Armen Jigarkhanyan: "I can not imagine an Armenian who does not listen to Azerbaijani mugham in his car"

- You have recently marked your birthday. We congratulate you on your birthday and wish you long life, sound health and happiness. My first question will be: which present for your birthday, ever given to you, was the most dearest?

- Many presents were given to me, but I do not collect the presents given for my birthday, therefore, it is difficult to answer which was the dearest one. Moreover, sometimes even a single call or a single word, said by someone on the birthday, can be even dearer than any present.

- Do you often return to your childhood and youth in your memories?

- I do not devote special time to memories. Sometimes my memory returns me to any moment in the past. These memory gifts are fragmentary: thus, I often return to the streets of Yerevan, where I spent my childhood. Sometimes I can not even understand why I have recalled this or that moment in my life so apparently that I almost can smell and touch whatever I see thanks to my memory. And the longer I live, the most often it happens. Perhaps, the subconscious search of sources proceeds like that.

- What would you change in your life if you had a chance to live it once more?

- It is difficult to judge theoretically, but I will probably change nothing in my life if I had a chance to live it once more, or I would change just insignificant things. For example, I would learn to swim, but this is just an insignificant detail. On the whole, I would not have changed anything in my life.

- Do you think life is fair?

- No, it is not. I think the main threat for a person is the environment, we live in and the surrounding. Environment and surrounding rarely create all conditions for a person to state that life is fair.

Moreover, I know the only truth - not a single person knows exactly what he wants. All we live trying to find our place in the world by saying: good that I did it and bad that I failed. But it is a separate topic for discussion whether it is correct to speak about fairness or injustice of life.

- I agree. But then let's speak of fragmentary justice. Do you consider it fair that Azerbaijanis and Armenians are currently in conflict around Nagorno Karabakh?

- I think it is too unfair. This unfair situation has been created by evil people.

I am not a diplomat or politician: I am an actor who has his own opinion about what has happened. I think a conflict is possible only when both conflicting parties strive for it. Unfortunately, both Armenian and Azerbaijani side have such people. But I remember other times: when the performances of Azerbaijani singers and musicians, Russian drama theater and Opera and Ballet Theater were a success in my native Yerevan, the same as with Armenian theaters, singers and musicians in Baku. In particular, the memories about the visits to the wonderful, warm and beautiful city of Baku are dear to me. It all is a part of my life in which the meetings between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, culture representatives of our countries were always a holiday! It was not a holiday, declared  by the government, it was a real holiday, the real happiness of people, bred by communication with each others. And it was right! I can not imagine an Armenian who would not listen to Azerbaijani mugham in his car!

Therefore, I can not understand how it all happened?! How and who managed to do it with our peoples?!

- Do you have Azerbaijani friends?

- I treat friendship seriously and, therefore, I think that a person can not have many friends. But once I was close with famous Azerbaijani painter Tair Salakhov and we always have good relations with prominent film director Rustam Ibrahimbekov.

Moreover, I played in several films of wonderful film director Ajdar Ibrahimov. The acquaintance with each of these wonderful persons is dear to me.

- Last year a group of intellectuals of Azerbaijan and Armenia visited Nagorno Karabakh, simultaneously taking a trip to Baku and Yerevan by initiative of the ambassador of our countries to Russia Polad Bulbul oghlu and Armen Smbatyan. Would you agree to take part in such a visit?

- With great pleasure, if this trip really assists to reconciliation of our peoples. We should think thoroughly about the purposes and consequences of this visit. It will be bad if such initiatives end with one or two visits of the intellectuals of our people to Nagorno Karabakh, Yerevan and Baku. Such a trip lead to a start of a dialogue between our peoples and it would be a great pleasure for me to take part in a visit, which will assist in launching this dialogue.

- What can you wish to our readers?

- I wish you peace in your families and your hearts. I am not an excessive optimist, but I know that it is possible and important. Yes, each of us has some diseases and problems. But it would be good for us to smile when meeting each other. And this striving of the representatives of our peoples should be justified for the future of our future generations.

/Day.Az/