This year, the Dickinson in Moscow program spent an amazing Thanksgiving weekend in Armenia. Although we were staying in the capital city of Yerevan, we spent time exploring the whole country, including a visit to Geghard Cave Monastery, the ancient temple at Garni, and the beautiful lake Sevan. Although rain and fog sometimes obscured our view of the mountains, the monasteries and churches of the first country to officially adopt Christianity were still breathtaking. We also took time to visit the memorial museum of the Armenian Genocide, where we learned about the tragedies Armenia faced in the 20th century. On Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at a restaurant in the center of the city, complete with live performances of traditional Armenian dances and an enormous platter of Shashlik (a grilled meat dish similar to shish kebobs) which our waiter recommended as vital to the celebration of any holiday in Armenia. While Armenia has its own beautiful language and unique alphabet, many Armenians still speak Russian (a holdover from the country’s Soviet past) and it was great practice to converse with our guides and all of the Armenians we met. Needless to say, this was one of the most unique Thanksgivings for our entire group and, even though the weather was not always on our side, trekking through the mud and mist could not have been more rewarding!
В этом году, наша программа была в Армении на выходные Дни Благодарения. Наша гостиница находилась в центре Еревана, но мы путeшествовали по всей стране. Погода была не самой хорошей, но мы все равно смогли увидеть много красивых гор и исторических церквей. Мы также видели музей армянского геноцида и читали об истории угнетения в ХХ века. В День Благодарения, мы ужинали в известном ресторане “Кавказская пленница” в Ереване и пробовали блюда армянской кухни. У армян есть уникальный алфавит и красивый язык, и большинство людей говорят еще и по-русски, так что у нас была хорошая языковая практика. Эта поездка была очень интересной и этот День Благодарения был незабываемым.
