PHOTO-REPORT FROM DAY OF RUSSIA’S CELEBRATION IN ARMENIA: SUN, DOMES, MATRYOSHKAS, AND YEREVAN-MOSCOW PLANE

Regnum, Russia
June 13 2006

On June 12 – the Day of Russia, children competition of crayon
drawing on asphalt and mass festive entertainment took place in Svoboda
(Freedom) Square in the Armenian capital. The children tried to express
‘Russia seen by children eyes” drawing topic, using their fantasy and
associations, which appear, when Russia is mentioned. The competition
was accompanied by festive entertainment, dance and song compositions,
performed by young Armenian artists.

As a REGNUM correspondent informs, the competition began and one of
Yerevan central squares grew many-colored 1h later. Sun, clouds,
domes of cathedrals and churches, matryoshkas, and, of course,
Russian and Armenian tricolors are main subject of children drawings.

One of Yerevan school children associated two peoples’ friendship
with Yerevan-Moscow plane. According to one of competition’s female
participants, who drew the whole terrestrial globe, embraced by round
dance, “her drawing symbolizes friendship of all peoples in the world,
but not only ones of Russia and Armenia.”

Festive concert was performed by “Golden voices of Armenia” young
singers, as well as dancers, who danced Russian and Armenian
folk dances. Young artists, singers, dancers received memorable
diplomas; all event’s participants – gifts. Russian non-governmental
‘Caucasian Democracy Institute’ Development Foundation organized
both the competition and the entertainment. As the organization’s
South-Caucasian branch Director Armenika Kiviryan informed, the action
is aimed at developing of Armenian children’s creative potential,
as well as supporting of peace and friendship between growing up
generations of Armenia and Russia.

The holiday’s special guest – Counselor of Russian Embassy,
Representative of Russian Center of International, Scientific, and
Cultural Cooperation at Russian Foreign Ministry Anatoly Nikolayev
stressed that Day of Russia, which is celebrated in Armenia, is
evidence of “centuries-old friendship of long standing and spiritual
closeness of two peoples,” and it will happen “as successful as
Year of Armenia in Russia and Year of Russia in Armenia.” It is
worth reminding that Russian Federation celebrates Day of Russia on
June 12, which became holiday in 1994, when first Russian President
Boris Yeltsin signed decree on anniversary’s celebration of Russia’s
Independence Declaration, adopted in 1990.

Photos at