Viva supports the pan-Armenian creative platform

The results of the “Tsil Tur Hayeren-2025” creative competition announced

Four years ago, the “Tsil” educational program created a platform to unite Armenian youth worldwide and take steps toward preserving Armenian identity. As a result of the successful implementation of the model, in 2025, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the RA officially recognized the “Tsil Tur Hayeren” creative competition as educational, based on an expert assessment by the NCEDI (National Center for Education Development and Innovation) Foundation. In the same year, the leading telecommunications operator Viva joined the organization of the competition initiated by the “Amrots” Foundation and the support of the pan-Armenian platform.

The 2025 online competition, titled “A Country in My Name”, saw strong participation from young people from Armenia and the Diaspora, receiving 200 applications. Participants were given the opportunity to express their ideas about homeland, identity and belonging in Armenian or foreign languages.

“The importance of this initiative is invaluable. It is not just an essay or creative writing contest, but a strategic step toward uniting the youth of the broad Armenian Diaspora. Thanks to modern technology, this platform connects descendants of Armenians living in different parts of the world – no matter what language they express themselves in, including other than Armenian (օտարագիր). I know the diaspora’s experience well: language is the foundation of our identity. But belonging is measured not by accent or language proficiency, but by an inner connection to the people and culture. I am a big fan of “The Country in My Name” (Իմ անունով երկիրը). And I am convinced: regardless of language proficiency, every single piece in the contest expressed the same warmth of thought,” said Armen Avetisian, Viva’s General Director.

The competition, which began in the fall, has now concluded and its results have been summarized. The members of the evaluation committee documented the achievements and shared important observations to help make the competition more focused in the future. Original works were submitted in Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, and various Armenian dialects across the literary, visual arts, and foreign language (encouragement) categories. Submissions in Russian, English, and Spanish were also received from the Diaspora.

The number of applications for “Tsil 2025” demonstrates the strong interest of young people and their potential for growth, while also highlighting the scale of the work ahead of us. Next year, we plan to introduce “Tsil Tur” workshops to create an environment in which young people can write regularly and understand that creativity is also the dedicated work and discipline. Our goal is to help participants create meaningful content that will become an authentic expression of their identity and worldview. It is pleasant to note that in the age of digital technologies, on the path toward building a linguistic and cultural bridge between generations and communities, the leading telecommunications operator Viva has joined the “Amrots” Foundation. My dream is to see a generation that is strong in language, loves the Armenian language and shares that love with the world,” said Ani Gharabaghtsyan, Executive Director of the “Amrots” Foundation.

The competition officially concluded with a closing ceremony and awards event. The top three works in each of the main categories were selected and awarded monetary and incentive prizes. And in the “Foreign language” incentive category, introduced for the first time, the authors of the best works were granted the opportunity to participate in Armenian studies educational programs. By the way, a leaflet was also produced for the first time for the 2025 competition, marking another important achievement. It contains the best works recognized and presented for encouragement.