Yerevan State University, particularly the Institute for Armenian Studies, has been implementing various projects in Russian educational field for about 3 years in partnership with the Armenian community “Nor Nakhijevan” of Rostov-on-Don. There were many visits, research works done with University specialists.  

On September 18-19, 2014 the YSU delegation was in Rostov-on-Don and participated in the international conference on "The "The Cossacks and the Highlanders during the First World War” organized by Socio-Economic and Humanities Research Institute of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Rector of YSU, Doctor in Historical Sciences Aram Simonyan, the Deputy Director of IAS Mher Hovhannisyan, as well as the executive director of “Nor Nakhijevan” Armenian community Sergey Sayadov visited village of Chaltr, the center of Myasnikyan region populated by many Armenians. 

The head of the region Arshak Porksheyan and his deputy Vladimir Kilafyan welcomed the YSU delegation.

The YSU delegation members visited the local Armenian Church, met the priest Father Thaddeus, visited the Historical-cultural Museum of the Armenians, where the local Armenian national "Ani" song ensemble performed.

The YSU Rector Aram Simonyan emphasized the importance of deepening relations between Armenia and Diaspora as well as between the Armenian-Russian scientific and educational activities, especially in such a historical community as “Nor Nakhijevan”. He invited the ensemble “Ani”, which are the winners of the Russian and international competitions  to Armenia to perform in homeland. 

The ensemble “Ani” was established in 1985 by the Professor of Rostov State Conservatory Grigor Khurdayan. Nowadays, there are 40 musicians and singers in the ensemble who play Armenian national instruments. Their repertoire includes both folk songs and gusan songs, as well as folk songs of the Armenians of Don. The ensemble performed in Canada, in European countries and so on. 

“After the long break we are in Armenia again. We tried to contact many cities of Armenia for performing there, but only this project was successful. We were welcomed here very warmly. I think we should have done it long before, as the loss of connections with the homeland has a negative impact on the preservation of the identity”,-said the head of the department of Youth Policy and Culture of Myasnikyan region Manushak Chubaryan. 

The ensemble performed in Yerevan, Artashat and Ijevan. They performed Armenian folk songs, works of the Armenian composers and folk songs of Armenians of Don in Arno Babajanyan concert hall. 

The Rector of YSU and the representatives of the RA Ministry of Diaspora were present at the concert. In Artashat the members of the ensemble were welcomed by the mayor of the city Gagik Muradyan. The concert took place in the Music school. The next concert was held in Ijevan House of Culture. The guests were welcomed and the concert was held by the support of YSU Ijevan Branch headed by the Director Samvel Arakelyan.  

There were many visits to the cultural centers of Armenia in the frame of cultural program. The members of ensemble visited Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Matenadaran, as well as Gevorgyan seminary where they participated in the class of spiritual music and performed some songs with the students of the seminary.  The ensemble “Ani” visited also Geghard, Goshavank and Tsaghadzor.