The famous businessman and public figure Abram, the famous in the Tyumen region, is known far beyond the boundaries of the region. A real ascetic, a philanthropist, a successful entrepreneur not only builds at home, but also helps people, responds to numerous requests and does not forget about the dear heart of Armenia.
It is always interesting to talk to him, ask about plans and new challenges. In confirmation, interviews, recorded a few days ago.
- Abram Azatovich, primarily a question for you, as an honorary consul of Armenia in the city of Tyumen and the president of the Armenian Union of the Tyumen region. Tell us about your kind, parents, about how often you remember in harsh Siberia about the homeland.
- I was born and raised in Armenia, in the village of Vardenik, in a family of workers. Unfortunately, dad passed away early. In my memories, he forever remained a caring father, a loving husband and a very good friend.
After the death of his father, all the responsibilities in the family lay on the fragile shoulders of her mother, who, silently and alone, overcame all life trials. Seeing all this, I lived an insatiable desire to be able to facilitate my mother’s everyday worries and return the lost radiance to her eyes.
So fate tied me with Siberia: I have been living in Russia for more than thirty -five years. He served in Surgut, he remained in the supervisory service there, and then, in 1994, he moved and founded in Tyumen.
Believe me, Siberia has long been harsh! This is an amazing land where over 150 peoples and nationalities live in peace and harmony. We have created all favorable conditions in our Tyumen region so that every nation can maintain and develop their culture, national values and traditions.
As part of the activities of the Public Organization “Union of Armenians of the Tyumen Region”, which I have headed since 2017, an Armenian cultural center has been operating. The cultural center includes two buildings in different parts of the city. The work of the Center is aimed at developing children's and youth education (studying the native language, history, culture of Armenia), preserving the Armenian centuries -old culture, national values and traditions, as well as to promote the strengthening of the friendship of peoples.
Every year, more than 400 children are trained for free of Armenian, the stories of Armenia, go to the mugs of singing and folk dance. Since 2021, the Puppet Theater of Russian-Armenian Friendship has also been operating within the framework of the Armenian Cultural Center. The theater was created in order to tell with the help of fairy tales to the younger generation about the cultural and historical heritage of Russia.
All this was created so that the younger generation, and the entire Armenian diaspora would not forget about the small homeland, were closer to their roots and origins. I dare to say that in Siberia we created little Armenia for every representative of our people.
- Do you know how to prepare a real Armenian barbecue - Khorovats?
- Armenian cuisine originates since ancient times. This is a treasury of tastes and aromas reflecting centuries -old culinary traditions. Khorovats - King of Armenian cuisine. This is not just a dish: it is the embodiment of history, culture and traditions.
I, like any Armenian, really like to pickle and cook barbecue. This transfers me to childhood when we stood by the fire and watched the elders in the family prepare barbecue. As I said, cooking barbecue is a tradition that is transmitted from generation to generation. Unfortunately, due to employment, I do not often manage to prepare myself, but if possible, I do it with great pleasure.
- You graduated from Tyumen State University with a degree in state and municipal administration. Why is this university and where at first the young specialist Abram Voveyan worked?
-He worked as the chief engineer of the Dvin Production Road Construction Cooperative, then in 1998 he founded and led his first construction firm “Ani-98” for four years
It is one thing to work in the organization, and the other is to lead the company and manage it. I am a person who loves, as they say, that everything is laid out on the shelves.
Therefore, I decided to get an education at the Tyumen State University - in my opinion, in one of the best universities in our country! The university has a high rating among new classic universities in Russia. Literally recently, the Tyumen State University successfully passed the selection to the program of strategic and academic leadership “Priority - 2030”. I think this has already been said.
- Now let's talk about Tyumenel. How did it all begin, why exactly the construction became a priority area? By whom and what are you proud of, what are the plans ahead?
- The Tyumenel company was founded in 1997. Then she participated in the program “Development of telecommunication infrastructure of the Tyumen region”. The company completed 60% of the total work by telephone of villages and villages. The first Internet provider in the region.
I came to Tyumentel in 2002 as the general director. Then the company changed the course to the construction direction, since in the first profession I am a builder. Started with the construction of housing for employees of the budget sphere. We built the first residential building in 2009 in the Irkutsk region.
I was always interested in the field of construction, since with the help of creation the quality of life of people is changing. The appearance of the city and the region also changes, attracting new inhabitants and tourists.
In recent years, Siberia has transformed, played with new colors. I think the construction played a significant role in this. Over a quarter of a century, Tyumentel carried out work on the construction and reconstruction of more than 200 objects with an area of 1,000,000 square meters, including such significant for the Tyumen region as: “The Center for Winter Sports“ Pearl of Siberia ”, the Palace of Culture“ Neftyanik ”named after V.I. Muravlenko, the largest corps of the Tyumen Industrial University, the Tyumen Regional Morphological Center, the Tyumen-Judo Center, the Park of Russian-Armenian Friendship named after Marshal I.Kh. Bagramyana, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of St. Mesrop Mashtots and others.
Along with objects in the Tyumen region, Tyumentel is building socially significant objects (residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, cultural and sports complexes) in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
Our company is not afraid to take on the most difficult objects. It is necessary to approach your work in good faith and with great dedication, and then the desired result will certainly be achieved. The slogan of our organization is “We are building the future”! We build a new one and complete what others could not master. I think we will continue to work on - work without slowing down: for the good of our region, for the good of Russia.
- It is generally accepted that each person has his own path to the temple. Let's talk about the SURB Mesrop Mashtots built in Tyumen and the Russian-Armenian friendship park. Share your personal attitude to these objects.
- Armenian is the only language in the world in which the meaning of the word “Bible” is directly related to God. The word "Bible" in the Armenian language sounds like "Astitzashunch", which means "God's breath."
For all the years of my life in Russia, I never forgot about the small homeland and always dreamed of building a spiritual house for my people. My family and I do not represent life without God, life without a temple. And it was Vera that gave the strength to start from Armenia in September 2019 to begin the construction of the First Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church “SURB Mesrop Mashtots” in Tyumen.
Turning over the pages of history, we have repeatedly convinced that it was the deep faith that helped the Armenian people to maintain national identity and strong unity.
The church is located in the Park of the Russian-Armenian Friendship named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union Marshal Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan. Russia and Armenia are connected by centuries -old friendly relations, which are based on mutual respect, trust and love.
The park is a symbol of friendship between Russia and Armenia. The object has become a place of attraction of citizens and guests of the regional center. Such sign places are very important for the Tyumen region, because representatives of 150 nationalities live in our region.
- Is the philanthropist a correct definition for a person engaged in charity, putting the soul and means in the creation of social and sports facilities? Tell us also about the sports directions of sambo and judo you are supervised in the region.
“To call me a philanthropist or not, I think it’s not for me to decide.” I just do what my soul lies with. You very correctly noticed: it is not enough to invest only material resources. If you want to achieve a result, you need to put the soul and heart, in a different way-nothing!
Being the president of the Tyumen Regional Foundation “Development of the Waso of the Tyumen Region”, vice-president of the Tyumen Regional Public Organization “United Federation of Judo and Sambo”, I have been providing financial and organizational support to the Center for the Olympic training “Tyumen-Judo” for many years, developing this sport in the Tyumen region. Sports support is a contribution to the future.
It is based on a great and important work on involving children and youth in sports and a healthy lifestyle, the development of qualities such as courage, responsibility, and the ability to independently make decisions. In my opinion, at the present time, additional and systematic support to the athletes is needed, since our guys are under sanctions, not having the opportunity to participate in major international competitions. Therefore, it is very important to maintain them both financially and morally. We all know what the spirit of the athlete is, and our task is to be unshakable!
- Surely, you are worried about what Armenia lives, where the authorities are moving and how the power interacts with the people. What do you think about what is happening in the country and how do you assess the level of Russian-Armenian relations?
“I, like any Armenian, are not indifferent to what is happening in Armenia.” Unfortunately, recently we see a tense environment within the country. This cannot but bother. It is difficult to evaluate the actions of the current authorities from afar, but I am sure that what is happening in the country, unfortunately, is not aimed at the good of the people and the state. And I mean not only domestic policy.
In 2024, relations between Armenia and Russia were difficult. This is very upset, especially given the fact that Russia is the main strategic partner and ally of Armenia! Trade and economic relations develop very vigorously and successfully. This is evidenced by the numbers of trade, and not only.
I would also like to pay attention to the important aspect for the Russian -speaking population of Armenia. The Russian language still remains in Armenia the most popular among foreign languages. I am sure that one of the steps aimed at strengthening Armenian-Russian friendly relations may be the adoption of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication in Armenia. This would make it possible to increase the number of Russian schools both in Yerevan and in other regions of the Republic of Armenia.
This year there are already contacts, and I want to believe that bilateral meetings will continue on a regular basis and will be aimed at strengthening and developing the centuries -old traditions of friendship and good neighborliness.
- You participate in sending goods with food for residents of Donbass and Lugansk. It turns out that you also carry out humanitarian activities. How is there enough time and effort?
- The Armenian people, unfortunately, know what war is and what refugees are. When a special military operation began, I, as the head of the Armenian diaspora, decided to collect the humanitarian cargo for the inhabitants of Donbass.
In March 2022, the first batch of humanitarian aid was sent, which included food and essential items. The second batch was sent in April 2022. Humanitarian assistance is carried out systematically.
Starting from 2022, children of participants receive New Year's gifts, and some of the gifts are sent to Krasnodon - the city, which is under the patronage of our region. You know, but I think that this is not the case when you need to pay attention to time and opportunity. It seems to me that there is nothing impossible if you want to.
They often ask me how I have time for everything, and I always answer the known quote from the book: “To stand still, I need to run, and to move forward, you need to run twice as fast.”
I have long been accustomed to this pace of life and I just don’t know how and I don’t want to live differently, I can’t live only for myself and for my family. I am sure that each of us was born with a certain mission. And I consider my main mission to my neighbor.
-What do you see the future of Russia and Armenia?
- Another great Armenian writer of the Khachatur of the Abovyan in the 19th century prophetically predicted: "This indissoluble connection, this holy love will remain between us more than us." Yes, these words are addressed to the Russian people. The connection of our peoples goes deeper. It is based on mutual respect, love and trust, and most importantly - this connection is tested by history and time.
You know, annually on June 12, on the day of Russia, the Friendship Friday festival takes place in Tyumen, where every nation shows its culture, traditions. In 2024, we decided to present the courtyard of Russian-Armenian friendship and talk about people who made a significant contribution to the development and formation of Russian-Armenian relations. And you can’t imagine what problem we have encountered: we had a limited place and time for presentation, and we did not know who to include in our program and who was not.
So who to include: Armen Dzhigarkhanyan or Frunzik Mkrtchyan? Maybe Marshal Ivan Bagramyan? Or maybe Arno Babajanyan? Ivan Aivazovsky? Aram Khachaturian? I think this says a lot, and here the answer is obvious: without the past there is no future.
We have a single and rich past, which, once again, is tested by time. So how do I see our relationship in the future!? Of course, I want strong, trusting and friendly relations with fraternal Russia, as it has always been! And I think that each of us should strive for this, including the current government in Armenia!
