ARMENIA HAS MUCH TO LEARN FROM BELARUS, IN PARTICULAR, IN ISSUE OF PRESENTING ETHNOGRAPHY, RA MINISTER OF CULTURE CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Oct 30, 2007
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The Days of Armenian Culture held
on October 22-28 in Belarus passed in a warm and pleasant atmosphere
and received a warm welcome by the Belarusian people. The Days of
Armenian Culture were organized within the framework of the agreement
On Cooperation between the RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs
and Belarusian Ministry of Culture. As Hasmik Poghosian, the RA
Minister of Culture, mentioned at the October 30 press conference,
Days of Belarusian Culture were held in 2005 in Armenia within the
framework of the same agreement.
According to the Minister, Armenian culture was presented in Belarus
completely thanks to a multi-genre cultural program. According to her,
not only state, but also non-state ensembles and groups were involved
in the cultural program. The Erebuni dance group functioning in the
Armenian community of Belarus also joined them on the spot.
Hasmik Poghosian said that the term of signing a new agreement on
cooperation between the two states in the sphere of culture will be
determined during the coming visit of the delegation of Belarusian
Ministry of Culture, as the term of the previous agreement is expiring
this year.
Mrs Poghosian said that a number of agreements on cooperation in the
museum, book and publishing spheres have been reached during this
visit. "I think we have much to learn from Belarus, especially in the
issue of presenting ethnography. Their Museum of Ethnography works
within the jurisdiction of their Academy’s Institute of Ethnography,
while in our country the Museum of Ethnography has nothing in common
with the Institute of the same name, whereas that is a serious and
important science especially for such small nations like ours," the
Minister emphasized. Joint exhibitions will be organized in the two
countries’ Museums of Ethnography next year.
H. Poghosian said that among CIS countries, Armenia has no state
cultural programs only with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. And those
with Georgia though exist, nevertheless, "are very weak." "When
I assumed the Minister’s post, my first visit was to Georgia, we
agreed with the Georgian Minister of Culture to determine a concrete
cooperation plan during the next meeting in Yerevan, but in spite of
sending three invitations the meeting has not been held so far."