At UNESCO in Paris, the Hover choir closes a tribute to Hrachia Acharian and Yerevan’s Republic Square
- Published
- Place
- UNESCO headquarters, Paris, France
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Armenia’s Hover State Chamber Choir and pianist Vahagn Hayrapetyan’s trio gave a concert on 29 October at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, including jazz arrangements of Armenian folk songs. The evening closed events devoted to two anniversaries on UNESCO’s 2026–2027 calendar: the 150th anniversary of the birth of linguist Hrachia Acharian (1876–1953) and the centenary of the start of construction of Republic Square in Yerevan. A conference, “Life as Science: Hrachia Acharian”, was held the day before. An exhibition of about forty photographs, “The Square and Time: From Past to Future”, drawn notably from the National Archives and the History Museum of Armenia, is on show until 2 November. The events were also dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
Analysis
Hrachia Acharian, author of an etymological dictionary of the Armenian language that remains a reference, and Republic Square, designed by architect Alexander Tamanian, are two symbols of modern Armenia. Their inclusion in UNESCO’s calendar, decided at the organisation’s 43rd General Conference, gives Armenia a cultural showcase in Paris, home to one of the largest diaspora communities.
Possible consequences
The photo exhibition on Republic Square is on show at UNESCO headquarters, Place de Fontenoy, until Monday 2 November.
