Assures Ruben Babayan and emphasizes that making the genocide anniversary a subject for events-list is wrong
Honored worker of Armenia, artistic director of the Yerevan Puppet Theatre after Hovhannes Tumanyan, also producer Ruben Babayan, in the conversation with “Aravot” newspaper, referring to the events-list implemented in the framework of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, presented the programs of their theater. In response to the question of whether there will be a performance on the theme of genocide, Ruben Babayan replied, “There will be no performance, just in August, Italians and we are implementing a joint project based on the works of Gostan Zarian. It was initiated by his grandson, Ara Zarian. About 14 people will arrive from Italy for the event. It is a project with a special music and projection based on Zarian’s works. It is called a theatre of figures. There is such an organization in Italy, which is led by an Italian woman, whose grandmother is an Armenian, and now she has started to learn Armenian at the age of 74. This will be our participation and I think it’s the best way, because it can be said that it will be a performance not only with use local but also invited from abroad. The month of August was chosen because the project is big and the musicians need time to get ready, in addition, this month is in handy for them, also I think that August is the month when the Diaspora Armenians are gathered here.” Ruben Babayan said that the event is not for children. “Such topics are not for children, the “Three little pigs” is suitable for them…”.
To the question of whether Ruben Babayan considers it right that the school-aged children are loaded with the themes of genocide, at least to get acquainted with the reality, via performance, he answered that it is a heavy psychological blow to the children. “Of course, everything has its way of presenting to the children, but their spirit is fragile, while the proper delivery of the material can cause different complexes. The fact that they need to know the history, learn the whole history of the tragedy is for sure, but everything has its age and most importantly, the preparatory work. Life shows that many Armenians grow up with the psychology of a victim, and it’s dangerous. We have had also heroic pages and victories in our history, haven’t we? And when we are talking that it’s not just our tragedy, but the first genocide of the 20th century, I think that showing in this angle that not only our people was exposed to genocide, but it is generally a crime against humanity, we eliminate the status of exclusive victim of an Armenian and transfer it to the universal dimension, and more precisely, we make a shape, which actually should have a continuation of how to act that such events never happen again. In all cases, the only guarantee to prevent the genocide is the strong statehood,” said our interlocutor. Ruben Babayan is sure that making the anniversary of genocide a theme of event is wrong.
According to him, “I resemble it with the times when Lenin’s 100th anniversary was marked in the Soviet Union. I would not want it to happen. This is not an event. Furthermore, when you see on that day what is going on at the Genocide Memorial – these sunflower seeds and the indiscretion, I feel disgusted, it is terrible and not the way to mourn.”
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Eva HAKOBYAN
