CONTESTS OF BEST SCIENTIFIC WORK, MUSIC COMPOSIION AND WORK OF ART TO
BE HELD THIS YEAR ON INITIATIVE OF WAC AND UAR

YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative and with the financial
assistance of the World Armenian Congress (WAC) and the Union of
Armenians in Russia (UAR), contests of the best scientific and creative
works will be held this year as well. The start of these contests was
announced at the May 8 press conference. Unlike in 2007, this year WAC
and UAR initiated contests for employees of the RA National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) and the members of the Union of Artists and the Union of
Composers. The prize fund makes 80 thousand dollars.

The theme of the literary contest is "The Armenian at the Beginning of
the 21st Century", with the prize fund making 15 thousand USD. The
prize fund of the journalistic contest "Armenia is the Homeland of All
Armenians" is 10 thousand USD, while the prize fund of the contest of
paintings, sculptures, works of graphic and decorative arts on the
subject "Armenia and Its Residents Through the Eyes of A Painter" makes
10 thousand USD.

The NAS and the Union of Composers have allocated 30 thousand and 15
thousand dollars respectively for rewarding the winners of the contests
of best scientific works and best music compositions. The deadline for
submission of contest participation bids is January 31, 2009.

According to Vladimir Aghayan – head of the WAC Armenian branch and the
vice president of the UAR, WAC and UAR pay great attention to promoting
the activities of scientific and creative intellectuals in Armenia and
assist with solution of their problems. He said that the creative
contest, which was first organized last year, will provide a new
incentive for writers and reporters. In his words, the responses that
came after these contests confirmed the necessity to continue providing
support to creative unions. He said that the president of the WAC and
UAR Ara Abrahamian was the first person to invest in the Union of
Writers’ Fund for Development of Literature founded in 2005. Since then
A. Abrahamian has provided assistance to the fund. Based on this
example, the RA NAS created a Fund for Development of Science, whose
co-chairmen are A. Abrahamian and the NAS president Radik Martirosian.

V. Aghayan expressed a hope that other businessmen will follow the
example of A. Abrahamian and will help make work of creative and
scientific intelligentsia more efficient. "If a writer takes his pen
and starts creating in these diddicult conditions, this is already an
achievement. It is an important stimulus to encourage the work of
creative intellectuals and scientists," he underlined.

The chairman of the Union of Writers Levon Ananian stated in his speech
that such initiatives of WAC and UAR are especially praiseworthy today
when the nation is separated. In his words, these organizations view
culture and science as an important link which should play a unifyning
role for the nation. L. Ananian also informed those present about
another step taken within the framework of the initiative of WAC and
UAR: the three novels to win awards this year will be published with
their support. "A. Abrahamian is a benefactor devoted to the nation,
whose support contributes to the development of our literature," L.
Ananian said.