The annual festival of Armenian culture and lifestyle “Hamshen” was held in Alakhadzi village of Gagra region. The organizers of the event not only treated everyone to delicious dishes to the sound of national music, but also talked about the history and traditions of Hamshen Armenians. About five thousand people attended the festival.

 The leader of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, was also present at the “Hamshen” 2023 festival. Bazhania sent a greeting to the participants of the festive event, in which he said, in particular :

“I would like to welcome all the participants of the Hamshen festival, which has already become a traditional, annual, bright and colorful event in Abkhazia. The festival has become a part of the life not only of the Armenian community, but also of the entire multi-ethnic people of Abkhazia. For historical reasons, we have all become the united people of Abkhazia, regardless of our origin, regardless of the nuances of language, culture and religion, we are all citizens of Abkhazia, connected by a common history and a common destiny.”

Khachik Minosyan, the president of the Armenian community of Gagra region, also made a speech.

Minasyan noted that this year the holiday became international for the first time, representatives of Sochi and Lazarevsky regions took part in it. “There are many guests from Russia, Armenia, Artsakh Republic. We call the Hamshen festival a holiday of friendship and unity of the people of Abkhazia. Our task is to pass on traditions to the younger generation,” Minosyan said.

Hamshen Armenians with their unique and rich cultural heritage, hard work, patriotism and patriotism are an inseparable part of the society of Abkhazia.

This celebration gives all residents and guests of Abkhazia an opportunity to get acquainted with the culture, traditions, cuisine and crafts of Hamshen Armenians. Hamshen Festival, which has a unifying, moral and civil values education mission, serves the ideas of friendship, peace and harmony for the benefit of Western Armenia and its people.

Let’s remind that the Armenians of Abkhazia are mainly from the Hamshen region of Western Armenia. At the end of the 19th century, the first pogroms began in the Ottoman Empire, as a result of which many Armenians immigrated to Abkhazia. The main wave of refugees was in 1894 – 1923, during the genocide against the Armenians in Western Armenia.