Lory in Ha! Ha! Land
The divine comedy of writer, actor, and producer Lory Tatoulian
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April 04, 2012
AGBU Honors Bulgarian Scholar Dr. Petar Goliyski with Garbis Papazian Award
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AGBU Sofia Chapter Chair Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian and Coordinating Member of the Award Committee Razmik Tahmasians present Dr. Petar Goliyski (left) with the 2011 Garbis Papazian Award.
In the first concert of its sixth season, the AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Bedros Papazian, celebrated the talents of Bulgarian violinist Kalina Hristova and Armenian pianist and AGBU Performing Arts Fellowship recipient Hayk Arsenian. The performance also served as a venue to bestow Dr. Petar Goliyski, the Bulgarian philologist and head of the Armenian Sciences Department at the Sofia State University, with the 2011 AGBU Garbis Papazian Award.
The joint event, held on Sunday, March 11, 2012, at the Sofia National Music Academy, drew a diverse audience of dignitaries, intellectuals, and religious leaders who hailed from both Bulgaria and overseas. Attendees included His Excellency Yuriy Isakov, Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria; Anna Sahakyan, the Armenian Consul to Bulgaria; Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian, AGBU Sofia Chapter Chair; Razmik Tahmasians, authorized representative of Garbis Papazian and Coordinating Member of the Award Committee, who traveled from Vienna especially for the occasion; Very Reverend Father Abgar Hovakimian, the Locum Tenens of the Armenian Diocese of Bulgaria; as well as Armenian Ambassador to Bulgaria Arsen Skhoyan, whose support made the event possible.
At the age of 36, Dr. Goliyski's research and publications have already significantly shaped the fields of Armenian history, culture, folk epic, and legends. His contributions made him the third Bulgarian to be honored by the AGBU award, as Sonia Avakian-Bedrossian noted in the evening's opening remarks. Standing alongside Tahmasians and Goliyski, she underscored the importance of the award, stating, "The Armenian nation fortunately has very good friends who contribute impartially to introducing Armenian people, history, culture, the Genocide and the Armenian cause to their respective nations. These individuals deserve the gratitude and appreciation of our people." Avakian-Bedrossian then read the congratulatory address issued by AGBU President Berge Setrakian, who praised Goliyski for his "outstanding explorations of the exchange and mutual impact of Armenian and Bulgarian folklore in the historical context of world civilizations." Avakian-Bedrossian also recognized Hayk Arsenian for his achievements as a pianist and composer, presenting him with a certificate from the AGBU Sofia Chapter. The concert was followed by an official reception.
Established in 1988, the AGBU Garbis Papazian Award is annually bestowed on non-Armenian scholars and intellectuals, who, through their scholarly research and publications, contribute to the dissemination and understanding of Armenian history and culture, as well as the Armenian Question. Dr. Goliyski joins the ranks of luminaries including Baroness Caroline Cox of London, England, Dr. Yves Ternon of Paris, France, Dr. Mohamed Refaat El Imam of Cairo, Egypt, and Dr. Wolfgang Gust of Hamburg, Germany, who have each received the award in recent years.
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