CAIA is proud to publish the following Blog by Levon Simonian who attends the Hayashen Armenian Youth Club (HAYC) and was one of the winners of the 2026 J Petchey Young achievers award. CAIA was pleased to act as a referee in ensuring Levon participated in this volunteering programme during the summer school holidays.
I went to Armenia for Քայլ դեպի տուն (Step Toward Home), a programme organised for young Armenians from the diaspora to visit Armenia, learn about its history and culture, improve their Armenian and meet other Armenians from around the world. The programme lasted two weeks, and I spent a day in Yerevan on my own before and after it. I had never been to Armenia before, so although I had seen photos and heard about what the country was like, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. My first impression of Yerevan was very positive. I spent the day walking around the city, visiting the Cascade, Republic Square, the Blue Mosque, the Armenian History Museum and the church of Mesrop Mashtots. I also tried different Armenian foods, including khurjin and khorovats. I thought Yerevan was a very beautiful city, the food was good and everything was really affordable. I also noticed the pulpulaks, the public drinking fountains found throughout the city, which I thought were a really useful and unique feature. The following day, I travelled by coach with the other participants to our camp on Mount Aragats near Byurakan. It was quite rural, but had a great atmosphere, with music and dancing almost every evening and young people from all over the world, including Russia, Georgia, America, France, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands and Ukraine.
During the programme, our days followed a fairly regular routine of breakfast, free time, Armenian lessons and then excursions around the country. Most of the participants could already speak Armenian, so our lessons focused mainly on the alphabet. I had already learned most of the alphabet before coming, but the lessons helped solidify what I knew, and by the end I was definitely better at reading and writing Armenian. We visited many important places, including Etchmiadzin, Sevan, Gyumri, Geghard, Garni and Khor Virap. Two of my favourites were Khor Virap and Garni. Khor Virap stood out because of its historical significance and, of course, the incredible view of Mount Ararat. Garni was also especially interesting because the Greco-Roman temple looks so different from the churches and monasteries found elsewhere in Armenia, while the surrounding mountains made it even more impressive. In the evenings we also had Armenian dance lessons. I had never done Armenian dancing before, but learning the dances together, holding hands and moving as one group, was one of the most enjoyable parts of the programme. We eventually performed in a talent show, where I took part in the dance, qochari.
The biggest thing I took away from the trip was how much more real the Armenian diaspora felt to me. I already knew the history of the diaspora and understood why Armenians had ended up living in so many different countries, but actually meeting Armenians from places like America, Russia, Georgia and all over Europe made that history feel much more personal. It gave me a mental image of the diaspora that I hadn’t really had before and made me realise that we are not alone, even though Armenians are spread across so much of the world. Since coming home, I have wanted to learn Armenian more seriously and become more involved in the Armenian community. I have also become interested in doing Birthright Armenia in the future. The trip made me want to return to Armenia and see more of the country, but more importantly, it made me feel more connected to being Armenian. One of the things I enjoyed after returning was going to St Sarkis Armenian Church in London with my grandmother, and I hope this trip is only the beginning of becoming more connected to Armenia and the wider Armenian community.
by Levon Simonian
