The Stanislavski Russian Theatre of Yerevan can be closed, because Armenia's new Minister of Culture Lilit Makunts chose Suren Shahverdyan as a candidate to head the theater, who has repeatedly advocated for its closure.
Since the death of Alexander Grigoryan, the theater has no artistic director. On October 1, the Armenian Ministry of Culture should have decided on the head of the Russian Drama Theater. In this regard, five candidates were invited for an interview. According to a statement released by the ministry, the results will be summarized within a week.
After the hearings held on October 1, it was decided that two out of five candidates - Suren Shahverdyan and Karen Nersisyan living in Russia, whose candidacy a majority of actors nominated a few months ago - will stage one play, and it will be decided who will take the chair of art director on the basis of the reaction of the actors and the audience. At the same time, the actors do not support Shakhverdyan’s candidacy. They are outraged by Shakhverdyan's words that the Russian theater is a misunderstanding for independent Armenia and should be closed.
The Iravunk newspaper previously published an article, which listed the standards set by the minister for cultural workers and which “artists” surround her. In addition, it is planned to create a council under the ministry, which will involve such odious pseudo-cultural figures as Canadian actress of Armenian origin Arsinée Khanjian, writer Violet Grigoryan and artist from Los Angeles Samvel Sagatelyanov, who recently moved to Armenia. Asccording to the article, Makunts was not accidentally appointed head of the Ministry of Culture, she came to this position to destroy culture in the same way as their leader Nikol Pashinyan destroys the country and national values," the Yerkramas newspaper reports.
