By Vahe Artinian
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
SINGAPORE — When traveling as an Armenian, you tend to look for symbols and places where our small but ancient nation has a place. One such place is Singapore, a wonderful island of order and harmony, where Armenians who traded internationally established a community in the early 19th century. Today Singapore is a modern city with a democratic parliamentary system and currently, a female prime minister.
As elsewhere, one of the first acts of Singapore Armenians was to build a church in 1835. Today, the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator remains preserved thanks to the efforts of its trustees. I and my family visited, lit candles, and prayed for our Artsakh living under siege. I hope one day many others will come and visit this historic place and be inspired by what a nation can achieve with hard work and discipline.
When we arrived, only the caretaker was there. A museum is being completed next to the church. The Armenian Heritage Gallery was opened in 2018. There are only a few Armenians at present who reside in Singapore. Occasionally the Armenian archbishop and priests travel from Sydney, Australia, to conduct a church service.
