Georgi Kiviryan, father of editor-in-chief of Armenian News-NEWS.am Armenika Kiviryan, passed away yesterday after a serious illness.

The editorial staff of Armenian News-NEWS.am expresses deep condolences to the Kiviryans on the occasion of this irreversible loss. Georgi Kiviryan will remain in our memories with his endless optimism, great love for life, sense of humor and incredible ability to motivate people.

Taking into consideration the coronavirus pandemic in Armenia, Armenian News-NEWS.am deems it necessary to state that Georgi Kiviryan didn’t die from the coronavirus.

Georgi Kiviryan’s son, analyst Argishti Kiviryan posted the following on his Facebook page:

“Yesterday, my father, Georgi Kiviryan (born in 1945 in Abkhazia), died from a serious illness. My father was from Hamshen, was a pedagogue and worked as a director of several Armenian schools in Abkhazia for over 30 years. No matter how attached he was to his hometown, like all the members of our family, he also eventually moved and settled in Yerevan. My father believed that every nation has to live on its land and none of your words about patriotism means anything, if you don’t aspire to return and live in your homeland. I owe it to my father for my interest in politics. When I was a teen, my father would provide me with various books that I would read and engage in debates over this or that political issue…

Dad, you will always exist so long as I exist…

The Requiem Service for my father will take place on June 2 (6 p.m.-8 p.m.) at San Lazaro Funeral Home, but taking into consideration the growing pandemic, I call on all my friends and close ones to not come. I would really like to ask everyone not to come because we all have elderly at home, and nobody has the right to put other people’s lives at risk.

To those who come, I would like to ask you to strictly maintain social distancing…

I wish everyone health…”