On Monday, September 8, the Tekeyan Cultural Association opened its doors to host an evening filled with emotion, memory, and hope for the future: the reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sardarabad Daily.

The gathering brought together representatives of armenian institutions, diplomatic authorities, religious leaders, collaborators, readers, and friends, who wished to be present at this historic moment for Armenian community journalism in Argentina.

A beginning full of symbolism

The event began with the unveiling of a plaque sent by the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada, a gesture symbolizing international recognition for half a century of uninterrupted work. The plaque, which will remain at the Tekeyan headquarters in Buenos Aires, also bears witness to the unity and fraternity of the armenian diaspora.

Words that mark the path

The opening remarks were delivered by Bishop Aren Shaheenian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Argentina and Chile, who offered a message of faith and gratitude, highlighting the importance of Sardarabad as the voice of the community and as a defender of Armenian identity.

Afterward, the Armenian Center, through its president Aram Karaguezian, presented a commemorative plaque and addressed the audience, underscoring the relevance of the newspaper as a space of encounter, memory, and community commitment.

International voices followed. Aram Arkun, director of the Mirror Spectator of Boston, traveled from the United States to join the celebration, stressing the value of keeping Armenian journalism alive in the diaspora. He was followed by Mihran Toumajian, secretary of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the U.S. and Canada, who conveyed a warm institutional greeting and emphasized the ties that unite armenian communities in North and South America through culture and the written word.

Later, Armenia’s Consul in Argentina, Ruzanna Azoyan, transmitted the greetings of the Armenian state and its official recognition of half a century of community service. Former Sardarabad director Diana Dergarabetian also took the floor, expressing her emotion in recalling the journey during her tenure and the responsibility of sustaining the community’s voice through the newspaper’s pages.

Recognitions and distinctions

On behalf of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), accountant Carlos Margossian presented a plaque to Sardarabad, highlighting the shared vocation of service between the two institutions throughout these 50 years.

Subsequently, the Armenian Cultural Union (UCA), represented by its president Adrián Lomlomdjian, joined the tribute with another commemorative plaque, as a testimony of recognition and affection for the newspaper’s trajectory.

One of the most anticipated moments of the evening was the presentation by Susana Dergarabetian Nahabetian, who introduced the audiovisual project “Armenia at Home: Cooking that Connects Generations”, a series that rescues armenian culinary tradition as a bridge between past and present. The cycle will soon be available on YouTube and Instagram.

The “Men of the Year” present were then invited to the stage. Among them were Archbishop Kissag Mouradian, Arto Kalciyan, Rubén Kechichian, Roberto Malkhassian, and Antonio Sarafian, who received distinctions in recognition of their service to the community. Bishop Aren Shaheenian and Consul Ruzanna Azoyan were also specially honored as a gesture of appreciation and respect.

There was also a moment to recognize fellow media outlets: Diario Armenia, represented by its director Pablo Kendikian, and La Voz Armenia and Nor Sevan, represented by their director Adrián Lomlomdjian, with whom Sardarabad shares the mission of reflecting community life and strengthening Armenian identity in Argentina.

In the final stretch, distinctions were presented to two institutions that have been pillars in Sardarabad’s history: AGBU and the Armenian Center, whose presidents, Carlos Margossian and Aram Karaguezian, received the honors on behalf of their organizations.

Finally, current director Sergio Nahabetian took the floor. In a speech filled with emotion and conviction, he retraced the fifty-year journey of Sardarabad, thanking all those who made it possible to sustain the project from 1975 to today. Nahabetian also announced important developments: upgrades to the Android and iOS apps and the complete digitization of all issues since the very first number, which will soon be available to the public as an invaluable archive for the community’s memory.

“Today we renew our commitment: to continue informing with responsibility, to strengthen ties with Armenia and with our community in the diaspora, and to ensure that Armenian memory, culture, and language remain alive among us. Dear friends, fifty years are not a point of arrival but a new beginning.”

The evening concluded with the cutting of the 50th-anniversary cake, a moment that symbolized the festive spirit and shared joy of all those present.

Thus, the community celebrated half a century of life for a newspaper that has become an indispensable reference for the Armenian collective in Argentina and South America. Sardarabad reaffirms its mission to keep informing, preserving memory, and building bridges between Armenia and the diaspora, with the same passion that inspired its founders fifty years ago.