The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on February 14 every year. By the order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Tiarn’ndaraj was proclaimed as a day of the blessing of newly married couples. The couples, who get married the last year, attended the ceremony with a desire to receive blessings of Almighty God.

On February 13, the Fest began with the Evening Service celebrated on the eve of the Feast and was accompanied by church ceremonies and joyful folk celebrations in the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The Pre-feast Liturgy was celebrated under the presidency of the Vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Archimandrite Kirakos Davtyan, and with the participation of the Pastor of Armenian churches in Kvemo-Kartli region Rev. Father Archimandrite Zaven Yazichyan at the Cathedral of Saint George. Despite the cold weather, churches everywhere were crowded. The most of participants among the public attending the religious ceremony in Meydan and Avlabari districts were young people of the city.

The faithful listened to the mystery of the Presentation of the 40-day-old Christ Child to the Temple accompanied by wonderful hymns. After the Evening Liturgy,  under the presidency of the Diocesan Primate and with the participation of clergy, the Blessing of the Four Corners of the World (Andastan) service was offered and the four corners of the world were blessed. Then, candles were lit as a symbol of Christ’s light.

The traditional Tiarn’ndaraj bonfire was lit in the courtyards of the churches. The Diocesan Primate burned a bonfire at the Cathedral of Saint George and the celebration began initiated by the “Hayartun” Center (Head of the center: Eugenia Markosyan) of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. Rev. Father Samvel Torosyan lit the bonfire at the Saint Etchmiadzin church and young people jumped over the bonfire. Then, the "Jeyran" Dance Ensemble (director: Svetlana Yeritsyan) performed. Patriotic songs, wonderful melodies performed by dhol and duduk groups and round dances of unity spread from the courtyards of the churches operating in almost all Armenian-populated areas of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, which were joined by the excited society.

The joyful singing and dancing in the Armenian Churches located in the city districts ended with beautiful fireworks. At the initiative of spiritual servants of the Cathedral of Saint George and Saint Etchmiadzin church in Avlabari and with the support of Godfathers of Cross Armen Khachatryan and Armen Petrosyan, hospitality was organized.

The pre-feast celebration beloved by people took place with blessing of newly married couples and happy singing and dancing around the bonfire at the Holy Savior (Surb Prkich) church in Batumi, Holy Cross (Surb Khach) church in Akhalkalaki, saint Sarkis church in Ninotsminda, Saint Gregory the Illuminator (Surb Grigor Lusavorich) church in Akhaltsikhe and other temples of nearby villages.

On February 14, a festive Divine Liturgy was offered in the operating churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

In accordance with the Armenian Church calendar, July 24, 2022 is the Feast of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The third of the Armenian Church’s five major feasts was celebrated with the Divine Liturgy at the churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. From the morning, liveliness prevailed in the churches. The faithful from Tbilisi and other Armenian-populated regions of Georgia were coming to church with great enthusiasm to participate in the Feast of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ or, as people say, celebration of Vardavar.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Archimandrite Kirakos Davtyan celebrated a festive Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Saint George.

During the Divine Liturgy, Rev. Father preached about the divine mystery of the day. The truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God was confirmed by the Feast of Transfiguration. The mystery of the Feast is to love God, listen to His commandments and follow God's will. The message of the feast is to recover with Jesus, to live a new life with Jesus Christ, a life which will bring kindness, love, solidarity and spiritual enlightenment to humanity. Rev. Father urged the faithful to enrich their lives with spiritual values, good deeds, mercy and forgiveness.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, after the Protector Prayer and blessings offered by the Diocesan Primate and spiritual fathers, the festive mood continued in the churchyard. The festive day also became a historic one. The second khachkar (cross-stone) was opened at the Cathedral of Saint George, which was built in the 13th-century and is a silent testimony of the devotion to faith, patriotism, and friendship of the peoples of countries with ancient civilizations.

The installation of the khachkar made with tuf (type of stone) was initiated and implemented by the charity of a RA resident Karen Khachatryan’s family. The mystery of this khachkar is the desire for peace, which is the desirable dream of peoples of all nations. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”is engraved on the pedestal of the khachkar. Indeed, the prayer of the peoples who have seen and experienced the horrors of war is to live a safe life under a peaceful sky.

The consecration of the khachkar with sacred Muron was offered by The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Rev. Father Archimandrite Kirakos Davtyan with the participation of clergy and deacons. Rev. Father Kirakos Davtyan congratulated the members of the Khachatryan family and all their relatives present at the ceremony and expressed his appreciation for the activities done for the church.

Afterwards, the concert of the Diocesan "Hayartun" Center launched in the church yard. The joyful song and dance performed by artistic groups, "Taron" dance ensemble, soloists and accompanists (Suren Abramyan, the head of the Department of Culture of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia). followed each other and were presented by Eugenia Markosyan the head of the Center.

The traditional game of pouring water or Vardavar, which comes from pagan era and had received a Christian meaning started. Elderly and young people, locals and tourists who were a little bit surprised and interested and despite that they joined the joyful celebration and rejoiced with those who were sprinkling rosewater on each other.

Festive celebrations on the occasion of theFeast of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ took place at “Saint Savior” (Surb Prkich) church in Batumi, “Saint Gregory the Illuminator” (Surb Grigor Lusavorich) church in Akhaltsikhe, “Holy Cross” (Surb Khach) church in Akhalkalaki, “Saint Sarkis” (Surb Sargis) church in Ninotsminda and the churches in nearby villages. The Armenian-populated villages of Tsalka region have their own custom of celebrating church feasts. Traditionally, the feast of Vardavar is celebrated in Ayazma village, where faithful from different villages of the region gather and beautify the feast with a concert and water sprinkling games.

 On May 27, 2022, “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia was decorated with colorful paintings. The palette of the paintings was various and mysterious which testifies the painter’s rich imagination, wide horizon in his harmonious colors, expressiveness of his paintings. The author of those art works is Artyom Alabulyants, who was born in Tbilisi, a person who is very sociable, philanthropic, with great sense of humor, an Armenian who is devoted to his nation, a church-loving person who attends almost all the events of the Armenian community and every Sunday takes part in Divine Liturgies and other ceremonies of the Armenian Church.

Famous artist Iren Ohanjanova delivered a meaningful speech about Artyom Alabulyants’s wide creative inner world. Connecting the art-loving pages of Alabulyants’s life to his personality, the artist introduced Artyom Alabulyants as a professional musician, talented artist, gifted with childlike purity and youthful simplicity.

Artyom Alabulyants, who during the event, periodically presented motives for creating his painting, story of brushstrokes, even the choice of titles of his works, strengthen the admiration of those who knows him as well-known artist among other artists due to his great ability to create, but who rarely appears in creative bohemia with exhibition organized not often. The speakers had a lot to say because had an opportunity to learn about Alabultants’s childhood, adolescence, choice of future career, mastery of various instruments, playing viola in orchestra for many years, his talent to create graphics and oil paintings, making unique ornaments. These facts were presented in speeches and appreciations of artist critic Solomon Nadiashvili, painter and architect Giuli Beridze, editor of “Vrastan” (“Georgia”) newsletter Van Bayburdyan, public figure Levon Chidilyan, and the tour guide of the Center Gohar Mazmanyan.

Arayik Babajanyan, Gia Nairashvili, Zhanna Davtyan, Meruzhan Shahumyan, Marina Khachaturova and many other persons who knew Artom Alabulyants and appreciate his art, were in attendance.

The evening was also saturated with beautiful piano and solo performances by singer Svetlana Tatoeva, pianist Isa Abovyan, foreign singer Samuel Ojedokuni.

The event related to the beauty and sincere warmth, created a joyful mood among the audience who addressed words of appreciation to the author and the staff members of the “House of Hovhannes Tumanyan” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.