New Tune For New Times: Officials Sound Out On An Upgraded Anthem

[MosJan]

WHICH ANTHEM WILL UNITE THE ARMENIANS?

 

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article's photo

In order to find out the opinion of the people about the change of the RA national anthem, the website of «A1+» organized a poll giving the readers of the site a chance to listen to all the five versions of the anthem and vote for the best of them.

 

586 readers participated in the poll. The survey showed that two of the five anthems were mostly preferred by the readers. Here are the final results of the poll:

 

1. Music - Tigran Mansuryan, words – Eghishe Charents (42%)

 

2. Music - Robert Amirkhanyan, words – Lyudvig Duryan (5%)

 

3. Music - Ervand Erznkyan, words – Ararat B (4%)

 

4. Music - Aram Khachatryan, words – Arsen Soghomonyan (44%)

 

5. Music - Edgar Hovhannisyan, words – Vahagn Davtyan (4%)

[Harut]

where can we read the lyrics and listen to the music of the proposed piecies?

[nairi]

See here (click on video):

 

http://www.a1plus.am/en/?page=issue&iid=40658

 

Too bad there's no option in the poll for "none of the above."

 

I truly think they all stink. I'm highly disappointed in our artistic output. Either that or the politicians that picked these five because of their own opportunistic and corrupt reasons.

 

Yes, Khachaturian is a classic, before I get attacked. But I thought "new era" stood for "new anthem," and not old anthem with dubious lyrics. Are we artistically that disabled that we have lost the ability to compose something as powerful, and pleasant to hear, as our Soviet anthem?

 

Speaking of our dance ensembles. Do we only have one choreographer? How many times are we to see the same routine over and over again?

[MosJan]

i don't know if it's the quality of the recordings or what i din;t like none of them

 

can't make out any words

[Yervant1]

Speaking of our dance ensembles. Do we only have one choreographer? How many times are we to see the same routine over and over again?

How about the dance ensemble start a new trand!!!! Rabiz Dance with belly dancers and so on.

[Zartonk]

This is starting to get ridiculous. Not only are they treating the matter quite unprofessionally after having it dragged to the political forefront, but the public has almost no voice. I just hope they don't make a hasty decision that we'll all regret later.

[Eurocentric]

I liked the first one. Followed by the second and the third.

4 is just too Soviet. 5 was lame.

[MosJan]

ARMENIA MAY HAVE NATIONAL ANTHEM WITHOUT LYRICS

 

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After long-lasting public discussions and debates of musical experts, the commission formed for selection of Armenian new state anthem approved the music composed by the great Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian for the anthem of the Soviet Armenia. At the same time, the commission disapproved of all of the 85 texts for the anthem submitted for the commission’s consideration.

 

At present, in case, RA Government and RA National Assembly approve the abovementioned decision of the commission, our country may have an anthem without any lyrics for a while, until a new competition for the anthem text is announced. The royalties for the best music amounts to AMD 700, 000. Most likely this sum will be transferred to Aram Khachatrian’s Memorial House.

 

It’s worth mentioning that the majority of the Armenian intelligentsia have disapproved the previous anthem.

[MosJan]

ohhh boyyyyyyy

[hayemyes]

ohhh boyyyyyyy

 

akh akh

and i wonder if we were gona be this much stuck up in soviet times and were gonna become russia's slave, why did we vote yes at the independance referendum more than 10 yrs ago?

 

i hope that "intelligent" amirkhanian dude is happy now, of course! having a soviet anthem with no lyrics is much better than an independance anthem with normal lyrics and music!!! RIGHT!!!

 

sometimes our country politics and events make me soo angry i feel just like becoming a non-armenian! its disgusting

[abass80]

i think that the music of Khachaturian is the best choice and i'm sure that they will find the appropriate lyrics to go with the music .

[hayemyes]

i think that the music of Khachaturian is the best choice and i'm sure that they will find the appropriate lyrics to go with the music .

 

sure and i think we should just do another referendum to recreate a soviet union,,, or even better! just ask russia's permission to merge with their country, and then we can adopt their own anthem, without having to fight over who's music is the best and such...

[Arpa]

sure and i think we should just do another referendum to recreate a soviet union,,, or even better! just ask russia's permission to merge with their country, and then we can adopt their own anthem, without having to fight over who's music is the best and such...

Dear hayemyes, don’t be so quick to judge. Let us not be such ingrates.

Note. I am not a communist sympathizer, never have been. It was a desperate, if failed experiment, not unlike many other socio-politico-economic experiments, a “religion“, if you will, which assumed that mankind is so moral and ethical that would forego its own personal gain in deference to its “brother”. Apparently those idealists had not read Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”, that man would do anything, cheat, kill, corrupt, ask for bribes and grafts to survive over its fellow man.

Yes 70 some years living under the Soviet Flag may not have been one of our proudest eras, compared to many centuries having to live under a Persian flag, a Byzantine flag, an Arabic flag, and… a thousand years under the Crescent and the Star of the Ottomans. Yet as oppressive as the Soviet rule may have been, it was the only time in thousands of years when our Homeland flourished economically, or better yet culturally. Never before we have had the liberty to speak and write in Armenian, establish universities and centers of higher learning. Remember the Charentses, Sevaks, Khachaturians…. And host of other luminaries of culture of the era?

How can we rediscover, rebuild and develop on what was left of that era, sans all of that Soviet garbage rather than trash it? Yes we did take down Stalin’s statue at the Victory Park, we took down Lenin’s statue if respectfully at the Hraparak, compared to Saddam’s statue in Baghdad. I wish Lenin’s statue were still there compared to that vulgar electronic billboard that blares vulgar commercials and disgusting rabiz now.

Maybe, as intimated in another thread, we Armenians should learn to wait a while, until the ust settles, so to speak before we erect statues to so called transient heroes and decide to take them down even before the pigeons have deposited their “comments” on them.

How about I pose where those statutes were. I don’t mind those pigeon fertilizers. :)

You will notice that during those “dark day” of the last 70 years, whether it was Ivan, Nicolai, Lenin or Stalin, they are all in the dustbin of history now, no one, not the Persian, not the Roman, not the Byzantian, not the Arab nor the Turk dare invade and devastate our lands. You do realize that of all the over 100,000 sq. mi. of historic Armenia we only have 10,000 sq. mi., a legacy of the so called Russian Armenia/RussaHayastan?

Let’s keep it that way. Make sure gets larger, not smaller

Can we pay tribute where tribute is due?

Edited October 26, 2006 by Arpa

[hayemyes]

Dear hayemyes, don’t be so quick to judge. Let us not be such ingrates.

Note. I am not a communist sympathizer, never have been. It was a desperate, if failed experiment, not unlike many other socio-politico-economic experiments, a “religion“, if you will, which assumed that mankind is so moral and ethical that would forego its own personal gain in deference to its “brother”. Apparently those idealists had not read Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”, that man would do anything, cheat, kill, corrupt, ask for bribes and grafts to survive over its fellow man.

Yes 70 some years living under the Soviet Flag may not have been one of our proudest eras, compared to many centuries having to live under a Persian flag, a Byzantine flag, an Arabic flag, and… a thousand years under the Crescent and the Star of the Ottomans. Yet as oppressive as the Soviet rule may have been, it was the only time in thousands of years when our Homeland flourished economically, or better yet culturally. Never before we have had the liberty to speak and write in Armenian, establish universities and centers of higher learning. Remember the Charentses, Sevaks, Khachaturians…. And host of other luminaries of culture of the era?

How can we rediscover, rebuild and develop on what was left of that era, sans all of that Soviet garbage rather than trash it? Yes we did take down Stalin’s statue at the Victory Park, we took down Lenin’s statue if respectfully at the Hraparak, compared to Saddam’s statue in Baghdad. I wish Lenin’s statue were still there compared to that vulgar electronic billboard that blares vulgar commercials and disgusting rabiz now.

Maybe, as intimated in another thread, we Armenians should learn to wait a while, until the ust settles, so to speak before we erect statues to so called transient heroes and decide to take them down even before the pigeons have deposited their “comments” on them.

How about I pose where those statutes were. I don’t mind those pigeon fertilizers. :)

You will notice that during those “dark day” of the last 70 years, whether it was Ivan, Nicolai, Lenin or Stalin, they are all in the dustbin of history now, no one, not the Persian, not the Roman, not the Byzantian, not the Arab nor the Turk dare invade and devastate our lands. You do realize that of all the over 100,000 sq. mi. of historic Armenia we only have 10,000 sq. mi., a legacy of the so called Russian Armenia/RussaHayastan?

Let’s keep it that way. Make sure gets larger, not smaller

Can we pay tribute where tribute is due?

 

dear Arpa,

i may or may not have mentioned in one of my previous posts (i don't remember right now) that i am totally aware and realize that the soviet era was one of the most prosperous eras if not the most of armenian modern history, and i recognize that high level of economic and cultural development...but then again, i find it sad that we are still sooo clinged to those soviet values in armenia today, even though i understand that is hasnt even been 20 yrs to our independance...but i believe that since the people of armenia voted YES to independance, they should be able to overcome the lingering soviet influence in their "blood"...the clandestinal values and corruption are the result of the living conditions endured by the armenian people in soviet times, not only armenian but every other soviet nation...

i cannot tolerate the strong influence of russian in armenian culture, eventhough russia's a neighbor and perhaps a strategically advantageous one, because i am tired of seeing our culture being dependent on others'...most of the composers of that era in armenian history are recognized worldwide as russian composers! and its not wrong to interpret it that way, i mean listen to konstantin orpelyan's compositions and tell me if there's anything armenian in his music except for the lyrics, eventhough half his songs are in russian...but thats another issue

they wanted to change the anthem...CHANGE is the word here! and why go back to a soviet anthem? we were saying earlier that don't we have good composers today to create a new anthem and get rid of the current one? if we think we do and if we undertook measures in doing so, why are we abandoning these composers and going back to an anthem that reflects at the same time, 70 years of prosperous economy and culture, but also 70 yrs of struggle for liberty, whether it be freedom of speech, of act, of thought, 70 yrs of spying, thousands of famous armenians sent to the siberian cold, 70 yrs of anti-nationalistic teaching?? why? don't we respect the writers, artists, and political figures that died in the cold in siberia? why did we vote to become independent if we were going to stick to thosevalues and conditions?

i find it sad that we decide to overturn something saying it lacks originality and i don't know what, or perhaps maybe because it reflects certain political ideologies (previously discussed) to return to an old composition that reflects, alongside properity, 70 yrs of struggle and corruption

[Arpa]

dear Arpa,

i may or may not have mentioned in one of my previous posts (i don't remember right now) that i am totally aware and realize that the soviet era was one of the most prosperous eras if not the most of armenian modern history, and i recognize that high level of economic and cultural development...

*********

and culture, but also 70 yrs of struggle for liberty, whether it be freedom of speech, of act, of thought, 70 yrs of spying, thousands of famous armenians sent to the siberian cold, 70 yrs of anti-nationalistic teaching?? why? don't we respect the writers, artists, and political figures that died in the cold in siberia? why did we vote to become independent if we were going to stick to thosevalues and conditions?

i find it sad that we decide to overturn something saying it lacks originality and i don't know what, or perhaps maybe because it reflects certain political ideologies (previously discussed) to return to an old composition that reflects, alongside properity, 70 yrs of struggle and corruption

Yes. AK was a Soviet era composer.

He survived simply because he did not antagonize the regime. After all, he waa justa composer and an artist, not a political activist just as Charents, Sevak and Sylva were, poets, not revolutionaries.

We may not know this, and neither did those comissars in Moscow that his music was heavily influenced by Armenian folklore.

Listen to his Gayane, in particular to the passage of Ayisha’s’ Dance and tell us if it is not a teke-off on the Armenian tune “Che-----m, chem krna khaghal“?

AK is not unique. Charents, Sevak and even Sylva, that old fat communist cow, in her own way, remember “Khosk Im Vordun”. Communist cow? Who never forgot her native heritage/language? Among those who defied Soviet oppression, each in their own way.

Please. Let us not dismiss these giants of Armenian culture, Not to forget Petros, Baronian, Varuzhan, Siamanto….. et al..

Yes AK was labeled as “Soviet Composer” until 1991 when suddenly, one morning, on NPR he was identified as “ARMENIAN”, no more qualifiers as “Soviet…”.

Can we do better than NPR?

Edited October 26, 2006 by Arpa

[hayemyes]

Yes. AK was a Soviet era composer.

He survived simply because he did not antagonize the regime. After all, he waa justa composer and an artist, not a political activist just as Charents, Sevak and Sylva were, poets, not revolutionaries.

We may not know this, and neither did those comissars in Moscow that his music was heavily influenced by Armenian folklore.

Listen to his Gayane, in particular to the passage of Ayisha’s’ Dance and tell us if it is not a teke-off on the Armenian tune “Che-----m, chem krna khaghal“?

AK is not unique. Charents, Sevak and even Sylva, that old fat communist cow, in her own way, remember “Khosk Im Vordun”. Communist cow? Who never forgot her native heritage/language? Among those who defied Soviet oppression, each in their own way.

Please. Let us not dismiss these giants of Armenian culture, Not to forget Petros, Baronian, Varuzhan, Siamanto….. et al..

Yes AK was labeled as “Soviet Composer” until 1991 when suddenly, one morning, on NPR he was identified as “ARMENIAN”, no more qualifiers as “Soviet…”.

Can we do better than NPR?

 

i agree that there was some sort of nationalistic feeling among these writers, but it was still not enough to build a proper armenian identity, and the soviet regime precisely tried to dissuade each of its soviet from developing such nationalistic feelings and building identities, they even banned some religious activites, and Christianity wasn't very welcomed...we cannot simply say that oh charents or sevak or i dono who else were able to write about armenians therefore it wasnt that bad, i mean charents fell victim of stalin's purges, and it's just that others were more moderate in their expression or totally pro-communist (kaputikian) and were able to get away with it

as for AK, i recognize very well that his work has alot of armenian influence, especially since ive played many of his works myself, however, i am just saying that the soviet influence has been so entangled in armenian culture and history that foreigners often do not distinguish between what is armenian, sovietic or russian...that's where the problem is, because we have not adn are not developing a proper identity of our own whether it be cultural, social, etc. to enable foreigners to distinguish us from the rest...

returning to the subject, even though i recognize and admire AK's majestic work, i simply cannot accept to impose a soviet anthem on independent armenia, especially when the point of changing the anthem (which i still don't find valid) was to be original and reflect today's armenia and everything

[Arpa]

Soviet?

Russian?

Is it any more, better or worse than those f**** Turk-Ottoman terms like dolma(Turkish), sarma( turkish), kakturma (turkish), imam (turkish Islamic)bayuldu (turkish), chiy** (turkish) koefteh (???)

** The Armenian word for raw/uncooked is hum/apukht, not chi., unless ones’ mother f*ck*r tongue is Turkish.

Edited October 26, 2006 by Arpa

[Arpa]

Soviet?

Russian?

Is it any more, better or worse than those f**** Turk-Ottoman terms like dolma(Turkish), sarma( turkish), kakturma (turkish), imam (turkish Islamic)bayuldu (turkish), chiy** (turkish) koefteh (???)

** The Armenian word for raw/uncooked is hum/apukht, not chi., unless ones’ mother f*ck*r tongue is Turkish.

I will not relent until I impress on our readres that DOLMA SARMA, KAKTURMA and CHIY (koetFeh)are NOT not ARMENIAN WORDS. I hate to tell you what MF language they are from.

So! If you are such Armo-Nationalist, give us the antive Armenian names of those so Armenian native cuisinal delicacies.

[hayemyes]

lol i can't figure out how we came to talk about these food names in turkish when we were talking about the anthem and soviet influence?

i made sure i didn't miss anything but then again...

besides, i never used those turkish words to describe these food items, so i don't see the context of those replies...???

no comment

[MosJan]

Parliament Paves Way For Anthem Change

 

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The National Assembly passed on Wednesday a controversial government bill that keeps open the possibility of a change of Armenia’s national anthem, something which is strongly opposed by a junior member of the ruling coalition. The government drafted the bill late last month after shelving plans for the adoption of a new anthem in place of the “Mer Hayrenik” (Our Fatherland) song. The decision followed a failed song contest that was administered by an ad hoc government commission formed earlier this year. The bill stipulates that “Mer Hayrenik” will remain the country’s “provisional” anthem pending the adoption of a new, permanent one. It was rejected by some opposition parliamentarians and, more importantly, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), which has four ministers in President Robert Kocharian’s cabinet. All of them voted against the draft law when it was approved by the cabinet on October 26. “Mer Hayrenik” was also the official anthem of a short-lived independent Armenian republic that was founded and governed by Dashnaktsutyun from 1918-1920. The nationalist party regards it as an important symbol of Armenian statehood, dismissing complaints about its simple theme voiced by some prominent politicians and artists. Dashnaktsutyun leaders are pressing for a different law that would perpetuate the song's official status.

* By Astghik Bedevian

[MosJan]

'THE LESSER OF EVILS'

 

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- How do you remark the solution that "Mer Hayrenik" will stay valid till determining the text and music of anthem by law?"

 

- I remark it as "neither fish nor fowl" version. We are back where we started by the grounds which aren't determined by law. A thing which I predicted in summer when that so called commission began working very unsuccessfully. The people's indifference made me think that there was no public need to change the national anthem. The intellectuals were also unready to such a function, to select a new version of anthem, or to affirm the old one. And those amusing thoughts sounded from the camp of intellectuals proved that this question hadn't raped yet. The lack of demand had its demonstration in the NA. People were ignoring the deep importance of the question and trying to give their personal opinion. Anyway this version of the law is the lesser of evils. Let it remain as it is till the problem is ripened.

 

- You criticized the contest commission once more, while Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosian affirmed in the NA that commission had made very fair decision and added that the critic addressed to the commission were mercantile demonstrations.

 

- Hasmik Poghosian wasn't a decisive person in that commission. She was doing what the situation prompted her. Occasional solutions dictated by moods inside the commission and outside and the lack of wish to demonstrate the own opinion. But in reality the activities of that commission were dictated by the authority. The lack of results proves the fruitless activities of the commission. The government refused the result of the commission's activities and decided to remain the anthem the same. The activities of the commission were considered very unsuccessful, which is the rightist remark than this is. In this case the Minister's self-appraisal solves nothing. It's simply the way to save the own face in the bad game.

[Takoush]

ONE DAY LEFT TO THE ACTING ANTHEM

 

04 December, 2006 [http://www.a1plus.am/en/?page=issue&iid=43583]

 

 

On December 6 the acting anthem of the RA, "Our Homeland", will cease being a national anthem and will become a common song. The transitional provisions of the RA Constitution adopted on December 5, 2005, stated that the anthem will be in power for another year. The deadline is tomorrow, and the Republic of Armenia does not have a new anthem yet.

 

During the last four-day session of the fall sitting of the NA the deputies were to discuss the draft law on the "RA state anthem". But the text of the draft with the amendments after the first reading was not distributed to the deputies. They mentioned that they cannot discuss the draft without getting acquainted with the changes as it is against the regulations of the NA.

 

Thus the deputies were either to violate the regulations or to leave the country without an anthem. The problem was solved during the break when the NA Speaker decided to discuss the issue in a special session which will probably be convened tomorrow. It is noteworthy that after being adopted by the NA the draft must also be ratified by the President.

 

By the way, according to the draft represented by the Government, "Our Homeland" will be our anthem until a new one is decided upon.

[Takoush]

NEW AMBASSADOR OF EUROPEAN COMMITTEE TO ARMENIA

 

 

04 December, 2006, A1PLUS //Online News

 

 

Head of the European Committee delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Per Eklund handed his credentials to RA deputy Foreign Minister Armen Bayburdyan.

 

Mr. Bayburdyan greeted the newly appointed Ambassador and wished his good luck in carrying out his high mission. Ambassador Eklund voiced his readiness to contribute to the relations between Armenia and the EU.

 

During the meeting the sides referred to the Individual Partnership Action Plan ratified on November 14 for Armenia. They discussed issues about its realizaiton.

[Error 404]

My two hands up for the change. The current one is like whining not an anthem. I think a national anthem should inspire it's citizens and not make them cry. Charles Aznavour's Armenia song's music is much better than our current anthem's music and words.

I wonder what are they going to adapt.

 

I wouldn't even mind if they change the flag too. I like the red and blue stripes but the dark orange color is not fitting there Armenia had very nice flags from medieval times. Or even before that.

 

Something like Goergian flag, I like even Kazakhstan's (Borat's Fatherland) flag.

[Takoush]

I too don't mind if they change the anthem; because the one we had so far was left from our opression days. We could use some inspirational anthem. Agreed.

 

However, the flag I like it the way it is.