Yerevan hosted two major events last week: the opening of Armmono Festival of Mono Performances and Day of Francophonie in Armenia. The former offered an opportunity to watch the performance of 18 theater stars from 7 countries while the latter featured a concert of Armenian pop stars singing in French.

The government of Armenia accepted the proposal of Moscow Cinema LLC directorate on the gratuitous alienation of the land area on Abovyan 18 str., Yerevan, a public property occupied by Moscow Cinema Open-Air Hall, for the benefit of Holy Etchmiadzin, thus conferring it a property right to construct a new church on the site of former Surb Poghos-Petros Church, dismantled by Soviet authorities. Such a hasty governmental decision caused unrest among Armenian civil society, who now use every chance to express their disagreement on the issue. The fact is rather surprising, for Armenians’ passion for church-building is famous worldwide. It is the choice of the construction site that causes people’s discontent.

The first sitting of the Board of trustees at Venetian center for Armenian culture studies was scheduled for Saturday, March 13. Armenian Minister of Culture, Hasmik Poghosyan left on a working visit to Italy to participate in a sitting. The sitting focused on further activities of the center, RA Ministry of Culture press service reported.

The Sergei Paradjanov Festival in London and Bristol was opened with Yuri Mechitov’s photographic exhibition at the National Theatre Monday, February 22. The exhibition was composed of rarely seen photographs taken by Georgian photographer Yuri Mechitov during his 11 year friendship with the director. The Sergei Paradjanov Festival in London and Bristol was the first major celebration of the legendary artist and filmmaker whose talent transcends religious and political boarders, drawing on the cultural traditions of Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine and Russia. The Festival aimed to present the life and works of Sergei Paradjanov to UK audiences through a series of diverse events that include: a film season; a moving image installation; a symposium and a workshop at the BFI Southbank; a photographic exhibition at the National Theatre; screenings and talks at Pushkin House; a concert at St. Yeghiche Armenian Church; a film retrospective at Arnolfini (Bristol); and a photographic exhibition at The Bristol Gallery.

Armenian entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest was selected in a national final Sunday, February 14. The winner, Eva Rivas, was picked by a combined vote of the TV public (SMS voting) and an expert jury.

SMS vote-rigging was the hot topic this week, as Armenian music stars and fans traded scandalous accusations of fraud in a live singing contest held on Sunday night which selected Russian-born singer of Armenian descent Eva Rivas to represent Armenia in the annual Eurovision International Song Contest. The designated jury selected the Emmy and Mihran duo as their prime choice for the contest, but SMS voting of the audience during the live show played a decisive role and Eva Rivas came on top instead. Emmi and Mihran supporters claimed their SMS votes were prevented from going through, staging a small-scale protest action in capital Yerevan and claiming unfair treatment.

ART-EXPO 2010 second annual exhibition was held in Artists' Union of Armenia on February 12. Over 50 cultural organizations and NGOs presented their achievements of the previous year. According to the organizers, the exhibition is a chance to introduce the achievements of Armenian art to public, to establish new links with International partners and to strengthen cultural cooperation between Armenian and international organizations.

Last week it became known that world-famous filmmaker and musician Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra are to give a concert in the concert hall Aram Khachaturian of Yerevan on March 5. And if the news of this concert, initiated by Avangard Folk Club and the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, was a pleasant surprise to the Armenian public, people have known about the forthcoming concert of legendary rock band “Deep Purple” due in Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex on May 25 since the end of last year. However, the organizers - the company Vibrographus and ArmRosgazprom CJSC - found it important to note that the price for tickets would be rising since February 9, which probably will not become an obstacle for the Armenian audience to get in touch with world culture.

The140th birth anniversary of Komitas was marked in Kaiser-Wilhelm Church in Berlin last week. The event started with a service offered by Archimandrite Eghishe, the spiritual leader of the Armenian community of Berlin.

A couple of years ago I had a chance of an interview with Robert Sahakyants and one could not assume at that time that he would leave the world so soon. We all knew he was ill, but no one suspected how serious the illness was. He was one of those without whom, in his opinion, everything would sink in sweet syrup. All that you'll read further are his direct words, as we thought no one could speak of Robert Sahakyants and the world surrounding him better than he himself. For some reason he always spoke Russian, although he knew his native language perfectly well. Call it freak of a genius if you like, but now that he is gone words, however beautiful they might be, are needless.