On August 10-14 in Tsakhkadzor the 2nd International Mime Festival was held. The Festival, which had the name of the greatest mime master Leonid Yengibaryan, was held under the patronage of RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan. The theatrical groups from Armenia and individuals and creative groups: mimes, clowns, acrobats, actors from the USA, Russia, Georgia, France, the Czech Republic uniquely performed with new interpretations of well-known works. The special talisman of the festival was the grandson of Leonid Yengibaryan Peter Popper from the Czech Republic, for whom the festival was a great experience for him. For several days Tsakhkadzor was full of peculiar positive charges thanks to the festival and its participants. On August 14 the solemn closing ceremony of the festival took place, which also attended RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan accompanied by the Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan. The participants of Armenia and abroad as a final accord of the festival once again presented themselves with their art. The organizers of the festival handed them souvenirs and certificates. On March 15 of this year was the 75th birthday anniversary Leonid Yengibaryan. The National Assembly, RA Ministry of Culture, Yerevan State Mime Theatre worked out series of the jubilee events. As the Artistic Director of Yerevan State Mime Theatre Jirayr Dadasyan noted during the solemn closing ceremony of Tsakhkadzor Festival: “This year is the year of Yengibaryan. We began these events on March 27 at the National Assembly Park. The first events were held on the initiative of the Speaker of the National Assembly.” In his words, the mime is our traditional kind of the theatre. “We named our festival after the name of Leonid Yengibaryan, because he is a unique artist in the whole world.” I would like to thank the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan, as the festival was held under his patronage, and I hope that our cooperation in this sphere will continue.” When the grandson of Leonid Yengibaryan Peter Popper learnt who was his grandfather, decided to get interested in the mime. “I found myself through mime, and the work that pleases me. It means more for me than the traditional man can have.” It is very interesting and praiseworthy that the parliament and its Speaker support the theatre, theatrical world. It is very praiseworthy that the parliament, the government always pay attention not only to the theatre, but also concretely to the mime, and that genre does not remain out of attention.” The next, third, International Mime Festival will be held after two years.

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