ARMEN JIGARKHANYAN: "I CAN NOT IMAGINE AN ARMENIAN WHO DOES NOT LISTEN TO AZERBAIJANI MUGHAM IN HIS CAR"

Today.Az
21 October 2008 [13:47]
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Armen Jigarkhanyan, popular artist of USSR,
prominent Armenia, Soviet and Russian actor.

– You have recently marked your birthday. We congratulate you on your
birthday and wish you long life, sound health and happiness. My first
question will be: which present for your birthday, ever given to you,
was the most dearest?

– Many presents were given to me, but I do not collect the presents
given for my birthday, therefore, it is difficult to answer which
was the dearest one. Moreover, sometimes even a single call or a
single word, said by someone on the birthday, can be even dearer than
any present.

– Do you often return to your childhood and youth in your memories?

– I do not devote special time to memories. Sometimes my memory returns
me to any moment in the past. These memory gifts are fragmentary:
thus, I often return to the streets of Yerevan, where I spent my
childhood. Sometimes I can not even understand why I have recalled
this or that moment in my life so apparently that I almost can smell
and touch whatever I see thanks to my memory. And the longer I live,
the most often it happens. Perhaps, the subconscious search of sources
proceeds like that.

– What would you change in your life if you had a chance to live it
once more?

– It is difficult to judge theoretically, but I will probably change
nothing in my life if I had a chance to live it once more, or I would
change just insignificant things. For example, I would learn to swim,
but this is just an insignificant detail. On the whole, I would not
have changed anything in my life.

– Do you think life is fair?

– No, it is not. I think the main threat for a person is the
environment, we live in and the surrounding. Environment and
surrounding rarely create all conditions for a person to state that
life is fair.

Moreover, I know the only truth – not a single person knows exactly
what he wants. All we live trying to find our place in the world
by saying: good that I did it and bad that I failed. But it is a
separate topic for discussion whether it is correct to speak about
fairness or injustice of life.

– I agree. But then let’s speak of fragmentary justice. Do you
consider it fair that Azerbaijanis and Armenians are currently in
conflict around Nagorno Karabakh?

– I think it is too unfair. This unfair situation has been created
by evil people.

I am not a diplomat or politician: I am an actor who has his own
opinion about what has happened. I think a conflict is possible only
when both conflicting parties strive for it. Unfortunately, both
Armenian and Azerbaijani side have such people. But I remember other
times: when the performances of Azerbaijani singers and musicians,
Russian drama theater and Opera and Ballet Theater were a success
in my native Yerevan, the same as with Armenian theaters, singers
and musicians in Baku. In particular, the memories about the visits
to the wonderful, warm and beautiful city of Baku are dear to me. It
all is a part of my life in which the meetings between Armenians and
Azerbaijanis, culture representatives of our countries were always
a holiday! It was not a holiday, declared by the government, it was
a real holiday, the real happiness of people, bred by communication
with each others. And it was right! I can not imagine an Armenian
who would not listen to Azerbaijani mugham in his car!

Therefore, I can not understand how it all happened?! How and who
managed to do it with our peoples?!

– Do you have Azerbaijani friends?

– I treat friendship seriously and, therefore, I think that a person
can not have many friends. But once I was close with famous Azerbaijani
painter Tair Salakhov and we always have good relations with prominent
film director Rustam Ibrahimbekov.

Moreover, I played in several films of wonderful film director Ajdar
Ibrahimov. The acquaintance with each of these wonderful persons is
dear to me.

– Last year a group of intellectuals of Azerbaijan and Armenia visited
Nagorno Karabakh, simultaneously taking a trip to Baku and Yerevan by
initiative of the ambassador of our countries to Russia Polad Bulbul
oghlu and Armen Smbatyan. Would you agree to take part in such a visit?

– With great pleasure, if this trip really assists to reconciliation
of our peoples. We should think thoroughly about the purposes and
consequences of this visit. It will be bad if such initiatives end
with one or two visits of the intellectuals of our people to Nagorno
Karabakh, Yerevan and Baku. Such a trip lead to a start of a dialogue
between our peoples and it would be a great pleasure for me to take
part in a visit, which will assist in launching this dialogue.

– What can you wish to our readers?

– I wish you peace in your families and your hearts. I am not an
excessive optimist, but I know that it is possible and important. Yes,
each of us has some diseases and problems. But it would be good
for us to smile when meeting each other. And this striving of the
representatives of our peoples should be justified for the future of
our future generations.