On September 27, the 34th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia was celebrated in the Croatian seaside resort of Biograd na Moru

27 September, 2025

On September 27, the 34th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia was celebrated in the Croatian seaside resort of Biograd na Moru. The event was organized by the Biograd na Moru Municipality, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Croatia, and the Armenian-Croatian Union. Opening speeches were delivered by the Mayor of Biograd na Moru, Ivan Knez, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Croatia, Ashot Hovakimian, who paid tribute to the memory of Armenian architect, businessman, and philanthropist Vahan Melik Karaganyan (1889-1977).

According to the available information, Vahan Melik Karaganyan appeared in Yugoslavia in the 1920s, founding a construction company that carried out the construction of the hospital in Biograd na Moru. Karaganyan decided to stay in the town and to deal with its reconstruction, dreaming of turning it into a "Yugoslav Nice". For this purpose, he initiated many programs aimed at the development of tourism, builds the most prestigious "Ilirija" hotel in the city, implements complete electrification of the surroundings, etc.

After the Second World War, in 1945, the Yugoslav communist authorities arrested Karaganyan and confiscated all his property, sentencing him to 10 years in prison and forced labour. After being released from the camp, he moved to Belgrade, where he died in 1977.

However, the memory of Vahan Melik Karaganyan was so vividly preserved in the city that on September 21, 2024, his statue was installed in the city center, and it was decided that the celebration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Armenia would become traditional.

On the eve of the ceremony, the ceramics exhibition of Alina Gishyan, a talented Armenian artist living in Croatia, and the President of the Armenian-Croatian Society, was opened in the City Gallery of Biograd na Moru. Accompanied by the Croatian pianist Eva Kirchmayer-Bilić and Armenian pianist Lilit Martirosyan, soprano Antonia Žarković performed the works by famous Armenian, Croatian, and international composers. At the end of the event, a film about Armenia was shown.

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