Author: Badalian Vardan

POLICE OPERATIONS AIMED TO PREVENT ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT SIGNING – ACTIVIST

15:38 27.08.13

The measures which the Armenian police take in relation to the civic
group can be considered a good present for the political forces not
wishing the country to sign the Association Agreement with EU in
November, says an activist.

“They want repressions and political prisoners in the country. I
don’t rule out the possibility that the police operations serve for
specific purposes in this case,” Argishti Kiviryan, a coordinator of
Armenia Today, told Tert.am.

The activist was taken to the police twice earlier this summer over
accusations of attempting to pitch a tent in front of the Yerevan City
Hall (August 24) and assisting the residents of Yerevan’s Komitas 5
building in closing the street to prevent a controversial construction
on the territory.

Kiviryan, who has worked as a lawyer for many years, says the police
conduct does not absolutely look strange to him. He remembered that
when being taken to the police station on Sunday, he was severely
beaten on the head by police officers who used abusive language
against him.

The General Prosecutor’s Office has opened criminal case over the
Sunday violence against Kiviryan. The issue is now under the proceeding
of the Special Investigative Service of the Police.

Armenian News – Tert.am

ARMENIAN STATE PHILHARMONIC PERFORMS WITH NEW INITIATIVES

18:17, 27 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian state philharmonic on
September 21 will introduce to the society its new website where will
be presented all cultural events taking place in Armenia.

“Armenpress” reports that about this mentioned director of Armenian
state philharmonic Gagik Manasyan. He informed that during this autumn
more than 150 cultural events will be organized.

“Each Tuesday and Thursday in “Arno Babajanian” concert hall will
be held Armenian national, folk music concerts in participation of
Armenian folk instruments orchestra and many soloists,” mentioned
Gagik Manasyan.

Besides traditional events philharmonic intends to organize a jubilee
evening dedicated to 90th birthday anniversary of composer Tsovak
Hambardzumyan as well as a festive event dedicated to SayatNova’s
jubilee.

“State philharmonic has implemented new initiatives lately. At first
was founded “Folkmodern” ensemble of folk musical instruments which
already performed in Jordan and Bulgaria. The ensemble will introduce
Armenian folk music in international stages. On September 13 will
take place the first concert-presentation of the ensemble after which
it will perform in Germany. Besides we performed with another new
initiative: concert-lessons of school philharmonic since September
21 will be shown in internet and will be available for everyone. We
are aware that in schools there are computer centers where pupils
can watch concert-lessons,” mentioned Manasyan.

State Philharmonic lately also founded student philharmonic in order
to struggle against law quality music.

ARMENIA, NKR MUST BE PROTECTED FROM AZERI ENCROACHMENT: RUSSIAN ACTIVIST

August 27, 2013 – 17:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia and Artsakh must be protected from Azeri
encroachment, a Russian human rights activist said.

As Sergei Karnaukhov, who was a part of a Russian delegation traveling
to Artsakh, told PanARMENIAN.Net his visit aimed to contribute to
protecting Armenia and NKR from Azeri and the U.S. encroachment.

“Armenia must be on its guard – in terms of American geopolitics,
it’s an easy-to-strike target,” he noted.

According to the activist, both Armenia and Russia need consolidation
of a strong society to oppose to he development of events based on
American scenario.

PRESIDENT: ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO COMPETE WITH US SHOULD RATHER COMPETE IN AREA OF EDUCATION

16:28 27/08/2013 ” EDUCATION

President Serzh Sargsyan received today numerous schoolchildren and
students from the capital and provinces who demonstrated excellent
results last academic year as well as the winners of different
Olympiads. The Presidential Palace hosted in particular medal winner
graduates of the Republic’s secondary education establishments for the
academic year 2012-2013, medal winners of the international scientific
Olympiads for schoolchildren conducted in 2013, medal winners of
five international Olympiads for schoolchildren held in 2013, the
winners of the Kangaroo-2013 international competition in mathematics,
schoolchildren of excellent performance from provinces of different age
groups as well as the students who won medals at the 27th World Student
Games held in Kazan, Russia. At this traditional meeting they received
their awards – medals, certificates and souvenirs from the President
of the Republic of Armenia, the presidential press service reported.

The President congratulated all awardees, wished them recurrent
success and answered their questions.

Remarks by President Serzh Sargsyan at the meeting with the
schoolchildren and students of excellent academic record and
prize-winners of the Olympiads

Dear Friends,

I am glad to have this meeting with you today and I am extremely
pleased to welcome you at the Presidential Palace.

After being elected President of the Republic of Armenia in 2008,
I promised to hold meetings with the medal winner graduates of the
schools and medals winners of the international science Olympiads.

Please be assured that no matter how busy I am and regardless of the
number of small and large problems to be addressed, I will keep my
word and every year I will be meeting with the young people because
on one hand you deserve it, on the other hand I constantly receive
positive impulses from these meetings. Today, you are my personal
guests. In this hall, we hold meetings with foreign dignitaries. We
hold receptions for them right here but trust me, today’s meeting
is not less important. You are the future of our country, you are
the heroes of our times, and our country needs such heroes, really
needs them.

I always speak with pride about you with my interlocutors. Have
no doubt that our country will do everything so that science and
education in Armenia flourish. Couple of months ago, I instructed
the government of the Republic to take measures to ensure that each
student of good performance is not deprived of the right to receive
education because of his or her difficult social situation. This
year, a number of such programs have already been launched. These
are programs which are general, envisages for all; programs which
are already working for the socially disadvantaged students.

This meeting is not just a formal meeting. This meeting is a policy.

Education is one of the most important areas for our country’s
development, not less important than the army. You represent our
country abroad, you glorify our name. And all those who want to compete
with us should rather compete in the area of education. All those who
speak about the collapse of Armenia’s education system should rather
open their eyes wide, prick up their ears and observe our success.

You have already won eleven medals at the science Olympiads – one
silver and ten bronze, which is exactly as many as your peers from
Georgia and Azerbaijan combined. I am confident that we are yet to
register success in the area of astronomy, and I want us together to
wish success to our young people.

Well done! Thank you, trust me you’ve made a great job; last year as
well as this year, we have registered outstanding results.

I would like to thank the participants of the Kazan Student Games who
have won ten medals. Never before in our modern history have we been
able to win so many medals at the Student Games.

I would like to recognize all those graduates who this year graduated
with gold medals. It is gratifying that secondary education in Armenia
is developing not only in Yerevan, as many would say, but also in
our regions. It is testified to by the increased number of the medal
recipients not only in Yerevan but also in Goris, Sisian, Hrazdan,
Gyumri. It is great. Be assured that the process will go on.

I would also like to recognize our youngsters-winners of the Kangaroo
competition who are your successors indeed. I wish you don’t stop
there. This is the first steady step toward your bright future and
the process should go on. Learning is an incessant process. Even after
graduating from a higher education establishment, one should continue
to study, to read constantly and not only professional literature. You
are the worthy representative of the small nation which has great
history and culture. You ought to be ingenious in your education,
with diverse knowledge; you ought to be very different from others.

Otherwise, we all, our nation will not have the future which our
ancestors dreamed about and for which many sacrificed their lives.

I believe in you. I believe in you and wish that next time we meet
in this hall in a different status. As you know we have the Luys
Foundation in Armenia, which is providing financing to the Armenian
students who study in ten best educational establishments of the
world. Every year, I meet with them too. This year, I met with them
several weeks ago. They are brilliant young people, really brilliant.

I wish that some time later you and others like you be present here
as the recipients of the Luys Foundation fellowships, and we speak of
other topics. I also wish that we meet again in this hall when you’ve
already become the recipients of the Presidential Award for young
scientists. You will not even notice how quick the time will pass and
if you keep on this tempo, you will move our country forward. Believe
me, in a little while you, who sit here today or those like you will
become the leadership of this country – high ranking state officials.

Source: Panorama.am

OPERA AND BALLET THEATRE TO CELEBRATE ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY

15:51, 27 August, 2013

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. The National Academic Theatre of Opera
and Ballet after Alexander Spendiarian will start its 80th theatrical
season on September 20 by Armen Tigranyan’s opera “Anush”. As reports
“Armenpress” Kamo Hovhannisyan, the Director of the National Academic
Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiarian, highlighted:
“It has become a good tradition to open the theatrical season with
“Anush”. We shall not make exceptions this year too.”

The National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander
Spendiarian has prepared a number of surprises for its audience
within the framework of its 80th theatrical season. The staff of the
theatre of 400 artists will introduce a number of performances along
with a row of distinguished art figures from abroad. It is considered
that the audience will have an opportunity to enjoy new projects and
programs as well.

Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander
Spendiarian in Yerevan was officially opened on 20 January 1933. The
building was designed by the Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian. The
building consists of two concert halls: Aram Khatchaturian concert
hall and the hall of the Alexander Spendiarian Opera and Ballet
National Theatre.

The ground-breaking of the Opera-Theatre took place on 28 November 1930
during the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Soviet Armenia. On
January 20, 1933, the building was officially opened. Soon after the
theatre foundation, a ballet troupe was established. Swan Lake by
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the first ballet performance in 1935.

Since 1935 a unique Armenian opera, Anoush by Armen Tigranian, has been
performed in Yerevan opera theatre. It was a great step in Armenian
opera history. Anoush is in the repertoire of the theatre until now.

Since it was opened, the Armenian National Opera & Ballet Theatre
has performed more than 200 different operas and ballets by Armenian,
Russian and West European composers. The theatre company has performed
in more than 20 countries, e.g. in Russia, Spain, Lebanon, USA, Greece,
Germany. In 1956, the theatre received the status of National Academic
Opera and Ballet Theatre.

The theatre has also hosted concerts performed by Charles Aznavour,
Ian Anderson, John McLaughlin, Akvarium and many others.

DADDIES’ SONS AND THE DISOBEDIENT

A crucial stage of the generation gap

On these days the sons of the fathers are taking physical revenge on
people who advocate civic values. Apart from being facts of violence,
these incidents show that the conflict of generations has at last
escalated.

The primary factor of progress is the generation gap. In other words,
the sons must oppose their parents on many issues and review the
values of their fathers. In Armenia most sons have lived just like
their fathers did, listened to the same music, organized traditional
weddings like their fathers did and, as statistics shows, most of
them divorced right away or emigrated.

What makes the young people who have gone on protest different from
those who are ready to provoke scandals in the street to defend
their fathers from those who harm their family business? In fact,
they have escaped family bondage and compulsion. They have been able
to escape their parents’ “don’t mix up, it’s none of your business,
don’t go out to the street” and other similar instructions. They
build their own life on another culture based on the freedom of an
individual and public solidarity.

This culture of freedom has been suppressed in Armenia for many years
because there were more followers of criminal and family business
interests. Perhaps the generation is rising which could not put up
with the criminal culture that penetrated as far as the schools and
colleges. And now the followers of the new culture set up hotbeds in
the streets to publish those values and wake up courage in others.

For the sons of fathers who are hostages of family business money,
G class cars and brazenness are achievements. But is this the limit
of dreams of contemporary young Armenians? Of course, not. Most young
people pursue deliverance, self-expression and change of their lives.

They don’t care for big cars and privileges. They don’t crave for
material things.

This generation gap has just entered into a crucial stage. It brings
about a debate with parents on values and a positive revolution.

Disobeying parents brings about not only individual but also political
consequences.

The independence of sons has the biggest potential of revolution
because it makes the new lifestyle of young people attractive for
the majority. The generation gap causes an outburst of new energy
for the sake of the public’s future. The lid will be flung away.

Vahan Meliksetyan 14:20 27/08/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

PUBLIC COUNCIL CALLS FOR DISMANTLEMENT OF FACING OF GANDZASAR’S ENCLOSURE

Wednesday,
August
28

The Sub-commission on Preservation of Historic Values and Monuments of
the Public Council of Armenia has taken a decision to send a letter to
the Presidents of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and Catholicos of All
Armenians Karekin II. The letter will contain a proposal to dismantle
the facing tiles of the enclosure of Gandzasar Monastery Complex.

The sub-commission asks that the government take a decision about
dismantlement of the facing of the monastery’s enclosure and its full
restoration in accordance with its historic style as well as about
the involvement of experts for professional organization of work.

TODAY, 13:41

Aysor.am

ARMENIAN PIANIST TO PLAY AT ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK

11:11 28.08.2013

New York

Young Armenian pianist Karine Poghosyan will perform at St. Vartan
Cathedral in New York City on Wednesday evening, September 25th. Ms.

Poghosyan will also be leading the St. Vartan orchestra in their
inaugural appearance. The program will include works by Schubert,
Bach, and Liszt, the Broadway World reports.

Karine Poghosyan has been praised for her ability to get to the heart
of the works she performs. She made her orchestral debut at 14 playing
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1, and her solo Carnegie Hall debut at
23, and has since gone on to win numerous awards as well as perform
in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls.

An avid musician who has been described as “extraordinary” and
“larger than life,” Karine Poghosyan has performed in recitals at
Carnegie’s Well Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Steinway Hall, the
Trinity Church Concerts at One series, the Beverly Hills Sundays at
Two series, the Valley Committee for the LA Philharmonic, the Bach’s
Lunch Recital Series in California, the Young Artists International
Peninsula Festival in California, and the International Keyboard
Institute and Festival in New York. In the fall of 2007, she organized
and performed a three-recital concert series at the Yamaha Piano Salon
titled Twentieth Century Piano Sonata. Recently, she helped organize
the “Requiem and Resurrection” concert in commemoration of the 95th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Saint Vartan Armenian
Cathedral in New York, where her performance of the Piano Sonata
by Khachaturian received a standing ovation and was described as
“jaw-dropping.”

Ms. Poghosyan has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras
including the New West Symphony, Park Avenue Chamber Symphony
Orchestra, Musica Bella Symphony Orchestra, the CSUN Symphony, and
the Kokolo Ensemble, and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra,
whose music director Dr. Choe described Ms. Poghosyan as “an audience
magnet” and “a born performer.” She has participated in the master
classes of distinguished artists such as Alicia de Larrocha, Claude
Franck, Jon O’Connor, and Jerome Rose.

Ms. Poghosyan is the winner of the New West Symphony Discovery Artists
Competition, the Thousand Islands International Piano Competition, CSUN
Symphony Concerto Competition, the Artists International Auditions
and was a top prize winner in the Los Angeles International Liszt
Piano Competition, Five Towns Music and Arts Competition, and the Arno
Babajanian Piano Competition. Ms. Poghosyan is also the recipient of
scholarships from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences,
the Glendale Symphony Orchestra, the Armenian Students Association
of America, AGBU, and the Jacob and Bronislaw Gimpel Foundation,
and Manhattan School of Music.

Ms. Poghosyan’s music studies began in her native Yerevan Armenia in
School of the Arts, No. 1, and later in Romanos Melikian College as
well as Komitas State Conservatory. Her teachers in Armenia included
Irina Gazarian, Vatche Umr-Shat, and Svetlana Dadyan. After moving
to the United States in 1998, she received her BM, summa cum laude,
from California State University in Northridge, under Professor
Francoise Regnat, and her MM and D.M.A. degrees at the Manhattan
School of Music, under Dr. Arkady Aronov, completing her D.M.A. in
record-breaking two years with thesis on Aram Khachaturian for Piano.

Ms. Poghosyan is currently based in New York, where she teaches at
her alma mater Manhattan School of Music.

Upcoming performances in 2013-14 include solo recitals at the
University of Northridge and at the “Sundays at Two” series in
Rolling Hills, CA, a solo and orchestral performance at the Saint
Vartan Cathedral in New York in May as well as September, and solo
recitals in Montgomery, NY, and Richmond, Virginia.

SHOOTING OR FIREWORKS NEAR PARUYR HAYRIKYAN’S HOUSE?

August 28, 2013 | 10:38

YEREVAN. – The sound of shooting was heard on Wednesday evening near
the house of ex-presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan, the residents
of the district claimed.

The residents alerted police saying sounds of shooting were heard
from the yard of Hayrikyan’s house.

Talking to the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent, Hayrikyan explained
that the sounds were heard from the house of his neighbor.

“They were celebrating birthday with fireworks,” he said, commenting
on rumors.

Ex-presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan was wounded as a result
of an assassination attempt that was staged against him on January
31, 2013 in downtown Yerevan, in front of his home, when the
presidential campaign was in a full swing. In the criminal case
that was launched into this assassination attempt, ex-presidential
candidate, non-party affiliate, and epic poetry specialist Vardan
Sedrakyan-who is imprisoned-is charged with organizing the attempted
murder of a state, political, or a public figure.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

AMERIABANK CONTINUES TO SELL-OFF PROPERTY SEIZED FROM PAYLAK HAYRAPETYAN

Edik Baghdasaryan

12:02, August 27, 2013

Paylak Hayrapetyan is not a happy man, given that Bon Armenia LLC. has
taken title to three of his properties that had been put up as
collateral with AmeriaBank in a government-backed program to transform
Armenia into a world center for the polishing and sale of diamonds.

That program has gone belly-up and Hayrapetyan has been stripped of
$33 million worth of property as a result.

Implicated in the off-shore scandal are RA Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan, Locum Tenens of the Ararat Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church Archbishop Navasard Kjoyan and businessman Ashot Sukiasyan.

Sukiasyan was the one who used Hayrapetyan family property as
collateral to receive $10.7 million in loans from AmeriaBank.

Bon Armenia is owned by John Sasoun Geledj, who is better known in
Armenia as Christian. Geledj is also the director of VKS Armenia Ltd.,
a garment factory. Geledj has been engaged in textile manufacturing in
Armenia since 2007. VKS has factories in Yerevan, Vanadzor and Amasia.

Geledj owns 49% of the VKS Armenia stock.

Geledj founded Bon Armenia on June 25 of this year. The company
address is registered as 1 Gadjegortzner Street in Yerevan. This is
the same address of the Hayrapetyan property put up as collateral
with AmeriaBank. Geledj owns 100% of Bon Armenia.

During our telephone conversations, Geledj told me that he purchased
the property in order to develop the textile trade in Armenia.

“I knew Paylak Hayrapetyan even before the events connected with him.

I had spoken to him about buying those properties. I have good
relations with him,” Geledj said at the time.

Geledj purchased the properties from AmeriaBank for $700,000.

In the meantime, Paylak Hayrapetyan told me that Geledj had once
suggested that the two set up a joint business.

“He sent me a ridiculous contract. I told him just one thing, that we
were still involved in a court case and that I would get possession
back of all my property. I advised him not to get involved,” says
Hayrapetyan.

Recently, Paylak Hayrapetyan published an open letter addressed
to Armenian businesspeople urging them not to purchase any of his
properties either being directly sold off or auctioned by AmeriaBank
given that there was an ongoing court case.

Many haven’t heeded his call.

One that hasn’t is Davit Setrakyan, son of National Assembly MP
Mher Setrakyan.

He has purchased one section of the property at 1 Gadjegortzner Street.

Photo: Paylak Hayrapetyan (Courtesy of Hraparak)