Azat Gasparyan was one of artistic Mohicans: Razmik Khosroyev

YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS։ Azat Gasparyan was a real artist, who brought the Armenian theater and the Armenian language to a new level. This was stated to Armenpress by Razmik Khosroyev, the artist of the National Academic Theatre after Gabriel Sundukyan and the friend of Azat Gasparyan. According to him, Azat Gasparyan was one of the artistic Mohicans, with the loss of whom the Armenian stage has lost a great patriot. “He was open to the public. He might be seen at different schools and cultural centers of Armenia, as well as at governmental events. Azat knew Armenian so well. Azat Gasparyan belonged to people and the people belonged to Azat. The nation, having such an artist, can be considered to be happy”, - said Razmik Khosroyev.

“During the last year Azat was occupied with pedagogy and taught stage speech. Ten days before his death he came to the studio to hold the last entrance exam. As always he called me Ramses. He called me so, as I am an Assyrian. He respected the Assyrians”, - told the artist of the National Academic Theatre after Gabriel Sundukyan and the friend of Azat Gasparyan Razmik Khosroyev.

The civil funerals of People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Azat Gasparyan took place at the Yerevan St. John Church at 18:30 on August 4. Earlier the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia informed Armenpress that the fans of the prominent actor may bid last farewell to Azat Gasparyan at the National Academic Theatre after Gabriel Sundukyan at 12:00-14:00 on August 5. The burial ceremony took place in the Yerevan City Pantheon at 14:00.

The People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia Azat Gasparyan passed away at 16:15 on August 2. The prominent actor had been in Nairi Medical Centre to continue treatment of spine injury. On August 1 his daughter Nairi Gasparyan told Armenpress that the actor will be out of the hospital in a couple of days. Azat Gasparyan intended to celebrate his 70th birthday anniversary on August 13 after getting out of the hospital.

Azat Gasparyan was born on August 1943 in Yerevan. Gasparyan graduated from the Acting Department of Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute, where he studied under the tutelage of Vardan Adjemyan. In 1963-1965 he worked in the Yerevan State Puppet Theatre; in 1971-1979 he acted in the Yerevan Drama Theatre.

The veteran actor Azat Gasparyan appeared in more than 20 films in Armenia, and recently presented some of the best of the Armenian poetry in recitation. Affiliated as an actor with the Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theater and frequently appearing on the Armenian television, in 2010 Gasparyan received the title of the People's Honored Artist from the Government of Armenia. He also received the title of the Honorable Citizen of Yerevan and the William Saroyan Medal from the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia in 2010.