymen as well as many opposition and public figures. They accused Pashinyan of ordering the country’s leading TV channel run by his loyalists not to air Karekin II’s speech right before his televised remarks.

The Armenian government did not react to those claims. Its press office also could not be reached for comment.

Pashinyan’s relationship with the ancient church, to which the vast majority of Armenians belong, has increasingly deteriorated in recent years and especially since the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Karekin II and other senior clergymen joined the Armenian opposition in calling for Pashinyan’s resignation following Armenia’s defeat in the six-week war.

Pashinyan and other senior Armenian officials have boycotted Christmas and Easter liturgies led by Karekin II for the past three years. In May 2023, the premier accused the church of meddling in politics, prompting a scathing response from Karekin II’s office.

Tensions between the government and the church rose further in early October when Karekin II blamed Pashinyan for Azerbaijan’s recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh and the resulting mass exodus of the region’s ethnic Armenian population. The church repeatedly condemned Pashinyan for recognizing Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh before Baku’s September 19-20 military offensive.

The Catholicos spoke of a “relentless pain of immense losses in our hearts” and referred to “the occupation and depopulation of Artsakh” at the start of his New Year message aired by other TV stations.

“Let us surround our sisters and brothers forcibly displaced from Artsakh with caring love; let us increase hope in them so that the vision of returning to native Artsakh never fades and faith in God remains strong,” he said.

Karekin II also made a point of inviting group of Karabakh Armenian refugees to his New Year’s Eve dinner with Echmiadzin priests.

By contrast, Pashinyan made no direct mention of the loss of Karabakh in his address to the nation. Instead, he pointed to Armenia’s continuing robust economic growth and praised his government’s response to the influx of more than 100,000 Karabakh refugees. He also said his top priorities now are to pursue “the state interest of the Republic of Armenia” and “find formulas for the normalization and deepening of relations with our neighbors in our region.”

Members of the American Armenian Rose Float Association and performers from Lilia Margaryan Dance Studio pictured with the “Armenian Melodies” float

The American Armenian Rose Float Association’s 2024 float entry, “Armenian Melodies,” won the “Grand Marshal” award for Most Outstanding Creative Concept and Float Design at the 135^th Tournament of Roses.

This year marked the 6^th anniversary of the American Armenian Rose Float Association’s participation in the iconic parade.

Inspired by the strength of Armenian matriarchs throughout history, “Armenian Melodies” featured dynamic Armenian mother and daughter figures dressed in vibrant, traditional garb —“taraz” — surrounded by important symbols within Armenian heritage and culture. Tying in perfectly with the 135th Tournament of Roses theme of “Celebrating a World of Music,” “Armenian Melodies” showcased several musical instruments endemic to Armenia.

The “Armenian Melodies” float captured the heroism of Armenian mothers as exemplars of determination, resilience and fortitude in the face of centuries of upheaval. The float was a reminder that, through their steadfast support, Armenian mothers inspire their families and communities to persevere, even through turbulent times.

The float featured Armenian birds that are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands, including the crane, chukar and little ringed plover. Traditional wind and percussion instruments native to Armenia were also on display. Instruments included on the float were: the duduk, shvi, blul, parkapzuk, as well as the dhol and nagara.

Other objects symbolic to Armenian culture, made entirely of flowers, were also on display on the “Armenian Melodies” float, including the AARFA’s tricolor logo, pomegranates, apricots, and an “arevakhatch” or sun cross, which symbolizes eternal life.

Lilia Margaryan Dance Studio, based in Glendale, also took part n the 135^th Tournament of Roses. A total of 10 students performed alongside the American Armenian float throughout the parade’s 6.5-mile route.

AARFA is a nonprofit organization for the sole purpose of presenting the American Armenian community’s achievements to the world. Help AARFA continue this tradition by donating online.