Kochar Creative

05/04/2026

The Icon of the Resurrection

T'oros Roslin Gospels, The holy women at the sepulchre, Walters Manuscript W.539, fol. 128r

By Fr. Garabed Kochakian

This sacred icon depicts the Resurrection at the Lord’s tomb.

This is the greatest story ever told, captured in both word and sacred image. It is the heart of our Christian faith, the unshakable truth we proclaim:

Christ is risen from the dead!

Քրիստոս հարյավ ի մեռելոց՝ Օրհնյալ է յարութիւնն Քրիստոսի!

(Krisdos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnyal e harutiunn Krisdosi!)

Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ!

This is our Medz Avedis—our Great News—the triumph of life over death, hope over despair, and light over darkness. He is risen indeed!

www.armenianorthodoxtheology.com

And from me.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter filled with joy, peace, and happiness 💛

01/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BHhzWjqwU/

24/04/2025

ՄԻ ՈՒՐԱՑԻՐ - DON'T DENY

Tomorrow, April 24th, marks the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide refers to the extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923. Before World War I, approximately two million Armenians resided in the Ottoman Empire. Tragically, around 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1923, with the remaining population either forcibly Islamized or exiled.

To date, 33 countries and numerous international organizations have officially recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Unfortunately, evil persists in our world because perpetrators deny their crimes, and the silence of others allows them to evade accountability and continue committing atrocities and crimes against humanity.

Let us remember our roots, our heritage, our church, and our sacred Mount Ararat.

Evil must be punished.

http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/photos_of_armenian_genocide.php

06/01/2025

Happy Christmas to all!

"Christ was born and appeared! Blessed is the appearance of Christ!"

AAC celebrates Holy Nativity and Epiphany

On January 6, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany and the Nativity of Jesus Christ. During the Baptism of the Lord, the testimony of God the Father was revealed: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” and the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ in the form of a dove. Thus, on January 6, the Church celebrates the double revelation of the Epiphany through the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, under the general name of “Revelation” or “Epiphany.”

The holiday begins on the evening of January 5 and the Holy Liturgy is served. On the morning of January 6, the Holy Liturgy is also served, after which the rite of blessing the water is performed - in memory of the Baptism of Jesus (people say: “The cross falls into the water”).

Holy myrrh is added to the water, and the priest blesses it with prayer. According to tradition, believers bring a little of this water into their homes as a healing remedy for the sick, since water blessed on this day is called Epiphany water and has special beneficial properties. Epiphany water should be reverently kept and treated as a great shrine. The good news of the birth of Christ is also conveyed by priests, visiting believers and blessing their homes.

11/12/2024

The film "1489" about the 44-day Artsakh war became the winner of the International Festival in Rome

Director: Shoghakat Vardanyan

Duration: 76mins

Country: Armenia

Year: 2023

Production company: Fimi

Producer: Shoghakat Vardanyan

Cinematography: Shoghakat Vardanyan

Editing: Tigran Baghinyan, Armen Papyan
The film of the Armenian director Shogakat Vardanyan "1489" about the 44-day Artsakh war was recognized as the winner of the International Festival of Documentary Films in Rome. The director wrote about this in Facebook "It's a big honor and a big responsibility."

It is worth to mention that the picture was not presented by the Armenian National Film Academy at "Oscar", despite the fact that in 2023 received the main prize of the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA), as well as the IDFA main prize for the best film at the world's most prestigious documentary film festival.

The premiere of the film "1489" took place on November 13 last year at the documentary film festival in Amsterdam. The title of the film is the number assigned to the body (yet to be identified) of brother Sohomon, who disappeared during the 44-day war in October 2020. The director filmed the entire search process on her phone camera and documented the experience that she and her family had to go through. Six months later, her brother's remains were found, but a DNA test was necessary for identification. The family had to wait for the conclusion of the examination for a year and a half.

Official trailer:

https://youtu.be/aI-jhCNL-Pc?si=T4XFHGBYWZht57IM

❤️💙🧡

07/12/2024

https://youtu.be/_IOkE4K-5uM?si=AIgvuJMiIX4zaEBx

On December 7, 1988, at 11:41 local time, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Armenia. A series of earthquakes in 30 seconds practically destroyed the city of Spitak and caused the greatest destruction to the cities of Leninakan (now Gyumri), Kirovakan (now Vanadzor) and Stepanavan.

A total of 21 cities and 350 villages were damaged by the natural disaster (of which 58 were completely destroyed).

In the epicenter of the earthquake - the city of Spitake - its strength reached 10 points (on a 12-point scale), in Leninakan - nine points, in Kirovakan - eight points.

The storm hit the north of Armenia, affecting about 40% of its territory, and tremors were felt even in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, and in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi.

According to experts' calculations, during the earthquake in the rupture zone of the earth's crust, energy was released, equivalent to the explosion of ten atomic bombs, each of which was similar to the one dropped in 1945 on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The wave caused by the earthquake went around the Earth and was recorded by scientific laboratories in Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

After the earthquake, more than a hundred strong aftershocks were registered by the Seismological Service of the Caucasus in just one month in the area of ​​the epicenter. Four minutes after the main shock, there was a strong aftershock, the vibrations of which were superimposed on the seismic waves from the first one and intensified the devastating effect of the earthquake.

As a result of the natural disaster, according to official data, 25 thousand people died, 140 thousand people became disabled, and 514 thousand people lost their homes.

The storm destroyed more than 80% of the housing stock in Leninakan, the second largest city in Armenia, and half of the buildings in Kirovakan.

The tragedy of Armenia shook the entire world. Doctors and rescuers from France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany, USA and other countries arrived in the affected republic. Planes from different countries of the world landed at Yerevan and Leninakan airports with medicines, donor blood, construction equipment, equipment and basic necessities. 111 countries from all continents provided humanitarian aid to Armenia.

The monument dedicated to the tragic events of 1988 was opened on December 7, 2008 in the center of Gyumri. Established on public funds, it is called "Innocent victims, merciful hearts".

In 2015, a monument to Soviet soldiers who participated in the liquidation of the aftermath of the earthquake was opened in Spitak.

On the basis of the law "On holidays and memorial days of the Republic of Armenia", adopted on July 24, 2001, December 7 is celebrated in the country as Earthquake Memorial Day.

This film by Sarik Andreasyan is based on true story and gives an insights of what happened.

After the devastating Spitak earthquake of December 7th, Konstantin, a 50-year-old Russian, and Robert Melkonyan, a 28-year-old Armenian, work together to re...