Renowned theatrical artist Grisha Sahakyan has passed away at the age of 63. Mr. Sahakyan is best known for his scene paintings for such operas as Almast, Anoush and Davit Bek

A member of the Armenian Union of Artists and Theatrical Players, Grisha Sahakyan had worked on set designs and paintings in Armenia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lebanon, Russia and Latvia. During his exemplary career, Mr. Sahakyan served as Chief Illustrator for the Yerevan Art Institute and the Hagop Baronian Musical Comedy Theater in Yerevan.

The U.S. State Department announced in June that 63 projects worldwide were chosen to receive funding this year from the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, set up to help protect the world’s historical and cultural patrimony

In Armenia, for example, funding will support the documentation of 20 Armenian folk dances and their associated music and traditions. The project will include production of an instructional dance DVD to be broadcast on Armenian television. »»»»»

Vladimir Msryan, one of Armenia’s most respected stage and film actors, died today in Yerevan at the age of 73. It is reported that Mr. Msryan had been battling leukemia.

Born in Russia in 1938, he studied drama at the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute from 1959-1962. Mr. Msryan was a recipient of the title of National Artist of the Republic of Armenia and had also been honoured with the Movses Khorenatsi medal. He is however most famous for his portrayal of Niccolò Paganini in the 1982 Soviet television miniseries. For many years, the actor was affiliated with the Yerevan Drama Theater.

Arsen Grigoryan told him to boycott concert

Internationally acclaimed duduk virtuoso Jivan Gasparyan has been invited to perform at a peace concert in Turkey. The musician, awarded the status of “National Artist” in Armenia, hasn’t decided whether he’ll go in September.

Arsen Grigoryan, the folksinger, has advised the maestro to boycott the concert. “If someone with the status of Jivan Gasparyan boycotts the concert, it will create a real ruckus,” says Grigoryan. The two spoke at a press conference earlier today in Yerevan. »»»»»

Aleksandr Tamanyan, grandson of the famous architect and city planner of the same name that drafted the urban plan of Yerevan early last century, said today that important city landmarks should not be razed, even if it is to build new churches. »»»»»

On July 26, the Georgian Agency for the Preservation of Georgian Cultural Inheritance informed the RoA Ministry of Culture that preliminary surveys had started at the Tbilisi Armenian Church of Saint Gevorg of Mughni with the aim of drafting a restoration plan. »»»»»

An interview with Allen Hughes, director of “The Book of Eli”

The Hughes, Allen and Albert, are brother American film directors, producers and screenwriters. They are twins, born to an African-American father and an Armenian mother, from an Iranian-Armenian family originally from Tehran.

Their mother moved to the US when she was 12. After high school, Albert began classes at LACC Film School. Allen didn’t receive a professional education. The brothers began making movies at the age of 12 when their mother supported her sons’ ambitions as filmmakers and gave them a video camera. The boys spent their free time making short films. »»»»»

Atom Egoyan: This book reminds us where we come from and that true art is without “ego”

At the Ani Hotel today in Yerevan, there was a panel discussion around the recently published book “Armenian Ornamental Art”, drawings by Armen Kyurkchyan and accompanied by original photos by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian. Also on the panel was famed film director Atom Egoyan. »»»»»

Seven Pages Ripped from Roslin Manuscript Pits Church Against Getty Museum

Seven illustrated pages ripped out of a medieval Gospels manuscript: Who owns them; who should own them? Those who value them as works of art, or those who revere them as religious objects? The seven pages feature beautiful illuminations by Toros Roslin, the most important Armenian miniatures painter of the Middle Ages. »»»»»

Ceremonies marking the reopening of the renovated Khachatur Abovyan House Museum will take place tomorrow at 11 am in the Kanaker district of Yerevan.

The museum now houses new exhibits of the famous 19th century Armenian writer’s documents, photos and other memorabilia. The museum complex consists of the home where Abovyan was born and where his parents lived. It was first established as a museum in 1939.

People more interested in dairy production than art; blames commercialized mass media

Singer-songwriter Vahan Artzruni may have ruffled some feathers today by saying that there is no public demand in Armenia for art and that people are more interested in what types of diary products are available on store shelves.

“If the public doesn’t today lean to spheres with real content, it means that the public itself has no content, that the public has no taste and is illiterate, because there are specific standards in art. For example, does a certain thing have artistic value or not? There are no approximate conceptions in art; everything is defined,” Mr. Artzruni argued. »»»»»

“Fear has devoured many souls in my homeland”

German film director Fatih Akin,of Turkish origin, has arrived in Yerevan for the Golden Apricot 7th International Film Festival. His film “Soul Kitchen” has been premiered here.

The film, a biting comedy, tells the story of restaurant owner Zinos and how the beautiful Nadine leaves him because the man places more attention to his work. This leads to a series of mishaps for Zinos. His business suffers and Zinos must find ways to regain customers. »»»»»

Atom Egoyan is looking at a picture of himself standing next to Sonny Bono, and reminiscing.

The flashback is not pharmacology-related. Egoyan is thinking about the bizarre connections and friendships you make on the festival circuit, an increasingly focused group of filmmakers who are finding themselves pushed to the fringes once again. »»»»»

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has chosen the Armenian city of Yerevan as the 2012 World Book Capital as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to promote books and reading.

Armenia’s capital and largest city was chosen for the quality and variety of the programme it presented to the selection committee, which met at Unesco’s headquarters in Paris on July 2010, the UN News Service said. »»»»»