YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. "The Armenian culture suffered a heavy loss - the unmatched artist of Armenian spiritual songs, connoisseur of sharakans Khoren Palian passed away. His contribution was great. He was not only a higly artistic performer of spiritual songs but also their untiring herald in the world, an apologist for education of the future generations by this culture and an active peson." This is said in the Forum of Intellectuals' press release, which was submitted to NT. Being from the famous Palian family - he inherited their high human characteristics, talent and unbending will to serve his nation. According to the press release, "everything mean and dark, the permissiveness which have afflicted the Armenian people over the last fifteen years were strange to him." K. Palian never betrayed himself: he lived an exemplary life and and immortalized his name. Assistant professor of the Armenian Language History Department of Yerevan State University, well-known expert of sharakans (Armenian church psalms), lecturer of grabar (old Armenian language), composer and singer Khoren Palian graduated from the Etchmiadzin Seminary. In 1955, he was ordained as a deacon, and in 1961 he was ordained as a priest by the Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I. He held positions in St. Etchmiadzin. The unprecedented outburst of national self-consciousness in Armenia in 1965 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide caused him to leave the spititual field of activity, however, never separating from the church. In 1965 Khoren Palian entered the Armenian Language Department of Yerevan State University and 3 years later graduated with honors. In 1968, he was appointed a lecturer at the Armenian Language History Department where he taught language history and grabar. In 1978-2004, he taught chronicle, theory of sharakans and Armenian spiritual music at the Gevorgian Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin, then - at the Vazgenian school of Sevan. Catholicos Karekin II conferred Saint Nerses Shnorhali Order on him. K. Palian was married to the unmatched performer of spiritual songs Lusine Zakarian. The funeral of Khoren Palian will take place in the cemetry of Etchmiadzin's St Gayane Monastery on January 25.

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