Abkhaz President Alexander Ankvab has awarded Svyatoslav Belza, a Russian musicologist and critic, with the highest-ranking state award, the Akhdz – Apsha Order (Honour and Glory Order), RIA Novosti reports.
The musicologist was awarded for development of musical culture and art in Abkhazia and his personal contribution to developing cultural ties with Russia.
Felix Korobov, Chief Conductor of the Moscow Academic Music Theater of Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko, and Yekaterina Ganelina, a pianist and assistant professor of the Moscow Conservatorium of Tchaikovsky, were also awarded the rank of Honorary Artist of Abkhazia.
Belza was also awarded in Russia.
Svyatoslav Belza was born in Chelyabinsk on April 26, 1942. He graduated from the Philological Subdepartment of the MSU. He was a member of the Institute for World Literature of Gorky of the RAS and an observer of the Literature Paper.
He was the author and host of the Music On Air show in 1988-1996. He was the art director of the studio for music and entertainment programs of Ostankino in 1993-1996. Belza hosts the Masterpieces of World Music Theatre on the Kultura Channel.
