An intense discussion has commenced in social networks on replacing the national anthem of the Republic of Armenia based on the poem “The Song of an Italian Girl” by Mikael Nalbandian with the song “Pour toi Armenie” (“For You, Armenia”) by Charles Aznavour. Gagik Hambaryan expressed his opinion stating that the change which is being discussed is extremely irrelevant.

“The song of the poor Italian girl is absolutely irrelevant as our national anthem. Maybe that aura influences our lives negatively as well. I am not a superstitious man, but I want our national anthem to be a glorious and a bold one, to give hope and to encompass our victories. But what do we see? From one miserable song, we pass to another which was written in 1988 dedicated to the earthquake and illustrates our hopeless and miserable situation when the whole world comes to help us.

Assuredly, I like Charles Aznavour’s song very much, but both the representatives of our generation and older people know that Charles Aznavour’s song has not been intended for a national anthem, it is a song dedicated to the earthquake. I do not want the anthem of our republic to be a song dedicated to a disaster, no way. Every time I hear that song, I remember the earthquake, our ruined Gyumri, I remember the victims in the streets. That disaster is depicted even in the clip of Charles Aznavour’s song. I find that this is a totally irrelevant discussion. Charles Aznavour is the pride of our nation, but that song brings about pity, as they say – we come out of dirt, fall into a dirty pond.”