The “Hakob Gyurjyan” Third International Sculpture Symposium launched in Shoushi. It is entitled “Peace to Artsakh” and is devoted to the 20th Anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement in the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict zone.

The symposium which has already become traditional is a platform of international cooperation, cultural and professional dialogue and creative inspiration for artists. More than a dozen sculptors and artists from Italy, Switzerland, India, Belarus, Armenia and Artsakh take part in the Third International Sculpture Symposium.

The opening ceremony of the symposium took place on July 11 at the State Museum of Fine Arts in Shoushi. Chairman of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan was present at the event.

“The Artsakhians lived the 20 years of fragile peace rebuilding the towns and villages devastated by the war, again giving them breath and soul. And all those who come to create in Artsakh contribute to the stability of peace in Artsakh and in the region”, noted Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs of NKR Narine Aghabalyan greeting the participants of the symposium. “The sculpture symposium is an opportunity to unite our old and new friends around beautiful art, to create works of art that will be part of Shoushi’s new cultural image and remind about the eternity of beauty and spirituality”, said the minister.

Counselor to the NKR President, Chairman of the Future Generations Fund Grigory Gabrielyants who is one of the supporters of the organization of the symposium, presented the project of “The Sculpture Park” to the participants of the event. He informed that a park will be built in the area adjacent to the State Museum of Fine Arts where the sculptures created within the frameworks of the symposium will be placed.

It is already the second time that Head of the Department of Fine Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, Professor Roberto Giovannelli has been honorary guest of Shoushi’s International Sculpture Symposium. He will give lectures to Artsakhian students in the days of the symposium.

The International Sculpture Symposium named after the famous sculptor from Shoushi Hakob Gyurjyan was first organized in Shoushi in 2011. The initiator is Armenian sculptor Vighen Avetis who lives in Florence. The organizer of the symposium is the Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs of NKR.

The supporters of the “Hakob Gyurjyan” Third International Sculpture Symposium are the National Assembly of NKR, the Ministry of Urban Planning of NKR, Shoushi regional administration, the Central Bank of RA, “Base Metals”, “AEG”, “Levon Travel”, “Gold Star”, “Gabro”, “VH Stone”, “SBS” and “Vahe Karapetyan road maintenance” companies.

The symposium will last until July 30.