PRESS RELEASE
Aug. 19, 2004

Teri Bond Michael, [email protected]
(310) 206-3235
Sasha Stone, [email protected]
(310) 206-5490

$1.1 Million Gift to UCLA Establishes Rouben Mamoulian Endowed Chair in
Directing for Film and Theater

UCLA Film and Television Archive screens Mamoulian’s ‘Love Me Tonight’
during Festival of Preservation Aug. 21

The estate of Azadia Mamoulian, widow of film and theater legend Rouben
Mamoulian, has donated $1.1 million to the UCLA School of Theater, Film
and Television to establish an endowed chair in theatrical and motion
picture directing, announced Robert Rosen, dean of the school.
Mamoulian’s musical masterpiece, “Love Me Tonight” (1932), was recently
restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive and will screen at the
James Bridges Theater, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 21, as part of their
12th Festival of Preservation. For information, call (310) 206-FILM or
visit .

“To have an artist of the distinction of Rouben Mamoulian associated
with the chair is a great honor for us,” Rosen said. “It is particularly
appropriate since Mamoulian moved easily between stage and screen, just
as our students are encouraged to do during their time on campus.”

The Mamoulian Chair enables the school to invite film and theater
artists of great distinction to teach at UCLA and enhance the
curriculum. During the most recent academic year, the chair funded the
residencies of veteran award-winning directors Robert Butler, Barry
Primus and Joe Sargent in the Department of Film, Television and Digital
Media. The residency of distinguished musical theater director Jeremy
Mann also was funded and resulted in a sold-out Ray Bolger Musical
Theater production of “Into the Woods.”

Mamoulian’s films are known for their sex and seduction, wit, lyricism,
and highly inventive filmmaking techniques. “Love Me Tonight” is an
enchanting tale of an amorous tailor (Maurice Chevalier) who woos a
lovelorn princess (Jeanette MacDonald). The film was a landmark
collaboration between Mamoulian and composers Richard Rodgers and Lorenz
Hart. They produced a technique that was revolutionary at the time
wherein the story, action and dialogue were seamlessly integrated with
irresistible songs. The Packard Humanities Institute funded the
restoration of the print.

In addition to “Love Me Tonight,” the UCLA Film and Television Archive
has restored such Mamoulian classics as “Applause” (1929), “City
Streets” (1931), “The Song of Songs” (1933), “Becky Sharp” (1935), “The
Gay Desperado” (1936), “High, Wide and Handsome” (1937) and “The Mark of
Zorro” (1940).

Additional films directed by Mamoulian include “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
(1932), “Queen Christina” (1934), “We Live Again” (1934), “Golden Boy”
(1939), “Blood and Sand” (1941), “Rings on Her Fingers (1942), “Summer
Holiday” (1948) and “Silk Stockings” (1957).

Born and raised in Russia, Mamoulian studies law at the University of
Moscow and pursued his love of theater by taking acting courses in the
evening. He began his directing career on stage in London and New York
and received critical acclaim for his 1926 Broadway non-musical
production of “Porgy,” featuring an all-black cast. That hit led
Paramount studios to sign Mamoulian to direct the drama “Applause”
(1929).

Throughout his moviemaking career, Mamoulian returned frequently to the
stage, overseeing productions of the Gershwin opera version of “Porgy
and Bess” in 1935 and “Carousel” in 1945. He won much praise as the
original director of “Oklahoma” in 1943. In later years, he turned to
writing. He died in 1987 at the age of 90.

The Mamoulian Chair is part of UCLA’s Ensuring Academic Excellence
initiative, a five-year effort aimed at generating $250 million in
private commitments specifically for the recruitment and retention of
the very best faculty and graduate students. The initiative was launched
in June 2004. Its goals include $100 million to fund 100 new endowed
chairs for faculty across campus, increasing the number to 331. In
addition, campus officials plan to increase support for an estimated
3,500 graduate students per year by raising $100 million to fund
fellowships and scholarships in the UCLA College and $50 million for
fellowships and scholarships in UCLA’s 11 professional schools.

About the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television offers its students a
unique blend of scholarship and practical training, bringing together
the highest levels of professionalism with the social mission of a
public university. Its landmark integration of theater, film, television
and digital media and its outstanding faculty and facilities nurture
creative innovation, personal vision and social responsibility.
Comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs are offered in acting,
animation, critical studies, design, digital arts, directing, production
and writing. The recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and other
prestigious awards, alumni include such notable artists as Allison
Anders, Carol Burnett, Charles Burnett, Nancy Cartwright, Francis Ford
Coppola, Susan Egan, David Koepp, Frank Marshall, Greg Nava, Alexander
Payne, John Rando, Tim Robbins, Eric Roth, John Rubinstein, Pietro
Scalia, Paul Schrader, Tom Schumacher, Tom Shadyac, Brad Silberling,
Penelope Spheeris, Gore Verbinski and many more.

About the UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is internationally renowned for its
pioneering efforts to preserve and showcase not only classic films and
television, but also contemporary, innovative moving image media. The
archive also is a unique resource for media study, with one of the
largest collections of media materials in the United States – second
only to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. – and the largest of
any university in the world. Its vaults hold more than 220,000 motion
picture and television titles and 27 million feet of newsreel footage.
The combined collections represent an all-encompassing documentation of
the 20th century.

-UCLA-
SS379

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 20, 2004, Friday

WHAT STANDS BEHIND THE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE ON REFORMING OF THE ARMED
FORCES

After publication of decrees on reforming of the Federal Security
Service, Interior Ministry and other security agencies of the
country, before going on vacations President Vladimir Putin issued
the decree entitled “Issues of the Defense Ministry.” This decree
approved the new statute of the Defense Ministry. The statute of the
General Staff of the Armed Forces formerly signed by Boris Yeltsin
lost its power. According to Putin’s decree, the General Staff
becomes a structural division of the Defense Ministry. Commenting on
this decree, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov emphasized that “The
President preserved the role of the General Staff as coordinator of
development and buildup of the entire military organization and not
only the Defense Ministry.” Ivanov fully denied the previously
published information saying that after changing of the top-ranking
officers the influence of the General Staff would decrease
noticeably. According to Ivanov, only a few divisions of the General
Staff will be transferred to the central staff of the Defense
Ministry. First of all, these are maintenance and human resources
services having no direct relations with the role of the General
Staff.

At his meeting with senior commanders of the Volga-Urals Military
District, Ivanov said, “The General Staff retains the main
operational department, the main intelligence department, the main
organizational and mobilization department and some other main
departments.” The Defense Minister stressed, “The tasks set for the
General Staff by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief are to think what the
Armed Forces should be like and to plan buildup of not only the Armed
Forces but also the entire military organization of the state
including the Interior Forces, Border Guards and other troops.”

It seems that these steps should strengthen the one-man command in
the Armed Forces and hence authority of the Defense Ministry.
However, it is obvious that Ivanov has made reform of the central
military governance bodies and has included the General Staff into
the structure of the Defense Ministry due to personal reasons. It was
known to everyone that former Chief of the General Staff Anatoly
Kvashnin and the incumbent Defense Minister had different views on
the role and meaning of the general Staff in the military
organization of the country. Kvashnin was striving for increase of
its role and actually wanted to separate the General Staff from the
Defense Ministry. Kvashnin said that the General Staff should command
the troops and the Defense Ministry should supply the troops with the
necessary things and exert civil control over them. Now the Defense
Ministry both commands and controls the troops including fulfillment
of such functions through the General Staff, which is its structural
element. Time will show how efficient this will be but it is already
clear that a person being far from the troops has been appointed on
the post of the Chief of the General Staff. This is Colonel General
Yury Baluyevsky, who has practically no experience of commanding of
large military formations of the size of an army, military district
and so on. Organization of the military inspectorate, the only
controlling body in the Defense Ministry, failed to solve the
problems of improvement of combat readiness of the Armed Forces.
Crimes and theft still take place in the Armed Forces. There is
practically no one who can protect servicemen except for the military
prosecutors. The due control over actions of commanders is absent.

All this leads to growth of crime among offices. Thus, according to
Chief Military Prosecutor Colonel General of Justice Alexander
Savenkov, in the current year alone almost 20 commanders of military
units, 43 officials of food, material supplies and financial services
were taken to court and 35 of them were already stated guilty and
sent to prison. The general notes that unfortunately there are facts
of theft and service power embezzlement practically in all military
districts and branches of Armed Forces.

According to Savenkov, among the people taken to court is Director of
the Yekaterinburg Artillery Institute Major general Shpangel, former
director of the border guards department of the group of the Russian
Federal Security Service in Armenia Lieutenant general Aboimov. Among
the sentenced there is also director of the food service of the North
Caucasus Military District Colonel Serkin, who has misused the powers
for two years in purchase of food for the troops. Buying food
products of poor quality at excessive prices he incurred damage
bigger than 34 million rubles. Director of the food base of the Far
Eastern Military District Lieutenant Colonel V. Ivannikov and
director of the food service of the hospital of this district V.
Voichik were sentenced to long terms in May. In ten days of October
2002 alone, these officers wrote false information in the documents
and stole food products worth 1.3 million rubles. The General
Prosecutor’s Office disclosed these crimes. Facts of misspending of
money in the Defense Ministry are regularly revealed by the
Accounting Chamber. The military are somehow afraid to speak about
their own sins. It is not beneficial for officers of the Defense
Ministry to wash their dirty linen in public; that is why control
over observance of laws in the Armed Forces on the part of the
top-ranking officials of the Defense Ministry is reduced.

The President reduced the number of deputy defense ministers to four.
The Defense Minister is allowed to have two senior deputies among
these four. Senior deputy defense ministers are Chief of the General
Staff Yury Baluyevsky and Colonel General Alexander Belousov, who
also has no experience of commanding of a military district. In
capacity of deputy commander of a military district Belousov worked
only for four years. It is also already known obviously who will be
ordinary deputy defense ministers. It is very likely that commander
of logistics will remain General of the Army Vladimir Isakov and
commander of armament will remain Alexei Moskovsky. Hardly anything
will be radically reformed in the departments subordinated to the
Defense Ministry. Three months are allocated for the entire reform of
the Defense Ministry. This period is too short. In any case, new
services will appear during this period. These will be troops
quartering service, financial service, human resources policy service
and ideological service. Of course, they will not be born on an empty
place. The staff of the deputy defense minister for construction and
quartering and the main military budget and financing department will
be transformed into service. Officers of the main ideological
department will be unluckiest because their department will be
included into the main personnel department. Reforms will also touch
on the staff of the defense minister.

It is planned that money allowances of officers and employees of the
central staff of the Defense Ministry will be increased
significantly. But will their activities become more efficient? Is it
possible that this will create a gap between those who serve in the
troops and those are serve in the so-called “Arbat Military
District?”

In the post-Soviet history the Defense Ministry has been reformed for
five years. This means that beginning from 1992 a new structure of
the Defense Ministry has been approved once almost every 30 months.
The structure changed but the contents of the troops governance
somehow remained the same. We do not wish everything happen according
to the old scenarios this time again.

Translated by Pavel Pushkin

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 20, 2004 Friday 10:04 AM Eastern Time

CSTO wants UN stronger role in provision of peace

By Alexandra Urusova

MOSCOW

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) wants a stronger
role of the United Nations in the provision of peace, participants in
Moscow consultations of CSTO member countries said on Friday.

Diplomats of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and
Tajikistan attended the consultations.

“There was a detailed exchange of opinions on main items on the
agenda of the 59th session of the UN General Assembly,” a source in
the CSTO press service said. The delegates also discussed the CSTO
attitude to the Proliferation Security Initiative and a common
position in fundamental areas of the CSTO activities.

The delegates called for regular exchange of opinions about key
issues, concerning their interests and security.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 20, 2004 Friday 6:26 AM Eastern Time

Putin calls for diversification of Russian-Armenian relations

By Mikhail Petrov

SOCHI

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for diversification of
Russian-Armenian relations. Opening a meeting with Armenian leader
Robert Kocharyan, Putin noted a decrease in bilateral trade turnover.

“We know the reasons behind it – a very low degree of diversification
of relations,” the Russian president said.

Putin said he was interested in exchanging opinions with Kocharyan
over this important issue.

The low degree of diversification of relations caused losses in trade
turnover. “A closure of one company for upgrades cut supplies of one
kind of product and, consequently, resulted in a dramatic decrease in
the overall turnover,” the head of the Russian state said.

For his part, Robert Kocharyan confirmed that “changes on the diamond
market led to certain roughness in relations,” meaning the
cancellation of quotas for supplies of Russian diamonds to Armenia.

As for the companies closing for upgrades – such as the Armenal
aluminum producer – “it is expected to double supplies after the
modernization, according to Kocharyan.

“In all other positions, in economy on the whole, we have been making
headway,” the Armenian president said.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
August 20, 2004 Friday 12:03 AM Eastern Time

Russia, Armenia ponder ways to normalize situation in Caucasus

By Mikhail Petrov

SOCHI

The presidents of Russia and Armenia will hold bilateral talks in
Sochi on Friday, specifically on coordination of the efforts of the
two countries seeking to normalize the situation in the North
Caucasus. The two countries have consistently called for the peaceful
settlement of the regional problems and are seriously concerned over
the threats of destabilization in the South Caucasus in the wake of
the aggravation of the situation in South Ossetia.

Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharyan will exchange views on ways to
unlock the potential of multilateral cooperation and the use of the
already existing regional mechanisms and the CIS peacekeeping
potentialities for this purpose.

The presidents also plan to consider further interaction within the
frame of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian
Economic Community, in which Armenia has been granted the observer
status.

The two countries are determined to take steps on both the bilateral
and multilateral basis in combating terrorism in all its forms and
reinforce their political resolve with effective practical
cooperation of their law enforcement agencies and special services.

Putin and Kocharyan will also focus on realization of bilateral
understandings in the economic and other fields. They will examine
the status of mutual trade and investment cooperation, the
fulfillment of the property-for-debt agreement, as well as
interaction in the fields of energy and transport.

ArmenPress
Aug 19 2004

MAMEDYAROV SAYS BAKU WILL STRIVE FOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO
KARABAKH CONFLICT

BAKU, AUGUST 19, ARMENPRESS: Baku will strive to the last point to
settle Nagorno Karabakh conflict peacefully, Azeri foreign minister
Elmar Mamediarov told a news conference today. He said that Nagorno
Karabakh “is the major conflict in the region and the oldest.” The
minister opposed the possibility of “freezing” the conflict. “We do
not believe that conflicts can be frozen,” he said. “International
community should understand that force is not a method for solution.
Armenian military forces have occupied territories,” Azeri foreign
minister said. “Such superpowers as USA, France and Russia should say
their word. The principle of territorial integrity is inviolable.”

ArmenPress
Aug 19 2004

SERGEI LAVROV SAYS RUSSIA SUPPORTS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF
AZERBAIJAN

MOSCOW, AUGUST 19, ARMENPRESS: Russia supports territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said
after negotiations with Azeri foreign minister Elmar Mamediarov
yesterday. Meanwhile, he said that Moscow “is ready to assist
Karabakh conflict resolution both as OSCE Minsk Group co-chair and on
a national level.”
“Moscow is strongly interested in resolution of the conflict based
on existing agreements. However, it can be resolved only by
conflicting sides, around the table of negotiations,” Lavrov said.
“We can’t decide for the sides if they do not have agreement
themselves,” Russian FM said. He praised resumption of negotiations
since the end of last year and voiced his expectation that talks will
continue.

ArmenPress
Aug 19 2004

OREGON CONGRESSMAN EARL BLUMENAUER JOINS ARMENIAN CAUCUS

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly welcomed the official
announcement today that Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has joined
the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, bringing the total to
133. The news follows an August 10 district meeting with the Armenian
Assembly held August 10 in Portland, Oregon.
“As the congressional representative of many Armenians in
Portland, I’m proud to be the latest member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, an ever-growing group of those of us in
Congress who want to give these issues the attention they deserve,”
said Congressman Blumenauer.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues and the members of
the Armenian community in my home town and around the world on issues
of importance to Armenians,” he continued. Assembly Western Office
Director Lena Kaimian, who led this week’s meeting, said: “We welcome
Congressmen Blumenauer’s membership to the Armenian Caucus. He brings
experience, enthusiasm and commitment to the Caucus and we look
forward to working with him and his congressional colleagues on
issues pertinent to the community.”
“Assembly supporters worked closely with our Los Angeles staff to
encourage the Congressman’s membership to the Caucus,” Kaimian
continued. “I would especially like to thank activists Greg Geokjian
and Les Margosian for participating in this meeting and advocating on
behalf of our issues.”
Congressman Blumenauer, who has represented Oregon’s Third
Congressional District since 1996, is a well-known supporter of
Armenian-American issues. As such, he has urged President George W.
Bush to appropriately acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, voted to
maintain Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and supported the
Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act.
The Congressman also serves on the International Relations
Committee and is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee. He joins fellow Oregon lawmaker, Congresswoman Darlene
Hooley (D-OR) in representing Armenian-American interests on the
Caucus.

Sportsnetwork.com
August 19, 2004

Ward wins Olympic boxing debut; Martirosyan falters

Athens, Greece (Sports Network) – Light heavyweight Andre Ward won his
Olympic debut Thursday, scoring a victory over Italy’s Clemente Russo at
Peristeri Hall. But welterweight Vanes Martirosyan wasn’t as lucky.

Martirosyan, a California native like Ward, dropped his second-round
bout with reigning world champion Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros of Cuba,
becoming the second American boxer in as many days to lose.

“He was the better fighter,” said the 18-year-old Martirosyan, who won
his Olympic opener Sunday, a lopsided 45-20 victory over Algerian
Benamar Meskine. “I hope he gets the gold.”

Martirosyan was never really in the bout, falling behind 8-2 in the
first round on the way to a 20-11 loss. Flyweight Rau’Shee Warren was
the first American to lose here when he dropped a decision to China’s
Zau Shiming on Wednesday.

For Ward, who hasn’t lost a fight since 1998, things went just as
planned. He opened up with a slim 2-1 advantage in the first round
before outpointing Russo 6-4 and 7-3 over the next two frames on the way
to a 17-9 triumph.

“Andre likes to feel his opponents out first,” USA coach Basheer
Abdullah said. “But he was more aggressive over the last rounds.”

Ward moved on to face two-time world champion Evgeny Makarenko of
Russia. He is just the eighth American boxer to win his Olympic debut.

08/19 11:58:42 ET

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Azg, Armenia
Aug 19 2004

ARMENIANS IN “POST-ROSE” GEORGIA

Van Baiburtian, an Armenian deputy at the parliament of Georgia, says
that the anti-Armenian atmosphere in Georgia, that was more apparent
during the 2003 parliament elections, has come to an end with Mikhail
Sahakashvili becoming the president. Armenians are hopeful about the
future.

According to the last population census, there are 250 thousand
Armenians in the country. The Armenians of Abkhazia, running to 80
thousand, are not included. The Armenians of Georgia welcomed the
rose revolution in the country and generally voted for Mikhail
Sahakashvili at 2004 polls.

What has changed in the neighboring country during the last 6 months
and what are the expectations the Armenians have? Today the euphoria
of the revolution is recessing, the roses are fading and there appear
people displeased with the new leaders. For instance, a group of
around hundred men gathered in front of the seat of the Georgian
president, when the later hosted the prime minister of Armenia,
demanding the “Judeo-Masonic” leaders to release Basil Mkalavishvili
known for his intolerance towards religious minorities.

Marina Kirakosian-Mosesova is a poetess who writes in Russian but
claims to be an Armenian poetess by her mentality. She lives in a
house built by a famous oilman Avetik Ghukasian and is very proud of
that as the Armenian Catholicos Khrimean Hayrick was once hosted
there. Marina published 2 books during the time of Eduard
Shevardnadze and now the third book is to be published.

“At present I can’t say what has changed for the Armenians with
Sahakashvili coming into power. It has been several months that he is
a president and there is no major change yet. I hope that the state
of Tbilisi Armenians will better”, she said.

The Armenians of Georgia occupy a distinct place in all Armenian
Diaspora. First of all they are poor. There is not even a single rich
Armenian in Georgia, which is a rather strange fact if we consider
the ability of the Armenians to earn money abroad.

Though most of the Armenians are optimistic about the future, Yuri
Mkrtumiants, a might-have-been president candidate at the 2004 polls,
thinks that the Armenians will not have a “rose” future. Mkrtumiants
says that Sahakashvili is the Georgian Ataturk. He thinks that the
Georgian nationalism will not be fought back by the new authorities.

He singled out two cases of nationalism. Recently a group of Georgian
journalists from Rustavi-2 TV station was in Sanahin. In the
reporting back to Georgia they declared that it’s high time that
Georgian believers return to their ancient worship places. Some
nationalistic circles in Georgia consider not only Sanahin but also
the whole marz of Lori up to the Sevan lake to be a Georgian land.

If the Rustavi-2 TV has the greatest audience then the Kviris Palitra
newspaper has the biggest circulation in Georgia. In one of its May
issues the newspaper published the map of the historical Georgia
where Armenia appeared to be a Georgian territory.

Khngianos Bazayan is one of old residents of Havlabar (Armenian
district in Tbilisi). He says that today’s Georgia is ruled by
chauvinists and fascists. They operate in conspiracy and “poison the
mind of the Georgians against Armenians”. “A man goes to ask for a
job and they ask what nationality you are and then throw at his face
that he is Armenian”, complains Bazayan and adds: “But I have little
hope as Sahakashvili is more realistic.” He tells with a deep pain
that Armenians are considered superfluous whereas they have done a
lot for Tbilisi.

Khachatur Gevorgian is another old resident of Tbilisi. He is known
as teacher and miniaturist. “Nothing has changed, everything is the
same as it was with Shevardnadze. They promised to broadcast Armenian
programs on the TV but instead the Armenian radio has stopped
working”, says Gevorgian.

He remembered the days of Russian tsar Nikolai the II when Armenian
Diaspora was flourishing in Tiflis (name of Tbilisi till 1936). “The
Armenian life here is dying away and will continue to die away. There
are a lot of things to speak out but we can’t as we live here”, he
says.

The head of the Armenian section at the Georgian radio station
Susanna Khachatrian is sure that there appeared a spark of hope for
the Armenians with the new authorities coming into power. “Today we
have hope that we will remain Armenians in this land by preserving
our cultural establishments, monuments and the Armenian spirit”, she
says.

By Tatoul Hakobian