The National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy elected the new Executive and Religious Council, in its first meeting of this kind convened entirely on a virtual platform by videoconference. Following an opening prayer by His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian, the Prelate invited Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian of St. Sarkis, Douglaston, NY, to first say a prayer in memory of the lives lost 19 years ago on September 11, 2001.

With 70 out of 76 eligible delegates in attendance, a quorum was achieved. Simone Topouzian, Chairperson, called the meeting to order, with delegates credentials, the

Executive Council’s report, the Financial Report and the budget draft approved by the Assembly with no objections. Janet Haroian served as secretary. The reports and the draft had been previously circulated and questions from the delegates answered by the Executive Council in due time.

Archbishop Anoushavan then introduced the virtual assembly to the message of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I streamed live from Antelias. “In spite of tremendous difficulties of different nature and scope, the Prelacy, under the leadership of Surpazan, with religious and lay councils thanks to God, they have made significant achievements,” Aram I said. “They all deserve—in fact, you—my warm thanks and deep appreciation.”

We are living, His Holiness said, “in unusual times… humanity is still under the constant and fearful threat of the coronavirus pandemic, and it seems that the challenges, concerns, problems generated by this pandemic will be around us for the foreseeable future.” Hence, he urged the faithful “to be realistic in planning and organizing the activities and the agenda priorities of the Prelacy as well as of our parishes.”

In his address to the Assembly, the Catholicos mentioned his directive encouraging parishes to entrust women and youth with leadership positions in our churches and communities. He also expressed his happiness over the theme of “learning and growing together,” as learning is an endless process in the life of a person, organization and community. We should all become a source of learning including learning from the pandemic, he said.

In his closing remarks, the Catholicos called on strengthening our national unity.

“We need to deepen the sense of togetherness: we are one nation, we are one people, we are one community, we are one Church,” Aram I said. “That sense of togetherness brings us together: we need to strengthen this bond.”

Upon the request of Mrs. Topouzian, Rev. Fr. Hrant Kevorkian of St. Sarkis, Dearborn, Mi., reviewed the voting procedures and conducted a “test” vote on behalf of the Nominating Committee. As the test run was being conducted, Mrs. Topouzian invited Anoushavan Surpazan to deliver his message to the Assembly (see the full text below).

In his address to the delegates, His Eminence outlined the challenges the Prelacy had faced in this unprecedented year and how it had responded to them.

“At first, when the lockdown was imposed, many people were frightened and others were uncertain,” Archbishop Anoushavan said. “Yet we managed to learn a new way to thrive.”

He acknowledged the toll the Covid-19 pandemic had taken and that the difficulties are not over yet.

“There is no doubt that we have paid a high price in the loss of precious lives and the downturn of the economy,” he said, adding that “there is a long way to go before the journey is finished.”

Still, “the fact that we were challenged but not defeated is the solid reality that the loss was not in vain but laid the foundation of a new era.”

The Prelate then summed up his thoughts in three major concepts:

Divine Guidance: Thank God that even though we were deprived of the opportunity to celebrate together Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter, and all the following feasts together, God continues to lead us by hope in the resurrection “to discover a new dimension of the power of faith over fear and in the face of uncertainty.”

Collaboration: “It is often the case that disasters, rather than prosperity, will bring people closer to one another,” His Eminence said. “The pandemic was not an exception to this phenomenon… collaboration stands as one of the major keys for our common success,” he said, highlighting the heroic sacrifices of the medical community, officials, and the public during the pandemic.

Innovation: This concept, which has a become a byword for our experience in the era of the pandemic, “Necessity is the mother of invention” has become the byword in our experience in the era of the pandemic. “innovation has become the driving force for plans and activities throughout the Prelacy.”

To finalize, His Eminence invoked “the magnificent Badarak chant, ‘Heavenly King, keep unshaken our Church and keep in peace the worshipers of your holy name.’ God works in mysterious ways through each of us and for each of us. May God bless and protect from visible and invisible viruses, enemies, and powers. May He keep the world, Christendom, the Armenian Apostolic Church, unshaken, and the worshipers of His Holy Name in peace.”

After the voting for Executive and Religious Councils was finished and the minutes were ratified, following one minor correction, Chairwoman Topouzian invited the Prelate to offer his closing remarks. After thanking the delegates for their participation in a historic session of the Assembly, Archbishop Anoushavan again urged everybody to have “faith over fear,” with the certainty that we will emerge stronger from the pandemic.

Crossroads will report on the result of the Executive and Religious Council elections following ratification by Catholicos Aram I.

As the meeting came to a close, the drawing of the annual Prelacy raffle was livestreamed via Facebook Live from St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York. Melissa Simonian, of N. Providence, RI, won the fifth prize; the fourth went to Bearge Deirmenjian Miller, of West Chester, PA; Vache Assadourian, of Fairview, NJ, took the third prize, and Edward Barsamian, of Woodside, NY, won the second. Edward Asadorian, of Granite City, IL, won the top prize of $5,000.

Had I delivered my opening message to the National Representative Assembly with this theme, “Learning and Growing”, as originally scheduled for May 14 in Philadelphia, the content of my remarks would have been markedly different. The ensuing pandemic, which totally changed and threatened the course of our normal life, became a test of learning and growth by mobilizing our inner and dormant abilities to overcome it. As St. Paul eloquently states: “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us” (Rom 5.4).

At first, when the lockdown was imposed, many people were frightened, and others were uncertain about how to meet the challenge of spending a full week in isolation. As the gravity of the situation unfolded, the impossibility became a reality of month after month of personal and community isolation. We thought that the entire system of our functionality would be paralyzed and could collapse, and yet we managed to learn a new way to thrive. There is no doubt that we have paid a high price in the loss of precious lives and in the downturn across the economy, and still there is a long way to go before this journey is finished. Nevertheless, the fact that we were challenged but not defeated is the solid reality that the losses were not in vain but laid the foundation for a new era.

With this understanding. I would like to share a few thoughts, which I have discerned from this pandemic. Humbly, I must confess that my intellectual and spiritual growth over the past six months, when compared with my six decades of life experience, is quite remarkable. Taking into consideration the time limit of our august Assembly, I would like to condense my thoughts with the following initials: DCI, which stand for Divine Guidance; Collaboration, and Innovation.

Divine Guidance: In retrospect, by recollecting our first experiences starting in March as we faced the global threat of this microscopic virus and on a daily basis as we were overwhelmed with often contradictory information, we witnessed the transformation of our most advanced healthcare systems and technology. Moreover, we were cautioned that everyone should consider themselves potential carriers of the virus; indeed, the gravity of our entire knowledge, and our very existence and beliefs were shaken. Within the atmosphere of this unprecedented uncertainty, we were more frightened than the first man, Adam, when he was watching the sunset and amid darkness was not sure what was going to follow. Thank God for His Providential care that eventually the sunrise prevailed and with tiny yet solid steps we were able to move forward. Thank God that, even though we were deprived of celebrating together Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter, and all the following feasts together, nevertheless, He continues to lead us by hope in the Resurrection to discover a new dimension of the power of Faith over fear and in the face of uncertainty. I thank the Lord also for directing and enabling me, within the health agencies’ protocols, to travel by land and to personally visit our parishes to convey to them the message that the social distancing imposed by the coronavirus could never distance the Prelacy from our beloved communities, and to assure all of our faithful that together we would overcome the pandemic with the Prelacy’s Prescription: Prayer, Prudence and Patience.

Collaboration: It is often the case that disasters, rather than prosperity, will bring people closer to one another. The pandemic was not an exception to this phenomenon. In general, when we observe the gradual advance from the pandemic turmoil to a life that is returning to normal, collaboration stands as one of the major keys for our common success. The heroic sacrifice of the physicians, nurses, and medical staff who were and are on the front line of this invisible war; the public servants who provide our necessities and comforts; the officials in the many governmental agencies who are dedicated to supporting the scientists as they search for the cure for this virus; and the cooperation of the citizens in following the instructions; definitely, each and all have contributed an essential ingredient to success.

Likewise, during this pandemic the principle of collaboration in our Prelacy was more evident than at any other time. His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, after consulting with His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, instructed us temporarily to take unprecedented steps to revise our liturgical and sacramental life. Since the beginning of the lockdown, every Monday evening the Prelacy has scheduled a two-hour conference call with all of our pastors, updating our experiences throughout a poignant journey and always exploring new ways and means to secure both the spirit of our Church’s mission and the overall wellbeing of our congregations. On a regular basis we have been in communication with H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy, and H.E. Archbishop Papken Tcharian, Prelate of Canada; also with His Grace Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, and His Excellency Varujhan Nersissian, Ambassador of Armenia to the United States, sharing our common concerns and solutions during this time. Prelacy Executive Council meetings as well as Prelacy Staff meetings have been held on a regular basis, securing a comparatively smooth transition. Our Pastors, in conjunction with local sister organizations, have been able to reach out those who were in need, most especially to our seniors who are living on their own.

With the cooperation of our Pastors and Boards of Trustees we were able to maintain the stability of respective communities as we paved the way toward a gradual reopening of our churches. With our schools’ Principals we have been able to provide the essentials of our Armenian culture to our youngest generation. With the help of our domestic media, and media abroad, we have been able to communicate timely advice and to promote a positive spirit in confronting the pandemic. Yes, all these and more are part and parcel of a miraculous word, collaboration, which has become more dynamic nationwide, especially as we have been most recently challenged by the catastrophic explosion that took place on August 4th in Beirut, Lebanon. Armenians dispersed all over the world have stood together and expressed their solidarity spiritually, morally and financially. I am pleased to inform you that, with the spontaneous collaboration of our parishioners and friends, as of today we have raised a total of $316,984 [Editor’s note: as of September 12, 2020] to reach out to our brothers and sisters to provide relief and aid in the process of healing. Our contribution is transferred via the Catholicosate to the Lebanon Central Coordinating Committee headed by Archbishop Shahe Panossian, Prelate. We pray that in due time, with God’s blessing and our collaboration, the scars will begin to disappear and the country of the cedars will celebrate renewed peace and life and bring their positive input for the progress of the global family.

Innovation: The saying “necessity is the mother of invention” has become the byword in our pandemic experience. As with other institutions, innovation has become the driving force to update plans, programs, and activities throughout the Prelacy. The Prelacy, with all her churches and parish organizations, within a short period of time, has striven to cope with this unprecedented situation and to respond efficiently to the needs of our people. Our Pastors, to their credit, provide daily reflections along with live streaming every Sunday of the services and the Badaraks as well as the lighting of candles or offering special prayers for the deceased or the sick. Bible Studies, lectures, reading of Bible stories as well as passages from Armenian literature for children, the Siamanto Academy and Datev Institutes’ online courses for teens —all these programs, and more, have been reorganized within new parameters to meet the needs of our people. If I were asked in the beginning of this year to describe the word “zoom,” following the dictionary definition, I would have answered “to focus on a subject to examine more closely”. Since last March, however, Zoom has become the best means for our meetings with the Executive Council, clergy, staff, board members, principals, and today with our NRA delegates.

Having been forged within the positive outcome of the pandemic, we look forward with a more positive spirit and a clearer view. During the second year of my tenure, soon we will enjoy the ordination to the priesthood of a new candidate born and raised in America. Our Departments of Christian Education, National Education, and Communication have launched new projects, and with innovative collaboration will elevate the spiritual, academic, and technological objectives in our various communities. We pray and hope that God will enable us to implement the many new projects that have been planned for the coming year.

In concluding my remarks, I would like to thank the Almighty Lord for His Providential care in leading us to learn and to grow, not only in times of peace and prosperity, but also in times of tribulation and uncertainty. I extend my filial gratitude to His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, who directed us in this difficult period of turmoil. My deepest thanks and appreciation to my colleagues: to the Religious and Executive Council members for their unconditional collaboration; to the Prelacy staff for their superb dedication; to our Pastors who wholeheartedly carry the heavy yoke under the dispensation of God’s commandment of love and service; to the NRA members and boards of trustees who vigilantly continue their care over their respective churches and maintain the integrity of our communities; to our sister organizations for their support toward our common goal. I would like also to thank our parishioners and friends by making the following confession: during the pandemic, once every week when I used to visit the Prelacy to collect the mail, I was deeply moved to receive the appreciated envelopes of support sent by our trustees as well by our beloved parishioners and dear friends. I always stopped to read their names, one by one, and the clear voice of Catholicos Khoren I, of blessed memory, clearly echoed in my ears, “Son, in the coming years of service, through your experience, you will realize that you are serving a gold-hearted people,” and raising my tearful eyes to heaven, offered the genuine prayer which poured from my heart and faith with the magnificent words of our Badarak’s chant: "Թագաւոր երկնաւոր զեկեղեցի քո անշարժ պահեա, եւ զերկրպագուս անուանդ քում պահեա ի խաղաղութեան; Heavenly King keep unshaken your Church, and keep in peace the worshipers of Your holy name.” It is true that God works in mysterious ways through each of us and for each of us.

May God protect the world from visible and invisible viruses, enemies, and powers. May He keep Christendom and the Armenian Apostolic Church unshaken, and the worshipers of His Holy Name in peace.

In light of this positive transformation of my friend, I came to have a deeper understanding of St. Paul. In his letter addressed to the Corinthians, the Apostle says, “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again” (2 Cor 1.8-10).

I wish I could say few more things about hope, but because our video director Greg Dosttur is signaling not to exceed five minutes, I positively yield to his command and say that I am glad that, as of today, our fundraising has surpassed $300,000. To be exact, $324,931. Today we have made the sixth transfer of $50,000, which is the maximum amount according to banking regulations. The transferred sum is distributed by the Lebanon Central Coordinating Committee to our brothers and sisters.

To see the sixth list of donations, click here

To see the general list of donations, click here

As Armenia prepares to celebrate its 29th anniversary, it is worth to look back to assess the significance of this date. For a country that emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the collapse of an economy and polity that had been coercively integrated for more than seven decades, this is no small feat.

For as Armenia was moving towards its independence, it was hit by a catastrophic earthquake; Azerbaijan was showing its true, Turkish colors, and conducting itself accordingly, with massacres of Armenians, notably the pogroms of Sumgait and Baku.

Yet in these 29 years, the longest continuous stretch of independence in six centuries, democracy in Armenia—flawed as it may have been at times—remained unquestioned. Changes in the government, not always without drama, were mostly peaceful and bloodless; last time around, the Velvet Revolution, it was a popular feast, that showed Armenia at its best in the civilized behavior of all political actors involved and the citizenship.

In hindsight, too, we may realize that we could not take Karabagh’s liberation for granted. Yet, today Artsakh is again Armenian, as it has always been, and accountable to no one but its citizens and the Armenian nation.

Despite all the challenges of a still small economy, emigration, and now Covid-19, Armenia is a thriving country, in an understated way. The World Bank notes that the government of Armenia “continues to enjoy strong public support” as it pursues an ambitious agenda of political, economic and judicial transformation.

“On the foreign policy front, Armenia has strengthened its ties with the European Union while maintaining a strong partnership with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union,” the World Bank says.

And for a country faced with so many geopolitical and geographical constraints, its economy is healthy. Real GDP growth was of 7.5 percent in 2017 and 5.2 percent in 2018, with still strong performance in 2019, when the economy expanded by 7.6 percent.

This, obviously, has come at a price, most dearly paid by young Armenian soldiers and the families they leave behind when they fall in the line of the duty. For the biggest catastrophe Armenia still faces is the uncivilized neighbors that flank it—Turkey and its little cousin, Azerbaijan, which keep embarrassing themselves and each other with their thuggish rulers that suffer from Ottoman megalomania and related delusions.

Armenia will carry on, regardless of all the challenges that still stand in our way and the new ones that will arise, for our nation is timeless, for our still young third republic is just turning 29, but our nation is timeless.

Today [Sunday, September 13] according to the Armenian Church Calendar, we are celebrating the Elevation of the Holy Cross, based on a historical event that took place in the 7^th century. The Cross, which was discovered in the 4^th century by the gracious zeal of Queen Helen, was preserved in Jerusalem. It was the symbol of Christian faith. In 614 A.D., the Persians, having invaded Jerusalem, took it with them captive to assure the superiority of their faith over Christianity. Emperor Heraclius fought back and, using a military superb tactic, defeated the Persian army and liberated the Cross. Since then, the feast of the Elevation of the Cross has become the biggest feast of the four dedicated to the Holy Cross.

That is why the celebration of the Holy Cross invites us to a supreme consciousness and responsibility. After knowing that we have such a loving and caring heavenly Father, let us bring our share in edifying this sacred Creation. God doesn’t expect us to carry a burden more than we can do. He doesn’t expect us to carry the burden of the universe or, like Atlas, the celestial heavens forever. What He expects from us is to be who we are as children of God, by reflecting His light in darkened hearts, bringing hope to those who are hopeless and causing a smile amid tearful eyes. By doing all these and other positive things and living a virtuous life, there is no doubt that we will not only carry the sacred name of Christian, but also joyfully the sacred Cross, which, in the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “is easy, and light” (Mt 11:30) to all those who trust Him and follow in His footsteps.

Bible readings for Sunday, September 20, Second Sunday of the Exaltation (Eve of the Fast of the Holy Cross of Varak), are: Isaiah 14:3-17; 2 Corinthians 10:18-11:10; Mark 10:1-12.

For a listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here.

This Sunday, September 20, is the Paregentan (Eve) of the Fast of the Holy Cross of Varak. Monday to Friday are fasting days leading up to next Sunday, September 27, when the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak will be commemorated.

Next Tuesday, September 22, the Armenian Church remembers Febronia, Mariana, and Shoushan. The best known of the three is Shoushan, daughter of Vartan Mamigonian and great-granddaughter of Sahag Bartev. She was educated under the tutelage of St. Sahag and her mother, Sahaganoosh. Her father’s life and martyrdom influenced her to become a devout and faithful Christian. Her birth name was Varteny, but she was called Shoushan because of her extraordinary piety. She was married to Vazken, a son of a Georgian king, and had three sons and a daughter. After the death of her father-in-law, her husband became power hungry, went to Persia, renounced the Christian faith and returned to Georgia with another wife, and tried to force Shoushan to renounce her Christian faith. Even after years of imprisonment and torture she refused to renounce the faith for which her father had fought so valiantly.

Febronia was a nun of extraordinary beauty at Nisibis in Mesopotamia. She was offered to be spared from persecution and torture if she renounced her religion. She refused and was brutally martyred.

Although the daughter of idol worshippers, Mariana was raised by a woman who was secretly a Christian and was baptized at the age of twelve. At the age of fifteen she confessed to her father that she was a Christian. She refused to renounce her religion, and refused the offer of marriage by a local official telling him that she was “married to Christ.” She was tortured and martyred.

Also commemorated this week:

Monday, September 21, Sts. Mamas, Philictimon and St. Simeon Stylites the Elder

The Parishes of the Prelacy celebrated Khachverats, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross last Sunday.

Divine Liturgy at St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York was followed by the ceremony of Antasdan (blessing of the four corners of the world) and the blessing of basil and the madagh that was dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the heroic battle of Mousa Dagh.

A scene from the feast at Soorp Khatch Church of Bethesda, Maryland.

Khachverats at St. Hagop Armenian Church of Racine, Wisconsin, with the traditional blessing of basil.

All Saints Armenian Church of Glenview, IL celebrating the Feast of the Exaltation.

This year, for the first time, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, of Philadelphia, added the traditional madagh to the feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross in memory of the victims of the devastating blast in the capital of Lebanon, Beirut. Among the casualties there were 15 Armenians. Madagh was sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Noubar and Ani Megerian, and was prepared and donated by Mr. and Mrs. Tony and Lena Streeter. The blessing of the madagh was held outdoors to let parishioners who could not enter the church for health restrictions take part in the ceremony. After the blessing, those parishioners received madagh and basil (rehan) on the curbside from the hand of Archpriest Fr. Nerses Manoogian.

The blessing of basil ceremony at St. Stephen’s Church of Watertown, MA.

A scene from the celebration at Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church of Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

The community of St. Gregory Church of Springfield, Massachusetts, got together for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

*In order to protect the privacy of the children we use only their first names.

Click here for online sponsorship of minors up to the age of 18.

Click here for online sponsorship of orphans who become students at a higher education institution upon turning 18.

You can always contact the Prelacy by email (sophie@armenianprelacy.org) or telephone (212-689-7810) for the sponsorship of both minors and university students in the program of the St. Nerses the Great Organization in Armenia.

This book is the English-language edition of the memoirs of Zaven Der Yeghiayan, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople during the First World War (1913-1922) and in its aftermath. The memoirs cover the momentous years from his election in 1913 to his withdrawal in 1922, a traumatic period for the Armenian nation marked by the rule of the Young Turks and their criminal legacy of genocide. Patriarch Zaven’s recounting of his agonizing conversations with Talaat Pasha and other Young Turk leaders, his appeals to European and Church leaders, his encounters and disappointments with Armenian figures, and his critical observations and pointed anecdotes provide glimpses of the mentality of the times.

Marshal Hovhannes Bagramian (Baghramian) was a famous Soviet military commander during World War II, when he became the second non-Slavic military officer, after Latvian Max Reyter, to become the commander of a Front. He was among several Armenians high-ranking officers in the Soviet Army during the war and widely regarded as a hero in the Soviet Union and Armenia.

He was born in Elizavetpol, the historical Armenian city of Gandzak (modern Ganja, now in Azerbaijan) on December 2, 1897. His parents were from the nearby village of Chartakhlu, which was populated almost entirely by migrants from the village of Maghavuz in Gharabagh. His parents could not afford to send him to the local gymnasium and enrolled him in a two-year school. After graduation in 1912, Bagramian went to the three-year railway technical institute in Tiflis, following his father in the tradition of rail work. He was slated to become a railway engineer, when World War I changed his life.

He entered the Russian Army as a volunteer and joined in 1915 the second Caucasus frontier regiment of the Russian Expeditionary Corps, which was sent to expel the Ottomans from Persia. After the Russian victory, Bagramian returned to Tiflis and attended the military academy for officers from February to June 1917. After the October Revolution, he enlisted in the newly formed Armenian army and fought the Ottoman army in Sarikamish and Kars in April 1918. He took part in the crucial victory at Sardarabad and remained in the regiment until May 1920, when he participated in the failed Bolshevik uprising. He was jailed and sent to work in the fields for several months but was allowed to rejoin the military with the outbreak of the Turkish-Armenian war. After the Sovietization, Bagramian joined the 11^th Red Army, where he was appointed cavalry regiment commander. In 1922, he married his wife Tamara, who was the widow of an officer killed during the Turkish-Armenian war left with their one-year-old son. They would have a daughter and live together until her death in 1973.

He was the commander of the Alexandropol cavalry regiment from 1923-1931. He graduated from the Leningrad Cavalry School in 1933 and the Frunze Military Academy in 1934, and then served as chief of staff of the 5^th Cavalry Division (1934-1936) and worked as a senior instructor and lecturer at the Military Academy of the Soviet General Staff in 1938-1940. In 1940, Bagramian, then a colonel, became head of operations for the 12^th Army based in Ukraine. Within three months, he was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Southwestern Front, headquartered in Kiev.

In a move atypical for a Soviet officer, he joined the Communist Party late in his career, in 1941. After Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Bagramian took part in the great tank battles in western Ukraine and the defensive operation around Kiev. He was then appointed chief of staff to Marshal Semyon Timoshenko and was instrumental in the planning of two Soviet counteroffensives against the Germans, including the major push made by Soviet forces in December during the Battle of Moscow, and for this was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.

In late 1942, he was appointed commander of the 16^th Army, which was not called up to action until February 1943. Bagramian’s 11^th Guards Army (the renamed 16^th Army) was tasked to take part in the offensive in Kursk in July 1943. After the operation was successfully concluded, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel-General. In the following month, his forces took part in the large-scale tank offensives that forced Germany to remain on the defensive for the remainder of the war.

In November 1943, Stalin offered Bagramian the position of head commander of the First Baltic Front and promoted him to the rank of Army General. He had a key role in Operation Bagration, which was launched in June 1944 to eliminate a pocket of four armies of Panzer tanks. He was decorated with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his achievements in the success of the operation. As commander of the Baltic Front, he participated in the offensives that pushed German forces out of the Baltic republics in July-August 1944.

After the war, he remained in command of the Baltic Military District. In 1955 he was appointed deputy minister of Defense with the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. He was also head of the Military Academy of General Staff and commander of the reserve forces of the Soviet Armed Forces.

He served as deputy of the Supreme Soviets of Armenia (1955-1982) and Latvia. In 1961, he was inducted as a full member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. He wrote articles in military journals about Soviet strategic operations and, most notably, co-authored the six-volume work The Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). In August 1967, he accompanied General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev and Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin to North Vietnam, where he helped negotiate the transfer of logistics and arms to the country during the Vietnam War.

Bagramian retired in 1968 and published his two-volume war memoirs in 1971 and 1977. Based on these two volumes, he published My Memoirs in 1980, based on the previous two volumes. He dedicated a large portion of the book to Armenian issues, including the territories of Western Armenia, the Ottoman massacres of Armenians and the Armenian genocide, the Ottoman invasion of Eastern Armenia and the battle of Sardarabad, as well as other topics.

Marshal Bagramian was awarded numerous Soviet and foreign orders and medals for his service, including two Orders of Hero of the Soviet Union, seven Order of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, three Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov and the Order of Kutuzov.

Bagramian passed away on September 21, 1982, in Moscow, and was buried with full military honors at the Kremlin wall necropolis in the Russian capital. A town in Armenia, a military firing range, an Armenian army training brigade, and a subway station and central street in Yerevan are named in his honor. In 1997, the government of Armenia established a commemorative medal with his name, which is awarded to servicemen and civilian personnel who participated in World War II.

Previous entries in “This Week in Armenian History” are on the Prelacy’s web site (www.armenianprelacy.org). 

If you have old photos of our community, please send them to the Prelacy to the attention of Executive Director.

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Crossroads welcomes your letters (English and/or Armenian), as well as parish news, photographs, and calendar items. The deadline for submitting items is Tuesday evenings. Please write to crossroads@armenianprelacy.org.

September 26 —First Siamanto Academy online session of the 2020-21 school year at 10:30 am. Students from all our parishes are welcome. For further information and to register, please visit:

Visit the Catholicosate webpage at http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/en/