Ferdinand Arakelyan: It is interesting, if twenty years later, Levon Ter-Petrosyan's sculpture is made as the first president, will he be completely naked? (video)
The City Hall of Yerevan is going to lay a monument of Aram Manukyan, founder of the First Republic, on the 100th anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia. The version chosen by Yerevan Council of Elderly Competition Committee has become a subject of discussions. At the meeting with reporters, sculptor Ferdinand Arakelyan and philologist-professor, literary critic Azat Yeghiazaryan expressed their point of view on the topic. "It is right to put a statue, but why exactly that one? I am against the place. I am also against the flag. It is not personal clothing. The flag belongs to the nation. It is interesting, if twenty years later, Levon Ter-Petrosyan's sculpture is made as the first president, will he be completely naked?" said Ferdinand Arakelyan. Literary critic Azat Yeghiazaryan thought that the statue should not be burdened by symbols. "It has nothing to do with art. A statue wrapped in a flag is very ugly. The members of the commission confuse us. There are members of the ARF(Armenian Revolutionary federation) in the commission, but this is not a party matter, it is not a political issue. This is the problem of Yerevan. Only art critics and artists should make decisions on the issue," said Azat Arakelyan. Both Ferdinand Arakelyan and Azat Yeghiazaryan found that it was necessary to re-announce a competition.
