I Forgot That the Ministry of Culture 'Etym' No Longer Exists: Armen Movsisyan

Singer-songwriter Armen Movsisyan wrote on his Facebook page: "I recently heard the responsible person for one of the New Year events, who was saying at a press conference how much one of the invited artists is paid for his 'back' vocal. 65,000 euros, which is about $70,000: This is why it is important for the artist to be 'imported' from abroad. Well, Armenia is a small country, and all those present are just 'mughams', while foreign stars are spectacular and bright.

Honestly, I feel sorry for Armenian artists. When not private, but state funds are used to support not the Armenian artist but foreign stars. Ah, I forgot; we don't need art— the Ministry of Culture 'Etym' no longer exists, and that foolish word 'art' is superfluous, intangible, a profitless local self-expression. I understand the mental problem of Armenian officials regarding the question of the Armenian or 'local' artist versus this star. Now I understand why Komitas died alone and forgotten in a psychiatric hospital: he was uninteresting, unprofitable. Our culture is just like that—foreign-oriented. An Armenian artist, come forth!

P.S. I am not among those ranks; I earn my fair living in another country. Modest, but fair, so that the cultured, foreign-oriented bourgeois can thrive..."

It is worth noting that today during a press conference, Yerevan Deputy Mayor Tigran Virabyan spoke about the concert of musician and composer Goran Bregovic, which will take place in Republic Square for New Year, stating that 65 million dram will be spent.