Appreciation
with medal. Armenian composer and conductor Konstantin Orbelyan was honored
last week with the Movses Khorenatsi Medal by President Robert Kocharyan. The
75 year old composer devoted 60 years of his life to art. He was the founder of
the most popular symphonic pop orchestra during Soviet times. The celebration
of Orbelyan's birthday took place on September 20 at Paplavok cafe, where President
Khocharyan awarded him with the highest civilian medal of honor.
Independence
in photos. On September 22 photos of different Armenian photographers were
exhibited at the Armenpress Photo Salon. The main goal of the exhibition was to
show artists' photo viewpoint on Armenian Independence, which was expressed in
their works. Some demonstrated their happiness living in the free country, while
others showed the dark part of independence.
New Sculpture. On
September 23 a sculpture called "Melancholy" of an outstanding Armenian
painter and sculptor Yervand Kochar was placed in front of the building of the
Experimental Art Center. This sculpture is four times bigger than its original
and was copied by the architect Ashot Karapetyan, who says that Kochar's creation
presents civilization, its beginning and present and its achievements in one person.
Mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan and the sculptor's son Ruben Kochar were present
at the opening ceremony.
However, this event doesn't overlook the fact that
Kochar's most popular monumental statue Sasuntsi David is now in very terrible
condition. Not only the water pond under the statue is not functioning but the
very important ideological part of the statue has been stolen as well. There was
a copper basin under the leg of the horse of hero of folk epos David. The water
was flowing from that basin into the pond. That basin was symbolizing the cup
of people's patience, which had already been filled up and was slopping over.
However, this cup has disappeared for three years and instead of that cup, the
cup of patience of the administration of Erebuni Community has been filled up
as they have placed that copper basin for three times and every time that basin
was stolen. Clipped film. (ARMINFO news agency) The film "Ararat"
shot by the Canadian film director of Armenian heritage Atom Egoyan will be demonstrated
in Turkey provided some scenes are clipped from it.
According to the "Actuality
Film" organization, which brought the film to Turkey, Turkish "Hurriyet"
newspaper reports that the Film Control Commission decided to have some scenes
clipped from it. Clipped parts of the film include scenes that "present the
events of Armenian history in an eloquent manner of cinema and contain expressions
humiliating Turkish soldiers." According to authors of the statement, in
the countries where the film was demonstrated "none of the viewers believed
the theses stated by means of the unsuccessful film." "When bringing
the film we thought that its original version might not cause any damage to Turkey,
but meet its interests," they said. According to them, "clipping some
fragments from the film will put in a more favorable light the events exaggerated
by Armenia's history."
Successful Tour. Yerevan Puppet
Theatre returned from Belarus and Bulgaria, where they took part in two International
Festivals and was titled as The Most National and Musical Theatre of the Festival.
Provocative
information. On September 24 Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs of Armenia
Tamara Poghosyan refuted the information spread recently by a number of Turkish
and then by local mass media, according to which Deputy Minister of Culture and
Youth Affairs of Armenia Karen Aristakesyan had made some statement.
At
the parliament Tamara Poghosyan informed that the International Conference called
"Cultural policy in the transitional period, dialogue and new partnership"
with the participation of the Ministers of Culture of a number of countries had
been held in Antalya (Turkey) under the aegis of the Council of Europe. The Deputy
Minister Karen Aristakesyan participated at that conference.
According
to him, after the conference Turkish Anadolu news agency spread an information,
which later was actively used by Turkish and Armenian mass media. According to
the information, at the conference during the meeting of the representatives of
the Culture Ministries of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan Karen Aristakesyan had
allegedly stated that it was necessary to forget about all upsetting events, taken
place in the past. In fact, the Deputy Minister stated "Armenia in its cultural
policy has attached and is attaching great importance to the development of the
dialogue in the issue of prevention of conflicts by means of intercultural and
inter-confessional dialogue with the participation of the figures of culture."
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