This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Armenian Music Festival, which the Union of Armenians of Abkhazia organizes in the Gagra region every year on May 4^th. This year, the festival was dedicated to the 70^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. That’s why the concert was devoted to not only Armenian and Abkhazian national songs and dances, but also the war.

The festival brought together nearly 2,000 people. Among the attendees were Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Abkhazia Vagharshak Kosyan, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security Suren Kerselyan, Acting Head of Administration of Gagra region Beslan Bartsits, as well as representatives of the Armenian community of Sochi.

As leader of the Armenian community of Abkhazia Khachik Minasyan mentioned in his speech, the concert included performances by dance groups and individual performers from all regions of Abkhazia and Sochi. On behalf of the Union of Armenians of Abkhazia, he wished all the war veterans good health and longevity.

All the veterans of the Great Patriotic War living in Gagra region were invited to the concert, but only two of them managed to attend, and they were granted mementos.

Greeting the participants of the festival, Acting Head of Administration of Gagra region Beslan Bartsits congratulated everyone on the 20^th anniversary of the Armenian Music Festival and the 70^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The nearly four-hour concert included 45 performances.

On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the Armenian Music Festival, several artistic directors of school music bands received certificates of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, and director of the famous Arevik Dance Group Susanna Surmenelyan and songwriter Vladimir Khareksyan were granted the Komitas Medal of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

This year, the festival was held in the Alakhadzikh village of Gagra region.

MADINA TARBA

Abkhazia