4,500 Guests Attend Special Armenian Genocide Program in Kremlin Hall

Harut Sassounian

BY  HARUT SASSOUNIAN

The 10th annual Armenian Music Awards (AMA) program was held on February 27, at the Kremlin’s Kevorkiev Hall in Moscow, with 4,500 guests in attendance. Many of Armenia’s top stars entertained the large crowd with patriotic songs and musical performances for more than four hours.

This year’s program, organized by Valeriy Saharyan, recognized the important contributions made by 12 individuals and organizations on the occasion of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, including:

”” Vladimir Zhirinovsky (member of the Russian Parliament),

”” Harut Sassounian (Publisher of The California Courier and President of Armenia Artsakh Fund),

”” Armenia Futura,

”” Sergey Smpatian (conductor).

Other honorees, some of whom could not be present, appeared by video or through a representative:

”” Valerie Boyer (member of the French Parliament),

”” Vigen Sargsyan (Armenian President’s Chief of Staff and Coordinator of Programs organized by the State Centennial Committee of the Armenian Genocide),

”” Armenia’s Minister of Culture,

”” Archbishop Ezras Nercessian (Primate of Moscow and Nor Nakhichevan),

”” Serj Tankian (System of a Down),

”” Rouben Vartanian (benefactor and businessman),

”” Artur Janipekyan (Gazprom Media Holding),

”” Ara Vartanyan (Hayastan All-Armenian Fund).

In receiving his award, Zhirinovsky had strong words for Turkey. Here are excerpts from his remarks:

“The day will come when Armenians will celebrate their festivals in the territory of liberated Western Armenia. That could be a festival bearing the name of your holy mountain ”” Mount Ararat ”” and could take place in Kars, Ardahan, Sassoun or Trabizon”¦. After the downing of the Russian jet, I would have ordered a powerful attack on Turkey. Today, very little would have remained of Turkey”¦. I wish the dream of Armenians worldwide would become a reality; that those who committed that horrible genocide on April 1915, during World War I, would be punished.”