Friday 11 October 2019

Armenian News... A Topalian... 7editorials

Armenpress.am
26 September, 2019
Turkey remains a serious security threat to Armenian people – PM Pashinyan

Turkey remains a serious security threat to Armenia and the Armenian people who had experienced the deep tragedy of the Genocide and continue to face the fierce denial of truth and justice, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said while delivering remarks at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

“Unfortunately, the world has not become a safer place for all of us throughout this year. It is difficult to find any region in the world which is not destabilized or impacted by tensions in the neighborhood. Two out of the four international borders of Armenia included the one with Turkey have been closed for almost three decades. By refusing to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, overtly assisting Azerbaijan against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey remains a serious security threat to Armenia and the Armenian people who had experienced the deep tragedy of the Genocide and continue to face the fierce denial of truth and justice”, the PM said.

Pashinyan added that the various degree of tension existing in the relations among neighbors and strategic partners puts Armenia in very challenging conditions. “Russia is our key strategic partner and ally. Georgia and Iran are our strategic neighbors. We have a strategically significant agenda and partnership with the United States, the European Union and its member states. We observe with concern sets of disagreements among our friends, strategic partners and allies. These realities put significant challenges to us because we face a persistent risk of not being correctly understood by some of our friends or, even worse, by all of them. We are doing our best to remain a reliable partner and a good friend for all of them without damaging our relations with any of them, without promoting our relations with one partner at the expense of the other. We will continue to invest every effort in making our regions, geopolitical environment safer”, he said.


RFE/RL Report
Pashinian Slams ‘Former Corrupt Elites’ In UN Speech
September 26, 2019

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian accused Armenia’s former rulers of trying to obstruct his anti-corruption efforts and spreading “fake news” when he addressed the UN General Assembly late on Wednesday.

“Our democratic transformation and zero tolerance policy against corruption are not without resistance from former corrupted elites,” Pashinian said in a 
speech. “Their vast financial resources are directed at escaping justice. Our government has not pursued a single case of redistribution of property. At the same time our resolve to press with reforms and justice is unwavering.”

“Our mass media is completely free from government control or interference,” he went on. “However, some of them are not free from meddling and control from the 
same old circles of former government, fabricating fake news and spreading mistrust in the public about the origins and purposes of the Velvet Revolution.”

Meeting with Armenian Americans in New York earlier in the day, Pashinian pointed to several former officials, including a brother of former President Serzh Sarkisian, who have been charged with corruption since he swept to power in the April-May 2018 revolution.

Armen Ashotian, the deputy chairman of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), denounced Pashinian on Thursday for bringing up domestic political issues at the UN body.

“Nikol is a rare leader who has used the UN rostrum for his internal political agenda,” said Ashotian. “For example, it didn’t occur to [U.S. President 
Donald] Trump to attack the Democrats who have launched impeachment proceedings against him.”

“I hope that another person will speak on behalf of our country at the UN next year,” he wrote on Facebook.

Ashotian and other HHK figures reacted in a similar fashion after Pashinian branded Sarkisian and his relatives a “professionally corrupt family” and said 
they “must return what they plundered” at a September 22 news conference in Los Angeles.

In the 30-minute UN speech, Pashinian also said that his government is committed to “advance democracy and reforms” but needs greater international assistance in that endeavor.

“We need to have access to international best practices to save time and resources,” he said. “We need to avoid the mistakes previously made by other democracies to make our democratic reforms more fruitful and efficient.”


Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 29 2019
World’s largest Yezidi temple opens in Armenia


World’s largest Yezidi temple named Quba heft merê dîwanê u Tawûsê Melek opened in the Armenian village of Aknalich today.

The temple has been built by Russia-based Yezidi benefactors and the Yezidi community and is of great importance to Yezidis living around the world.

Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan participated in the opening ceremony.

“It is symbolic and logical that the largest Yezidi temple in the world is in Armenia. Armenia is home to the Yezidi people. The children of the Yezidi people have been standing beside their Armenian brothers at many fatal and heroic moments,” Ararat Mirzoyan said.

Unfortunately, he said, in their modern history, Yezidis like Armenians have also fallen victim to genocide.


Armenpress.am
 26 September, 2019
Armenian Cabinet approves signing extradition treaty with China

The Cabinet has approved the ratification of the Agreement on Extradition between Armenia and China.
By the agreement the parties are obliging to extradite wanted persons discovered on their respective territories at the demand of the requesting side with the purpose of criminal prosecution.

The agreement regulates all mechanisms and circumstances for the extradition.

It also envisages the possibility of temporary arrest of the wanted person pending extradition.

The Ministry of Justice has also approved the bill, noting “taking into account the positive effect of the presence of extradition-related bilateral and multilateral treaties for increasing the efficiency of combating crime in the Republic of Armenia, we attach importance to singing the bilateral agreement with the People’s Republic of China especially in this area, because the parties are not a party to any multilateral international treaty together, as well as no bilateral agreement envisaging legal mutual assistance, extradition of convicts and extradition-related legal regulations is signed yet”. It also mentioned risks of possible growth in crimes due to increasing number of citizens’ visits to each other’s countries, “therefore the signing of the bilateral agreement has currently become a pressing issue”.

Parties to the treaty must inform one another through diplomatic notifications on having implemented necessary steps for initiating the treaty.

As of July 18th, 2019, the Chinese side hasn’t issued a notification on having completed domestic procedures regarding the treaty’s initiation, the ministry said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan


Panorama, Armenia
Sept 26 2019
Armenia’s religions leader comments on PM’s statement to ‘bring clergymen to their knees’

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II says the church is waiting for the return of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from New York for clarifications over his statement on ‘bringing clergymen to their knees.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he reminded the Armenian church has already expressed its view on the matter.

Asked whether he plans to meet with the PM, the Armenian church leader said: “We meet regularly to discuss issues relating to the church and homeland. We will most probably touch upon this issue as well.”

At a news conference in Los Angeles on 22 September, Pashinyan, referring to the state-church relations, noted if some clergymen think that ‘this government is week and let’s destroy it, they will be brought to their knees.” 


My Modern Met
Sept 29 2019
Vibrant illustrations Pay Homage to Armenia’s Soviet Modernist Architecture
By Emma Taggart

Modernist Soviet Architecture Illustrations by Nvard Yerkanian

Italy-based, Armenian graphic designer and illustrator Nvard Yerkanian pays homage to her home country with an ongoing series of minimalist illustrations inspired by Soviet Modernist architecture. “It is an ode to the architectural heritage that is either lost or unfairly undervalued,” she explains. “The main aim of the project is to reveal the beauty and value of soviet-modernism to the indifferent public through the magic of colors that accentuate the simple yet fantastic forms of these monuments.”

Yerkanian’s Soviet Modernist subjects include the Sevan Writers’ Resort in eastern Armenia, designed by Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan in 1965. The architectural complex juts out above the Sevan lake and was built to provide relaxation and inspiration to authors. Yerkanian’s illustrated rendition highlights its curved windows and balcony with minimalist shapes filled with colorful gradients.

Yerkanian has also captured the charm of other epic structures such as the now abandoned Echmiadzin diving tower designed by Felix Hakobyan during the ‘60s, and the star-shaped Central Bus Station in Hrazdan built by Henrik Arakelyan in 1976-78. Each illustration pays homage to this distinct era of design by celebrating the buildings’ bold forms with graphic shapes and vibrant color.

Scroll down to see Yerkanian’s fantastic architecture-inspired illustrations and follow her on Instagram to keep up to date with the ongoing series. If you like this artist’s work, you can purchase her illustrations as prints and more on Society6.

Each illustration pays homage to this distinct era of design by celebrating the buildings’ bold forms with graphic shapes and vibrant color.

Click for the images:


Panorama, Armenia
Sept 26 2019
Today marks Komitas' 150th anniversary

Today, September 26, marks the 150th birth anniversary of prominent Armenian composer, priest, choir leader, singer, music ethnologist, music pedagogue and musicologist Komitas Vardapet. A series of events are organized in the country to celebrate Komitas’ anniversary.

The Komitas International Conference-Festival is set to kick off on the composer’s birthday with a concert at the Yerevan Operate Theater at 6:30pm, in participation of the National Academic Choir of Armenia, Karine Babajanyan (soprano), the Geghard Vocal Ensemble, Stefan Vinke (tenor), the Yerevan State Chamber Choir, Luca Bruno (baritone), the Hover State Chamber Choir, Takahiro Akiba (piano) and the National Chamber Choir of Armenia.

Artsakh’s Stepanakert, Shushi and Gandzasar will also host a number of concerts celebrating Komotas’ 150th anniversary. This year, events organized as part of the conference-festival will also take place in Germany, the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport reported.

Komitas was born Soghomon Soghomonyan on 26 September 1869 in Anatolia, Turkey, in the town of Koutina (Ketaia).

His father, Gevorg Soghomonyan was a shoemaker but he also composed songs and had a beautiful voice. The composer’s mother – Taguhi - was also singled out for her vivid musical abilities; she was a carpet weaver.
Komitas’s childhood was joyless and full of deprivations. He lost his mother when he was less than one year old, and because his father was too busy, his grandmother took care of him. At age 7 Komitas entered the local elementary school. As soon as he finished school his father sent him to Broosa to continue his education. However, he failed and 4 months later he came home having ultimately become an orphan: his father passed away and Soghomon was only 11 years old…

“He was a frail, weak, pale boy, always thoughtful and kind. He was dressed poorly,” one of his classmates recalled about Komitas.

Soghomon was often seen sleeping on the cold stones of the laundry room.

He could sing perfectly, and no wonder in Koutina he was nicknamed “a little vagrant singer.”

For his delightful voice Soghomonyan was also indebted to an event that fundamentally changed the entire course of his life.

In 1881 the priest of Koutina, G. Dertsakyan, had to leave for Etchmiadzin to be ordained a bishop. At the request of the Catholicos he brought the gifted orphan boy with him to study at the Etchmiadzin Church Seminary. Twelve-year old Soghomon was selected out of the other 20 orphans to study at the Seminary. As it was forbidden to speak Armenian at that time the boy spoke Turkish and when being greeted by the Catholicos Gevorg IV, he replied, “I don’t speak Armenian, if you wish I will sing.” Then with his fine soprano voice he sang an Armenian sharakan (a church hymn) without understanding the words. Due to his exclusive aptitude Soghomon overcame all the obstacles in a very short time and perfectly learned Armenian.

In 1890 Soghomon was ordained a monk.

In 1893 he finished studying at the seminary, then he was ordained a “Vardapet” (priest) and acquired his new name “Komitas” - the name of the outstanding poet of VII century, the author of sharakans. At the seminary Komitas was assigned to teach music.

Along with teaching, Komitas organized a choir, an orchestra of folk instruments, and treated folk songs; he made the first researches in the field of Armenian Church music.

In 1895 Komitas was ordained an archimandrite. In the autumn of the same year he left for Tiflis to study at the musical college. However, when he met the composer Makar Yekmalyan, who had received his education at the conservatory of Petersburg, he changed his mind and started studying a course on harmony by that composer. These studies became the original forerunner and the firm basis for gaining the European technique of composition.

The further events of Komitas’s life had to do with the large music center in Europe – Berlin, where he went to study under the protection of the Catholicos, being financed by the largest Armenian oil magnate Alexander Mantashyan.

Komitas entered the private conservatory of Professor Richard Schmidt. Within the conservatory Komitas took private classes on singing, elaborating his beautiful voice, fine baritone. Simultaneously with these classes, he also attended the lectures on Philosophy, Esthetics, General History and History of Music. During these academic years he had an opportunity to “communicate” with European music, continually enriching the supply of knowledge, and engaging in musical criticism. Upon the invitation of the International Music Association he held lectures devoted to the Armenian church and contemporary music in comparison with Turkish, Arabic and Kurdish music.

In September 1899 Komitas returned to Etchmiadzin and started his musical activity right away. In a short period he radically changed the system of teaching music in the seminary, organized a small orchestra and perfected the performance level of the choir.

He visited various regions of Armenia treating and putting down thousands of Armenian, Kurdish, Persian and Turkish songs.

He started serious scientific research work, studied Armenian folk and church melodies and worked on the decipherment of Armenian khazzes and on the theory of voices. In various countries of the world Komitas appeared as a performer and propagandist of Armenian music.

The composer began thinking over big, monumental musical forms. He had in mind to create the musical epic “Sasna tsrer” and continued working on the opera “Anush,” which he started back in 1904.

Komitas focused on the themes concerning folk music and revealed the content of folk songs. No doubt, such world outlook had to result in an inescapable conflict between Komitas and the Church. Gradually the indifference of new leaders, negative attitude of the backward group of the church figures, gossip and slander increased so much that it poisoned the life of the composer: the man who remained in the imagination of the contemporaries as an absolutely worldly man.

The conflict turned so tense that Komitas sent a letter to the Catholicos begging him to release him and let him create and live quietly. This request remained unanswered, and the persecution of Komitas became more obvious.

In 1910 Komitas left Etchmiadzin and went to Constantinople. There he expected to find the environment that would understand him, protect him, and encourage his activity; and here he would be able to fulfill his dreams. Komitas wanted to establish a National Conservatory with which he connected the further destiny of his people’s music. But the composer failed to accomplish this plan (as well as many others). His inspired ideas were only faced with the cold indifference of the local authorities.

In Constantinople Komitas organized a mixed choir of 300 men and called it “Gousan.” It was very popular. Armenian folk songs constituted most of its concerto program.

Komitas would often spend his time touring, giving presentations and lectures; he also acted as a soloist and conductor. He had the baritone, original for its richness and expressiveness. Due to the wide range of his voice Komitas could also sing part of the tenor. He also wonderfully mastered the flute and the piano. He was endowed with great power to influence his audience.

The well-known musicians Vincent D’Andy, Gabriel Fore, Camille Sen-Sans fell in love with Komitas’ creative work.

In 1906 after one of the concertos the outstanding French composer Claude Debussi exclaimed excitedly: “Brilliant father Komitas! I bow before your musical genius!”

In Constantinople Komitas could not find any unconditional like-minded people who would help him implement his plans. Moreover, while in Etchmiadzin he was together with his native people and close to its living style and art, in Constantinople he was deprived of it. Nevertheless, he continued to work hard. Komitas paid special attention to the composition of church music. His masterpiece “Patarag” (“Liturgy”) is written for the male chorus.

Musicology was also an important field for him. In Paris at the Conference of the International Music Society he gave two presentations: “Armenian Folk Music” and “On Old and New Notation of Armenian Spiritual Music.” These provoked great interest among the participants of the conference. Komitas was also requested to give a spontaneous presentation on the topic: “On Time, Place, Accentuation and Rhythm of Armenian Music.”

In the period of World War I the government of Young Turks initiated their monstrous program on violent and inhumane extermination of part of the Armenian people. In April 1915, Komitas was arrested together with the number of outstanding Armenian writers, publicists, physicians, and lawyers. After the arrest, accompanied by violence, he was deported far in Anatolia where he became a witness of the brutal extermination of the nation’s bright minds. And in spite of the fact that due to the intervention of influential figures Komitas was returned to Constantinople, the nightmare he had experienced left a deep ineradicable impression on his soul. Komitas remained in seclusion from the outer world, absorbed in his gloomy and heavy thoughts – sad and broken.

In 1916 Komitas’ health deteriorated and he was put in a psychiatric hospital. However, there was no hope that he would recover. The medicine was powerless against the destructive disease.

The genius of Armenian music found his final shelter in Paris, in the suburban sanatorium Vil-Jouif where he spent almost 20 years of his life.

On 22 October the life of the Great Komitas came to an end. In the spring of 1936, his remains were tranferred to Armenia and buried in Yerevan – in the Pantheon of Prominent Art Figures that has been named after him. 


Simon Martirosyan Becomes World Weightlifting Champion
Armenia

Armenia’s Simon Martirosyan, an Olympic silver medalist weightlifter, has become a two-time world champion. Martirosyan took home the gold medal for his weight class (240 lbs) and set a new world record at the 2019 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, in Pattaya, Thailand.

The Armenian champion lifted 419 lbs and 430 lbs in the snatch. During his second attempt, he was able to lift 439 lbs.

Martirosyan lifted 507 lbs in the clean & jerk category, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to lift 531 lbs. He became world champion for the second consecutive year, with a total result of 946 lbs.

Martirosyan previously won silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 22-year-old is a two-time European Champion – the 2018, and, now, 2019 World Champion.

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