Sardar 8 — Some of the supporters of Sardarabad and community leaders of Buenos Aires

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Buenos Aires Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Sardarabad Newspaper

September 19, 2025

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The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

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

The gathering brought together a wide array of 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.

Bishop Aren Shaheenian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Argentina and Chile, presents Sergio and Susana Nahabetian with a gontag or encyclical from Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II (photo Aram Arkun)

The preceding Sunday, on September 7, Bishop Aren Shaheenian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Argentina and Chile, presented Sergio and Susana Nahabetian with a gontag or encyclical from Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II commemorating the anniversary. Special prayers were also given that day at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Buenos Aires for the members of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of Argentina and Sardarabad staff who have passed away.

Staff and supporters of Sardarabad at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Buenos Aires

The circular or gontag of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II

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.

Unveiling of the plaque from the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada (from left, Mihran Toumajan, Bishop Aren Shaheenian, Sergio Nahabetian and Aram Arkun)

Words that Mark the Path

Bishop Aren Shaheenian and Sergio Nahabetian

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.

Aram Karaguezian hands Sergio Nahabetian a plaque on behalf of the Armenian Center while Bishop Aren Shaheenian speaks (photo Aram Arkun)

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.

Aram Arkun

International voices followed. Aram Arkun, managing editor of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator of Boston and executive director of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the US and Canada, 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 Toumajan, assistant secretary of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the US 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.

Mihran Toumajan speaking, with Sergio Nahabetian in the background

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.

Ruzanna Azoyan speaking, with Sergio Nahabetian

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.

Former Sardarabad director Diana Dergarabetian speaks (photo Aram Arkun)

Recognitions and Distinctions

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

Topics: journalism

People: Adrian Lomlomdjian, Aram Arkun, Aram Karaguezian, Archbishop Kissag Mouradian, Bishop Aren Shaheenian, Carlos Margossian, Diana Dergarabetian, Mihran Toumajan, Pablo Kendikian, Ruben Kechichian, Ruzanna Azoyan, Sergio Nahabetian, Susana Dergarabetian Nahabetian

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On behalf of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), its president, 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.

Armenian Cultural Union President Adrián Lomlomdjian, left, gives a commemorative plaque to Sergio Nahabetian (photo Aram Arkun)

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 and will be realized through the support of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the US and Canada.

Susana Dergarabetian Nahabetian

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 decorations 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.

Sergio Nahabetian gives a special silver Sardarabad pin award to Antonio Sarafian while the other ‘Men of the Year’ watch (photo Aram Arkun)

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.

From left, Carlos Margossian, Susana Dergarabetian Nahabetian, Sergio Nahabetian, and Aram Karaguezian (photo Aram Arkun)

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.

The three Dergarabetian sisters: from left Silvia Dergarabetian Takessian, Susana Deregarabetian Nahabetian and Diana Dergarabetian (photo Aram Arkun)

“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.”

Cutting the special 50th anniversary cake

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.

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