Month: September 2013

Tigran Karapetyan appointed as Armenian prime minister’s assistant

YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
has appointed Tigran Karapetyan as his assistant, the government’s
press office reported today.

Karapetyan was born in 1996. In 1996 he graduated from the economy and
trade department, Ca Foscari University in Venice, and in 2006 from
the international sciences and European organizations department, the
Milan State University.

He has worked as representative of Delta-Armenia airline in Yerevan,
as representative of AC Castelletti in Armenia, as responsible person
at San Lazzaro Library, Italy, and as person responsible for culture
events at Murad Rafaelyan Armenian college in Venice.

In 2012, Karapetyan was the representative of Armenian Development
Agency in Italy.
He is a member of the Republican Party of Armenia. Married.

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Sos Sargsyan’s civil funerals take place

20:06, 28 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The civil funerals of the People’s
Artist of the Republic of Armenia Sos Sargsyan took place in the
“Hamazgayin” Theatre on September 28. The Prime Minister of the
Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan, His Holiness Karekin II, the
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Ministers, Deputies
of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, as well as other
higher officials attended the aforesaid ceremony and paid tribute to
the prominent artist along with a number of actors, singers, and
artists.

Outstanding Armenian actor, People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia
Sos Sargsyan passed away on September 26 at the age of 84.

Sos Sargsyan was born in Stepanavan on October 24, 1929. He graduated
from the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute in 1954. From 1954 he
performed at the Sundukyan Drama Theatre of Yerevan. In 1992 he
established and headed “Hamazgain” Theatre. 1997-2005 he was the
rector of Yerevan Institute of Theatre and Cinema. Besides Armenian
films he starred in a number of Russian films, most notable of which
is Solaris (1972), directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Sos Sargsyan starred in a number of movies including The Musical Team
Boys as Artashes, Triangle as Master Mkrtich, Source of Heghnar as
Master Mkrtich, Solaris as Dr. Gibarian, Nahapet as Nahapet, Star Of
Hope as Movses, The Best Half of Life, Beyond the Seven Mountains as
Hovsep, Dzori Miro as Miro, Gikor as Hambo, Sans Famille (TV movie) as
Vitalis, Apple Garden as Martin, Yeghishe Charents – Known and Unknown
Sides (doc. film), Pharmacy on The Corner as Adamyan, Where Have You
Been, Man of God?, (doc. TV mini-series) as Stepham Yesayan, And There
Was Light, The Merry Bus as priest,etc.

From: A. Papazian

Exhibition of Sergey Parajanov’s works to open in Vilnius

20:47, 28 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Culture of the
Republic of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan will pay a visit to Vilnius (the
Republic of Lithuania) on October 2-4 to attend the opening ceremony
of the exhibition of works by Sergey Parajanov held within the
framework of the Lithuanian Chairmanship in the Council of Ministers
of the EU. “Armenpress” reports about this citing the official website
of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia.

Sergei Parajanov was born on January 9, 1924. He was Soviet Armenian
film director and artist who made significant contributions to the
Ukrainian, Armenian and Georgian cinema. He invented his own cinematic
style, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of
socialist realism (the only sanctioned art style in the USSR). This,
combined with his controversial lifestyle and behaviour, led Soviet
authorities to repeatedly persecute and imprison him, and suppress his
films.

Although he started professional film-making in 1954, Parajanov later
disowned all the films he made before 1964 as “garbage”. After
directing Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (renamed Wild Horses of Fire
for most foreign distributions) Parajanov became something of an
international celebrity and simultaneously a target of attacks from
the system. Nearly all of his film projects and plans from 1965 to
1973 were banned, scrapped or closed by the Soviet film
administrations, both local (in Kyiv and Yerevan) and federal
(Goskino), almost without discussion, until he was finally arrested in
late 1973. He was imprisoned until 1977, despite a plethora of pleas
for pardon from various artists. Even after his release (he was
arrested for the third and last time in 1982) he was a persona non
grata in Soviet cinema. It was not until the mid-1980s, when the
political climate started to relax, that he could resume
directing. Still, it required the help of influential Georgian actor
Dodo Abashidze and other friends to have his last feature films
greenlighted. His health seriously weakened by four years in labor
camps and nine months in prison in Tbilisi, Parajanov died of lung
cancer in 1990, at a time when, after almost 20 years of suppression,
his films were being featured at foreign film festivals.

In 1984, the slow thaw within the Soviet Union spurred Parajanov to
resume his passion for cinema. With the encouragement of various
Georgian intellectuals, he created the multi-award-winning film Legend
of Suram Fortress, based on a novella by Daniel Chonkadze, his first
return to cinema since Sayat Nova fifteen years earlier. In 1988,
Parajanov made another multi-award-winning film, Ashik Kerib, based on
a story by Mikhail Lermontov. Parajanov dedicated the film to his
close friend Andrei Tarkovsky and “to all the children of the world”.
Parajanov then immersed himself in a project that ultimately proved
too monumental for his failing health. He died of cancer in Yerevan,
Armenia, on July 20, 1990, aged 66, leaving this final work, The
Confession, unfinished. It survives in its original negative as
Parajanov: The Last Spring, assembled by his close friend Mikhail
Vartanov in 1992. Federico Fellini, Tonino Guerra, Francesco Rosi,
Alberto Moravia, Giulietta Masina, Marcello Mastroianni and Bernardo
Bertolucci were among those who publicly mourned his death. A telegram
that came to Russia read”The world of cinema has lost a magician”.

The Parajanov-Vartanov Institute was established in Hollywood in 2010
to study, preserve and promote the artistic legacies of Sergei
Parajanov and Mikhail Vartanov.

Power leads agitation among soldiers of Azerbaijani army:

14:08 28/09/2013 » SOCIETY

Representatives of Azerbaijani authorities, making bellicose
statements everywhere about the solution of the Karabakh issue by
power, scare the soldiers of Azerbaijani Army saying that the change
of the current power will certainly give birth to a war, reads
`Azpolitika.info.’

Emissaries of the power convince the soldiers that the new government
will immediately show itself ny starting new military operations
against Karabakh and the new war will cause a new and much larger
losses. The site notes that some of the “oppositionist” candidates for
president urge openly the army officers during the televised debates
that a war will burst out in case of the change of the power.

Representatives of the ruling regime assure that in case of Ilham
Aliyev’s re-election, “the lands will be returned peacefully.” They
demand from the servicemen to convince their family and friends to
vote for Aliyev in order to avoid the war. It is noteworthy that this
propaganda is carried out not on the front lines, but in big cities,
in the rear. The most active work is being done among the State Border
Service officers and the Internal Troops.

“However, Defense Minister Safar Abiyev is against such propaganda. He
ordered to cease admission of such agitator-emissaries of power to
military units,” the website notes.

Source: Panorama.am

Liska’s Biological State

Country – Saturday, 28 September 2013, 10:48

Yesterday the heads of parliamentary groups met with the nominee of
the Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan. He was asked whether his
nomination is related to his favor to the ex-governor of Syunik Surik
Khachatryan as he announced a few days after the incident that the
ex-governor was not at the scene. Kostanyan noted that during the next
four days from the incident a lot of evidence was found which prove
the fact. `We are not speaking about being asleep or in any other
biological state, we say the person was not on the scene, don’t we?’
Kostanyan told henaran.am.

Mark Geragos Calls U.S. Stance on Armenian Genocide Issue Hypocritical
By MassisPost
Updated: September 27, 2013

[image: markgeragos]

NEW YORK – Armenian-American attorney Mark Geragos voiced about the Turkish
strategy of the Armenian Genocide denial and the double standards policy of
the United States in this issue during CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 program
on This week.

The panelist on the program were unanimous to condemned the policy adopted
by Iran regarding the Holocaust of the Jewish people by Nazis. Mark Geragos
reminded the interlocutors that the United States conduct similar policy in
the Armenian Genocide issue, which was followed by the other genocides of
the 20th century. Among other things Mark Geragos underscored: `Turkey is
our greatest ally in that region. But Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide.
As a presidential candidate Barack Obama stated that he will recognize the
Armenian Genocide, if he is elected. So in my opinion the political
dynamics in this issue is a little bit hypocritical.’

Mark John Geragos (born October 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American criminal
defense lawyer as the Principal with the internationally known trial lawyer
firm of Geragos & Geragos, Mark Geragos cemented his national reputation as
a trial lawyer a dozen years ago with back-to-back State and Federal Court
jury trial acquittals for renowned Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, later
securing a presidential pardon for Ms. McDougal for a conviction sustained
prior to his representation of her.
Geragos was one of the lead lawyers in a pair of groundbreaking Federal
Class Action Lawsuits against New York Life Insurance and AXA Corporation
for insurance policies issued in the early 20th century during the genocide
of over 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turk Regime, eventually
settling these two cases for more than $37.5 million. He is currently suing
the Government of Turkey for reparations arising out of the Armenian
Genocide.

Karabakh President sends congratulatory address to President of
Abkhazia

21:34, 28 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. On 29 September Artsakh Republic
President Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to President of
the Republic of Abkhazia Alexander Ankvab.

The Central information Department of the Artsakh President’s Office
informed “Armenpress” the address runs as follows:

“`On behalf of the Artsakh Republic people, authorities and personally
I cordially congratulate You and the whole people of fraternal
Abkhazia on the 20th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War
of 1992-1993.

The patriotism of the people of Abkhazia, having defended the freedom
and independence, dignity and honor of their country, is a vivid
manifestation of heroism and selflessness.

The best sons of Abkhazia sacrificed their lives for this great
victory. Everlasting glory and honor to all the perished heroes!
Today, continuing the work of their brothers and fathers, the citizens
of Abkhazia look into their future confidently, develop their country,
reliably provide security for it and strengthen its independent
statehood.

I congratulate You once more, respected Mr Ankvab, and the whole
people of the Republic of Abkhazia with this memorable holiday. Peace
and prosperity to the fraternal Abkhazia!”

Armenia is a sacred place for me: Dmitri Hvorostovsky

21:00, 28 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Russian popular baritone Dmitri
Hvorostovsky will give a concert with the Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra within the framework of the festival “Yeravan Perspectives”.
Conductor Konstantion Orbelyan Junior will lead the orchestra during
this exclusive concert. The works by Verdi, Belini, Wagner, Glinka,
Rachmaninov, Bizet, Dunaevski, Pakhmutova, as well as Armenian
composers Khachaturyan, Orbelyan and Babajanyan will be performed
during the concert. Konstantin Orbelyan, who celebrates his 85th
birthday this year, will be present at the concert. The maestro will
perform the work “The Noise of the Birches.”

As reports `Armenpress” Dmitri Hvorostovski underscored: “I’m very
glad to visit Armenia again. 7 years ago I was in Armenia for the
first time. I liked your land very much. I have a number of Armenian
friends all over the world. Your country is a sacred place for me. I
am very happy that I’ll give a concert together with the wonderful
orchestra and my friend Konstantin Orbelyan. We’ve crossed this planet
together for a couple of times. I arrived inArmenia a few hours ago
and started rehearsing at once. I see that it’s very beautiful, clean
and sunny in here. The people are very nice.

We come from Moscow, where the weather is nasty: it’s very cold there,
and here the sun is shining and it’s very hot.” Internationally
acclaimed Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky was born and studied in
Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. In 1989, he won the prestigious Cardiff Singer
of the World Competition. From the start, audiences were bowled over
by his cultivated voice, innate sense of musical line and natural
legato. After his Western operatic debut at the Nice Opera in
Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame, his career exploded to take in regular
engagements at the world’s major opera houses and appearances at
renowned international festivals, including the Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden, New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opera, the
Bavarian State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Teatro alla Scala
Milan, the Vienna State Opera, and the Chicago Lyric Opera.

A celebrated recitalist in demand in every corner of the globe–from
the Far East to the Middle East, from Australia to South America–
Hvorostovsky has appeared at such venues as Wigmore Hall, London;
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh; Carnegie Hall, New York; the Teatro alla
Scala, Milan; the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, Moscow; the Liceu,
Barcelona; the Suntory Hall, Tokyo; and the Musikverein, Vienna. The
singer regularly performs in concert with top orchestras like the New
York Philharmonic and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and conductors,
including James Levine, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel,
Zubin Mehta, Yuri Termikanov and Valery Gergiev.

Dmitri retains a strong musical and personal contact with Russia. He
became the first opera singer to give a solo concert with orchestra
and chorus on Red Square in Moscow; this concert was televised in over
25 countries. Dmitri has gone on to sing a number of prestigious
concerts in Moscow as a part of his own special series, `Dmitri
Hvorostovsky and Friends’. He has invited such celebrated artists as
Renee Fleming, Sumi Jo and Sondra Radvonosky. In 2005 he gave an
historic tour throughout the cities of Russia at the invitation of
President Putin, singing to crowds of hundreds of thousands of people
to commemorate the soldiers of the Second World War. Dmitri now tours
the cities of Russia and Eastern Europe on an annual basis.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s extensive discography spans recitals and
complete operas. He has also starred in Don Giovanni Unmasked, an
award-winning film (by Rhombus Media) based on the Mozart opera,
tackling the dual roles of Don Giovanni and Leporello. Future events
include Dmitri appearing at the MET, Covent Garden and Vienna opera
houses.

Forthcoming releases include a DVD starring Dmitri alongside Renee
Fleming in a film set in St Petersburg and two new solo CDs;
Tchaikovsky Songs and Songs on texts by Pushkin.

Recently Dmitri has established a new collaboration with the Russian
popular composer Igor Krutoi, with very successful concerts in Moscow,
St Petersburg and Kiev.

Baroness Cox: Azerbaijan broke faith

September 28, 2013 | 15:10

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan broke faith and behaved in an appalling way by
making a hero of Ramil Safarov, Baroness Caroline Cox said.

`We must never forget that the Armenian army officer was murdered in
his sleep,’ she said during the opening ceremony of a monument to
slain officer Gurgen Margaryan.

Baroness Cox said she was deeply shocked when Azerbaijan celebrated
the murderer as a hero.

`I am very worried by the massage that it gives to a younger
generation in Azerbaijan, if they are taught to treat a murderer as a
hero.’

Caroline Cox recalled that Ramil Safarov got a life sentence in
Hungary.

`I do not know why he was sent back to Azerbaijan, but I think
Azerbaijan promised he would continue his sentence in prison.’

As reported earlier, Ramil Safarov, a then-lieutenant in the
Azerbaijani military, was extradited on August 31, 2012 from Hungary,
where he was serving a life sentence – and with no expression of
either regret or remorse – for the premeditated axe murder of Armenian
lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in his sleep, during a NATO Partnership
for Peace program in Budapest back in 2004. Safarov had planned on
killing the other Armenian military serviceman, who likewise was
attending the aforesaid program, but he was unable to carry out this
plan.

Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his act of murder,
by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government and much of
Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president immediately granted
him a pardon, he was declared a national hero, promoted to a higher
military rank, and was allocated housing and pension.

And Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced on August 31, 2012
that Armenia is suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary. Also,
Sargsyan instructed the Ministry of Justice to take all measures to
petition to the international judicial tribunals, and with respect to
the Safarov case.

Ramil Safarov’s pardoning was condemned by virtually all international
organizations.

The Armenian party had applied to ECtHR in February, in connection
with the Ramil Safarov case. The complaint is with respect to Articles
2 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Armenian and
foreign specialists are included in the working group that is
preparing the complaint.

Protestors Plan to Appeal to International Bodies in Case of Detained
Opposition Activist

09.27.2013 18:09 epress.am

Joining the weekly protest outside the general prosecutor’s office
demanding opposition activist Tigran Araqelyan’s release today were
war veterans, protesting unfair conditions since May, who also signed
the petition to release the political prisoner Araqelyan. Armenian
National Congress (HAK) vice-chair Aram Manukyan welcomed the move,
emphasizing that their various issues – improved conditions for war
veterans, exposing non-combat deaths in the army, and countering
automated paid parking spots – cannot be resolved separately until the
public comes together and the current authorities do not resign.

Circulated during the demonstration was a petition to release the
activist on bail (rather than keeping him in prison, where he has
remained for the past two years pending a verdict), which will then be
submitted to the Court of Appeals for its next session. Recall, an
appeal signed by more than 100 prominent public figures, promising to
post bail and ensure the activist does not flee the country, was
earlier rejected by the court, which refused for the third time to
change its earlier decision.

Demonstraters have said their next move will be bringing international
attention to the case. HAK will appeal to international bodies, asking
various countries’ ambassadors stationed in Armenia to monitor the
case and ask the Armenian authorities to release the prisoner.
During today’s demonstration, Manukyan also mentioned nomination of
the candidate for general prosecutor, saying they don’t have great
expectations that Gevorg Kostanyan will change anything in the system.

Manukyan said that during its meeting with Kostanyan, the HAK
parliamentary faction raised the following issues: the cases of March
1 victims, political prisoners, and Tigran Araqelyan, a review of the
issue of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, eliminating the
practice of remand or pre-trial detention instead of bail in 95% of
cases, and the fight against corruption.

“In any case, we have no hope that he will resolve these issues. We
have no illusion that in this country there could be a prosecutor who
can solve these matters. We raised those issues as a matter of
courtesy, and we’ve agreed to get the answers to those questions in a
short period of time,” said Manukyan.