Armenia will join the world culture and introduce its culture to the world

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian culture too will be presented outside the country: from February 22 to May 9, 2010 a festival dedicated to Sergei Parajanov will be held in London and Bristol. It is the first major event to take place in Britain, during which the British public will have an opportunity to get acquainted with the life and work of Parajanov, whose talent, based on the cultural traditions of Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine, has crossed religious and political boundaries.

On March 12 and 13 the Moscow Cinema Actors’ Theater will host Edgar Hakobyan’s violin show. The concert is a kind of journey into the magical world where everything is based on sounds and feelings.

Last week, residents of the Dutch city Maassluis were presented with the opportunity to read the poems of Armenian poet Vahe Arsen “Return of Green Gods”, which was presented at the Center of Arts of Maassluis. It is the first book translated from Armenian into Dutch for the past few decades, and the second will be the epic of the Armenian people “David of Sassoon”, to be released in April of the current year. Author of translation of both books is Anna Maria Martirosyan-Mattaar.

Particular care was taken to fill up the number of children’s magazines published in the Armenian language. This time it was “Kakavik” (Partridge), an Armenian-language magazine published since February 1 in South California (editor Juliet Davtyan). There has long been a lack of children’s literature in the Armenian language, and the magazine “Kakavik” with colorful illustrations is called to fill up this gap and serve the preservation of Armenian identity and Armenian language. The monthly magazine is designed for children above seven. It presents comics, poems, riddles, songs, children’s projects. It will be available at Armenian schools and stores of South California.

Another way to contribute to preservation of the national identity of Armenians is the memory of our talented offspring and the knowledge of their creative heritage. Thus, last week Aram Khachaturian concert hall hosted a concert in celebration of composer Edgar Hovhannisyan’s 80th birth anniversary. The Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, under the guidance of Vardan Hokobyan, performed a concert program featuring compositions of Hovhannisyan, Spendiaryan and Prokofiev.

And for commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of renowned Armenian writer Vahan Teryan, a state commission was established, led by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. An important event in the frames of the Armenian poet’s 125th anniversary celebrations is the opening of Vahan Teryan’s museum. The issue came to be discussed still 25 years ago, on the 100th anniversary of the poet’s birth. However, the question was not seriously treated then. Meanwhile, it became known that Prime Minister Sargsyan assigned all Armenian ministries, and the Ministry of Culture in particular, to study the possible locations for erecting the museum. Today 900 pages of the writer’s not printed poems, his archive, manuscripts and personal things can be found in his native village Gandza, in Yeghishe Charent’s home museum and in many other places around the world, but there is no special place in Armenia where it would be possible to collect all of the writer’s precious works. “Substantial archive of Teryan’s manuscripts is now preserved in the flat of the poet’s friend Poghos Makintsian in Moscow. His daughter Anahit agreed to award these records to Armenia only if the writer’s museum is opened here,” highlighted Arushan Hakobyan, Head of “Vahan Teryan” Center.

As for our contemporaries, this week their talent showed young pianist Marianna Uzankichian and photographer Hayk Shalunts. Ten young performers are struggling at the moment for introducing the achievements of the Armenian show business on European level, and at the international song contest “Eurovision 2010” in particular. The best performer will be selected through public vote and the jury’s decision. And because professionals in this sphere have already joined efforts, we should only wait and hope for the successful performance of the Armenian representative and for active voting of citizens of the European Broadcasting Union member-countries.