President Serzh Sargsyan handed the RA State Awards for 2013

By the decree of President Serzh Sargsyan, based on the Decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia NH-1164-N of August 22, 2002 “On the Procedure for the Establishment and Conferring the RA State Awards” and at the recommendations of the State Award Commissions the RA State Awards for 2013 in a number of areas were handed. The official award-giving ceremony took place today at the Presidential Palace.

RA State Awards for 2013 were handed in the areas of literature and arts, architecture and urban development, precise and natural sciences, as well as in the area of humanitarian and social sciences.

In a number of spheres of the area of literature and arts state awards were handed:

In the area of literature and journalistic genre – to Edvard Militonyan for the poetry collection “E”;

In the area of music – to Tigran Mansuryan for the composition “Requiem”;

In the area of painting – to Ashot Avagyan, for the fresco “Mashtots” (Matenadaran, the symposium hall of the newly built subsidiary building of Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Old Manuscripts);

In the area of cinema – to Serzh Avetiqyan (France, leading actor and director); Elena Fetisova (Ukraine, director and producer); Martun Adoyan (producer); Taguhi Karapetyan (producer) for the movie “Parajanov” (Armenia, Ukraine, France, Georgia);

In the area of architecture and urban development – Artur Meschyan (architect) for the complex of Matenadaran - the new scientific subsidiary building of M. Mashtots Research Institute of Old Manuscripts, the reconstructed main subsidiary building and the reconstructed road from Mashtots Avenue to Matenadaran; as well as to Artak Ghulyan (architect) for Vache and Tamar Manukean Matenadaran in Mother See of Holly Etchmiadzin;

In the area of precise and natural sciences – to Samvel Shuquryan and Ervant Zoryan (Canada) for the work “Test Solutions for systems on the nanometric crystal, algorithms, methods and test structure”;

In the area of humanitarian and social sciences – to Hrachik Simonyan for the work “On the Roads of Liberating Struggle.”

The chairmen of the commissions presented the works nominated for awards, the decisions made by the commissions as a result of discussions, the awarded works and their authors.

After presenting the decision made by the commission led by him, the Chairman of the Commission of Cinema Davit Muradyan said that he regretted to inform that one of that day's prize winners co-director Elena Fetisova had not attended the award-giving ceremony for certain reasons.

The President of Armenia informed the participants of the event that this morning he had received a letter from Mrs. Elena Fetisova in which she respectfully set out her motives for not arriving in Armenia. “I will pass her the state award via her colleagues, and following her own desire, will appropriate the pecuniary component of the prize for charitable purposes by doubling it from the means of the fund of the President of the Republic of Armenia.

I would like to say that I understand the motives of Mrs. Fetisova, but I want to appeal to both the honorable lady and the Ukrainian people by asserting that we are brotherly peoples and the brotherhood and friendship is testified by thousands of facts – beginning with the medieval temples in Lviv and ending with the active position of today’s Ukrainian community living in Armenia. We have fought against intruders together shoulder by shoulder and we have thousands of magnificent history pages. It has been so and it will continue to be so and it will endure. It happens that different phenomena are being miscomprehended in the turmoil of events and time, but the greatness of time is that everything clear out in course of time, miscomprehensions disappear and everything finds its place. I reiterate that the Ukrainians are our brothers. So, I ask the colleagues to pass the prize to Mrs. Fetisova,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

The Chairman of the Commission of Theatre Anelka Grigoryan informed that seven theatrical performances were applied for. As a result of the ballot, no work collected sufficient number of votes according to the procedure and accordingly, in the area of theatre no state award was handed for 2013.

The Chairman of the Commission of Architecture and Urban Development Sashur Qalashyan informed that two of the nominated works had collected an equal number of votes which put the Commission in a difficult position. As a result, the members of the Commission refused to revote considering the two works worthy of a state award. “We could not present anybody’s work for a state award in 2011. However, this year was promising, we had achievements, there were applications and the Commission was sure that this time we will certainly present some kind of work. However, the votes of the Commission members were divided equally and in such a manner that nobody was going to be handed a state award according to the regulation. I gave that protocol to the Office to the President in despair thinking that will not hand a state award this year as well. However, to our surprise we were informed that on the proposal of the honorable President it was decided to split the state award into two equal parts. That is to divide between the two applications. Apparently, it was based on the fact that, instead of being rejected, two objects rousing a ready response among the public collected an equal number of votes,” said the Chairman of the Commission of Architecture and Urban Development.

On this occasion the President of Armenia underscored that he had acted with his hand upon his heart and that he was confident that both the artists and our people would understand and would fully comprehend the attitude toward our temples. “I have not handed to the persons, I have handed to the structures whose name is Matenadaran. Matenadaran is a temple for us, and I am confident that the two structures will be greatly appreciated in course of time. You are older than me, you are more experienced, you know the history of all the monuments very well, and you know that though being previously smeared there are monuments which we today consider the constituent part of our life. I am confident and I have exercised my right. Be tolerant,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

The President of Armenia also sent his congratulatory message to all the prize winners.

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President Serzh Sargsyan’s congratulatory statement during handing the RA State Awards

Respected laureates of the State Award of the Republic of Armenia,
Honorable guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we hand state awards to artists and scholars for their works. Of course, the real judge of works of art is time. They either stand the test of time or simply not. However, it is our – the contemporary people – duty to have our own position and attitude and to give our appreciation.

With these awards we present ourselves as a society and a state which value the most important things, value what is or can be of national importance.

I have always believed that culture in general and arts in particular have a nation-creating mission. Indeed, we could continue our historical path as a people without Hovhannes Tumanyan and Aram Khachatryan, but in that case, I am sure, we would be a bit different people - less rich and less strong. It is clear that Mashtots and Komitases can’t be born every day, but it is the duty of every generation to consistently and purposefully continue developing arts and science as an implementation of a nation-creating mission.

On behalf of the Armenian state and me personally I thank you, respected prize-winners, just for that. You embody the continuation and development with your deeds and your portrayal.

I am speaking of the formation of a spiritual and prosperous homeland. These are directly correlated activities. Our duty is to ensure their continuity. You are today’s circles of the multi-thousand-year-old chain, respected prize-winners, and we are proud of you.

I congratulate you on the occasion of being awarded by State Awards of the Republic of Armenia. I wish you health and vigor, personal successes and, above all, new creative flights and new heights. We are richer and stronger thanks to you. Keep on making us rich and strong.

Thank you