Author: Antranik Varosian

Armenian artist Saro Galents passes away

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 26 2017
Culture 18:12 26/10/2017Armenia

Armenian artist, designer, professor, member of Artists' Union of Armenia, Saro Galents passed away today aged 71, the union reported in a post on Facebook.

Saro Galentz was the founder-president of Galentz Cultural Foundation and professor of the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts.

He was born on October 15, 1946 in the family of well-known artists Haroutiun Galentz (1910-1967) and Armine Galentz (1920-2007).

In the spring of 1946, Saro’s parents, together with his elder brother Armen, moved for permanent residence from Lebanon to Armenia, their historical homeland.

He has graduated from Art Collage named after P. Terlemezian in 1965. From 1965 to 1970, he studied painting and textile design at Yerevan Art and Theater Institute, where he was actively involved in the activities of theatrical department, taking part in the design of student productions.

Since the beginning of 1970, Saro Galentz lived and worked in Moscow for about 20 years. In Moscow, he had been actively involved in the artistic environment of the Soviet metropolis. Besides painting, he had the opportunity to realize his interests in monumental art and design. From 1973 to 1987, art works of Saro Galentz participated in series of exhibitions – “Armenian Art” in Finland, Bulgaria, India, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Canada. In 1977, the young artist was awarded gold medal for the composition “Morning in Vilnius” at the All-Union symposium-exhibition in Vilnius (Lithuania).

In the late 1980s, when the movement for independence started in Armenia, Saro returned to Yerevan. He was invited to teach at the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts. Since 1992, he participated in the annual exhibitions of the Union of Artists of Armenia. In the 90s he carried out a number of trips to Europe and Asia, opened solo exhibitions in Paris (1998) and Nicosia (1996). 

To preserve the heritage of the great artist, Saro Galentz together with his mother and brother decided to establish Haroutiun Galentz Cultural Foundation and Museum. The family has invested efforts and financial resources to replenish Galentz collection and build the museum.

In 2006 he was awarded Movses Khorenatsi medal for outstanding creative achievements in the areas of Armenian culture, art, literature, education and humanities.

Sports: Armenian fighter one of the world’s great road warriors: The Telegraph

Antranik Varosian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Oct 20 2017
Armenian fighter one of the world's great road warriors: The Telegraph

The Telegraph has prepared a feature about Gegard Mousasi, a mixed martial artist of Armenian origin ahead of his Bellator MMA debut against Russia's Alexander Schlemenko on Friday, October 20.

Mousasi was born in Iran to Christian Armenian parents at the height of the Iran-Iraq war, his family name having been changed long before his birth from Mofsesian to Mousasi.

Detailing the turmoil of war, The Telegraph says Mousasi’s family – parents, brother Gewik and sister Angineh – tripped over the border a few years after the Iran-Iraq war and headed to Holland. Gegard was 8 years old.

‘My mum and dad were born in Iran. There’s a small community of Armenians there, but slowly everyone is leaving. I think there were 200,000 of us there at one time, and it’s fallen to around 50,000 now,’ explains Mousasi softly.

It was a life-changer in Holland. He began by dreaming of being a boxing world champion, watching Oscar De La Hoya, and the heavyweight careers of Mike Tyson, and then Lennox Lewis. He tested himself in an array of combat sports, and found solace. Judo was his first sport. Then he took up boxing.

By the age of 16, he was a national amateur champion in his adopted country. As a teenager, he was also drawn to kickboxing, and then, he walked into an MMA gym.

Mousasi’s aspirations are like every other fighter in mixed martial arts today: title ownership. Now, his aspirations are to win the Bellator middleweight crown, and then take on all-comers.

Mousasi is the former DREAM Light Heavyweight Champion, former DREAM Middleweight Champion, former Cage Warriors World Middleweight Champion and the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, thus making himself a four-time World Champion.

Entertainment: 2 Armenian-Americans among Variety’s Hollywood New Leaders

Antranik Varosian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Oct 20 2017
2 Armenian-Americans among Variety's Hollywood New Leaders

Variety’s latest New Leaders feature profiles two Armenian-Americans among the most prominent up-and-comers in the entertainment business.

Appearing on "Hollywood New Leaders: Agents and Managers", 37-year-old co-founder/partner of Mortar Media Antranig Balian is one of them whose path to showbiz was not a straight one.

He started out as a deputy district attorney, then got his MBA from USC, concentrating on entertainment, eventually moving into management posts. Balian has helped his deep roster of unscripted series stars and digital talents grow their brands, as he did with “Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, who’s got a house-flipping show on FYI Network, which he executive produced, and Richard Rawlings, star of Discovery Channel’s “Fast N’ Loud,” who has a fourth series set to debut, “Garage Rehab,” and has several national brand endorsements. As for signing clients, “My mom is my focus group — if she hasn’t heard of you then you aren’t as famous as you think you are.”

Another of Variety's profiles in "Hollywood’s New Leaders in Film" focuses on co-founders of XYZ Films Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian and Nick Spicer.

"XYZ specializes in creative financing structures, utilizing international co-productions to maximize soft money, North American backstop deals, SVOD pre-sales, crowd-funding and combinations of traditional debt and equity. The result? Fifty films produced and executive produced since 2008 and more than 200 feature films licensed since 2009. The trio have produced seven Netflix Originals in the past two years, licensed 21 films to major studios for production and distribution; they also launched “The Raid” franchise, Variety says.

"In 2016, XYZ moved into distribution, branding the global release of “Under the Shadow” and horror anthology “Holidays,” and partnered with Vertical Entertainment to utilize its global digital platform deals. This year, their pic “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. They had six films accepted at Toronto, including Zoe Saldana starrer “I Kill Giants” and “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” starring Vince Vaughn. “We’ve always had full control over the company and our own careers. When people say passion makes movies happen, they really mean commitment. Passion ebbs and flows. Making movies is arduous and you need commitment to go the distance,” they say."

Diaspora Minister calls for change of attitude of preservation of Armenian language & culture abroad

Antranik Varosian 
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Wednesday


Diaspora Minister calls for change of attitude of preservation of
Armenian language & culture abroad



YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Diaspora of Armenia
Hranush Hakobyan says the preservation of Armenian identity is the
greatest issue of the Diaspora.

The minister says that already the 4th, 5th generations are born in
the Diaspora who live in non-native environment, in foreign
conditions, and interact with other cultures and approaches.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, the minister emphasized that in these
conditions the Armenian language willingly or unwillingly is
“shrinking”, and is becoming more of a family language, with its space
of usage getting smaller.

“This is why we must form love and awe for the Armenian language
within the upcoming generation and the youth of the Diaspora, but the
schools of our Diaspora are gradually getting lower in quality, since
the Armenian school is not competitive compared to the English, French
or German schools. Naturally, parents prefer that their children
receive more quality education in other schools”, the minister said.

Hakobyan said the structures of the Diaspora, pan-Armenian
organizations, as well as the Church have the task to develop and
enhance the Armenian schools in the Diaspora.

“And Armenia must train teachers, provide textbooks, which we do very
consistently. This year alone we have sent 80 thousand books to more
than 300 schools, structures and organizations of the Diaspora. I am
proud that the Armenian structures of Valencia have joined forces and
are opening an Armenian school. How can I not be proud or not bow
before the leadership of the Armenian educational-cultural union who
are caring for our pan-national school of Marseille?”

Hakobyan said there are more than 1000 Armenian schools in the
Diaspora, 650 of which are Sunday schools.

“We must change the approach”, the minister says, arguing that it is
wrong for the children to go to school on weekdays and see that all
their friends have weekends instead.

The minister also welcomed the Armath initiative, which created
engineering robotics, which attracts children to the labs, where
everything is in Armenian language.

Hakobyan also argues that the creation of an e-school will be a very
important initiative.

Violin would not suit me- Russian cellist in “Road to Talents” program

Antranik Varosian
  • 19:43 | October 10,2017 | Culture
  • Հայ
  • Рус

Anastasia is from Omsk. She was dreaming to play violin, but was admitted to the cello class, and eventually she liked this instrument too. Cello always was comparable to human voice. “Now I think that the violin would not suit me,” joked the cellist.

Today, Anastasia Ushakova, the winner of the Tchaikovsky International Youth Competition, will perform with the Chamber Orchestra within the framework of the “Road to Talents” program.

The orchestra’s artistic director, chief conductor Vahan Martirosyan says this program is a good platform for young performers. Anastasia’s favorite composers are Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns. For the first time she will perform the concert of Boccherini. According to Vahan Martirosyan, the aforementioned is also an important condition for the “Road to Talents” program, since the soloist performs any musical work with the orchestra that she has not done before. It is a chance for the musician to prepare the composition for other performances in the future because mostly musicians do not play the full composition during the rehearsals with the orchestra.

“Yes, I am in Armenia for the first time, but my parents here have many friends here who will be in the concert, and this is also very responsible for me. You have to keep the name of the best and show that you are worthy of that title. This performance with such an orchestra will be a new success,” says Anastasia Ushakova.

The second part of the concert is dedicated to the memory of the Chamber Orchestra cellist Ashot Ayvazyan.

Համազգային հայ կրթական և մշակութային միության պատվիրակությունն այցելեց Սփյուռքի նախարարություն

Antranik Varosian 
Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.

Sincerely,
Media and PR Department
(+374 10) 585601, internal 805

----------------------
Հարգանքով`
Մամուլի և հասարակայնության հետ կապերի վարչություն

(+374 10) 585601, ներքին 805


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Deepening Armenian-French commercial ties is priority: President Sargsyan receives MP Olivier Dassault

Antranik Varosian

| 16:53 | September 26 2017
Category
Politics

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on September 26 received member of the French National Assembly (lower house of the parliament) Olivier Dassault.

Welcoming the guest in Armenia, President Sargsyan said interparliamentary cooperation plays a key role on strengthening the Armenian-French unique ties. He said with satisfaction that the relations between the two friendly states are effectively developing in all spheres, stating that the deepening of Armenian-French commercial ties is among the priorities of the bilateral agenda making it in line with the high level political relations.

President Sargsyan and the French MP attached importance to the productive activity of Armenia-France interparliamentary friendship groups aimed at strengthening the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples and the interstate ties, as well as the close cooperation within the frames of international organizations.

Highlighting the role of Olivier Dassault and his family in France’s public-political life, the Armenian President expressed hope his visit to Armenia will contribute to further intensifying and developing the Armenian-French friendly ties.

Azerbaijan Faces Legal Action for Defying European Court

Antranik Varosian
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Ilgar Mammadov detained during a protest rally in Baku, 2013. (Photo: Turkhan Kerimov, RFE/RL)

Government should Release Ilgar Mammadov, Other Unjustly Imprisoned Activists

STRASBOURG, France (Human Rights Watch) – Azerbaijan is finally facing consequences for keeping political activist Ilgar Mammadov behind bars in violation of his rights and its legal obligations. On September 21, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers decided to trigger legal infringement proceedings against the country.

This may seem like a baby step, but it’s not. Rather, it’s unprecedented and bold – something the Council of Europe has never done before. The proceedings could ultimately lead to suspending Azerbaijan’s voting rights or its expulsion from the Council of Europe.

In May 2014, the European Court for Human Rights delivered an unambiguous judgment: It found the detention, since February 2013, of political analyst and critic Mammadov illegal, stating it was aimed at “silenc[ing] and punish[ing] him for criticizing the government.” The court made it clear that Mammadov should be freed. More than three years later, Mammadov is still behind bars – despite more than a dozen resolutions by the Committee of Ministers requiring the Azerbaijani government to release Mammadov and a dedicated inquiry launched by Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland into Azerbaijan’s failure to do so.

Last week’s decision is a welcome demonstration of resolve, and I hope it will end Baku’s scorn for the court. Infringement is a lengthy process, so any decision on Azerbaijan’s expulsion from the Council of Europe will not happen that soon. This gives the Azerbaijani government a last chance to do the right thing and release Mammadov.

Mammadov’s case is not isolated. Dozens of critics, human rights defenders, and media professionals, including blogger Mehman Huseinov, arrested in February, and journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, abducted in Tbilisi in May, are unjustly in prison in violation of human rights standards. Some activists released from prison in 2016 have been hit with travel bans and cannot work because authorities have effectively closed their organizations.

The government’s international partners, including the European Union, should make it clear that continued disregard for the court and the failure to release political prisoners will lead to more serious consequences.

Azerbaijani Press: Karamanukyan: Armenia loses to Azerbaijan in Uruguay

Antranik Varosian
News.az, Azerbaijan
Sept 18 2017

Mon 10:41 GMT | 13:41 Local Time

    
"There is an Azerbaijani embassy in Uruguay, but there is no Armenian embassy."

According to news.am, the due statement came from director of "Radio Arax" in Uruguay, journalist Diego Karamanukyan.

According to him, Baku has recently stepped up its activity in Uruguay, while the Armenian community in the country is in crisis, and its role is gradually weakening.

"In general, the community is experiencing a period of uncertainty. The active participation of the Armenian community in the life of the continent is gradually decreasing, and the role of various kinds of organizations is increasingly limited. Time abroad works against the Armenian diaspora and dictates its terms," Karamanukyan explained, adding that this is manifested in the reduction in the number of Armenian schools and organizations in the country.

News.Az

Sports: Armenian gymnasts participating in the World Cup qualification tournament

Antranik Varosian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 16 2017

Armenian gymnastics team is participating in the in the World Cup qualification tournament underway in Paris from September 16-17. As the National Olympic Committee reported, the team headed by head coach Hakob Serobyan comprises Vahagn Davtyan (still rings), Harutyun Merdinyan (pommel horse), and Artur Davtyan (vault).

The tournament is a preparatory competition for the Armenian athletes ahead of the World Championships. According to the report, following the competition, the Armenian team will hold a training camp in Paris and head for Canada on September to participate in the main tournament of the year – the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.