This weekend, between August 2 and 4, the “Dimitrie Brândză” Botanical Garden in Bucharest becomes the host of the 8th edition of Armenian Street Festival, organized by the Union of Armenians from Romania. For three days, the event will transform the garden into a vibrant space, a veritable oasis of Armenian culture and traditions reinterpreted for all those who love cultural diversity.
Entrance to festival is free, and access is limited to capacity.
For access to the Botanical Garden, an entrance ticket is paid, worth 10 lei for adults and 5 lei for pensioners, pupils and students. The fee can be paid in advance.
The festival promises an unforgettable experience for all ages, offering, Friday from 17:00 and Saturday-Sunday from 12:00:
- Live concerts: Subcarpai, Ladaniva, Ovidiu Lipan Țăndărică feat. Stelu Enache și Balkano, Paulina, JINJ, Karin Band, Prima Dragoste, Hayk Karoyi, Susanna Najarian, Lilit Petrosyan.
- DJ sets and jam sessions: Subcarpathian Cultural Center and Karin Band join forces in a unique musical challenge, Hayk Karoyi, inspired by Serghei Parajanov, creates a unique sound experience, and DJ Miko and Ligia Keșișian train the audience before the concerts on the big stage, on Saturday and Sunday .
- Workshops (Saturday and Sunday): For children, youth and adults – from embroidery, volcanic stone (tuff) sculpture and ceramics, to collages inspired by Sergei Parajanov and Armenian dances.
- Craft fair: Discover and take home original creations and authentic Armenian and Romanian crafts – from traditional jewelry from the foothills of Mount Ararat to reinterpreted Armenian fabrics.
- Culinary experiences: Enjoy international and traditional delicacies, including sand coffee, the famous Marlenka cakes and savory treats with cemen (чаман).
To stories in the library
The pop-up library within the festival will host on Saturday, starting at 16:00, discussions about Armenian culture & pop culture (Invite HE Tigran Galstyan, Ambassador of Armenia to Romania, Oana Suciu, university lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Bucharest, Hrant Jaghinyan, graphic artist, Tales from the Armenian Quarter (invited Varujan Vosganian – writer and President of the Union of Armenians in Romania, Varujan Pambuccian – President of the Committee for Information and Communications Technology in the Chamber of Deputies, Mihai Stepan Cazazian – editor-in-chief of Ararat magazine). On Sunday, also from 16:00, there will be a discussion about the great Armenian filmmaker and artist Sergey Parajanov, in the company of director Armine Vosganian and film critic Victor Morozov. Sergei Parajanov, one of the great masters of cinema, created two masterpieces in a row, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964) and The Color of Pomegranates (1969), with legendary admirers such as Fellini, Godard and Tarkovsky. His works, and especially the Mona Lisa collages, placed him in the company of Picasso and Warhol. These three discussions will be moderated by Ligia Keșișian, poet and coordinator of the Armenian Cultural Center).
Also on Sunday, from 17:00, Hrant Jaghinyan will moderate a dialogue with Ruben Koulaksezian, author of Little Armenias, the travel guide to the Armenian Diaspora. Koulaksezian has visited over 100 countries and even lived in some of them. “In many areas, the neighborhoods where Armenians settled were called ‘Little Armenia.’ In France, there are several ‘Petites Arménies’ in Paris, Lyon, Valence, Marseille, etc. In Buenos Aires, ‘Pequeña Armenia’ is located in the district of Palermo,” explains Koulaksezian. “The United States, of course, has many Little Armenias, from Worcester to Fresno to Watertown, and today, the most famous is the Little Armenia neighborhood in East Hollywood, Los Angeles.”
Area dedicated to childrenSaturday and Sunday: Play activities, Armenian fairy tales animated by puppeteers, jugglers and giant soap bubbles, face painting, etc.
Union of Armenians from Romania is a non-governmental organization established in 1919, with the aim of helping Armenian refugees in Romania after the 1915 Genocide.
After 1990, the Armenian Community re-established the Union of Armenians in Romania, wanting to preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Armenians of these lands, but to promote their Armenian culture and traditions among the general public.
Armenian Street Festival is organized by the Union of Armenians from Romania, financed by the Government of Romania through the Department of Interethnic Relations.
Partners: Armenian Cultural Center, Embassy of Armenia in Romania, The Fresh, “Dimitrie Brândză” Botanical Garden, University of Bucharest, Subcarpathian Cultural Center, Blue, Autonom, Persil, Aperol, Pepsi.
Media partners: Rock FM, Cărturesți, Agerpres, Days and Nights, Balkan Utopia, IQads & SMARKLife.ro, Munteanu Recomandă, Blitz TV, Happ.ro, Publishing Ararat, Ziarul Ararat.
Source: www.iqads.ro
