ArmInfo. The introduction of a state of emergency in Armenia provoked a surge in interest in the cultural sphere. As RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Araik Khzmalyan said at a press conference on April 7, the number of page followers on social networks of music and theater organizations has almost doubled, and the number of views of performances and concerts reaches impressive figures.
As an example, Khzmalyan cited a Facebook page of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. Spendiarova. In the period from March 17 to April 6, videos of six productions were posted here, and the total number of their views exceeded 840 thousand. At the same time, over 326 thousand views were attributed only to opera performances. The deputy minister noted that this result was recorded without any advertising campaign. Success is recorded in the case of the National Academic Theater. Sundukyan, where the number of views of the first performance within the framework of the project, the online repertoire exceeded 40 thousand per day. Khzmalyan informed that almost all theater and music organizations broadcast online through their official websites or Facebook pages. So, the audience was very interested in the premiere of the concert performance of Symphony No. 2 of Aram Khachaturian by the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia. The online theater format was also chosen by the ARMMONO International Theater Festival, which began to present a series of interviews with representatives of the sphere to the audience. The cinematographers did not stand aside: on the Webtv.am channel on YouTube you can watch not only Armenian cartoons, but also find out the details of their creation through a series of mini-interviews.
Khzmalyan noted that a high interest in the online format indicates the need for serious work in this direction even after overcoming the current situation with coronavirus.
Speaking about the impact of the "coronavirus crisis" on the sphere of culture, the deputy minister informed that the most tangible blow fell on the international bloc, since, in particular, the holding of a number of Culture Days was canceled. In this regard, he did not exclude the possibility that the second half of the year, subject to overcoming the current problems, will be more saturated culturally, and there will be a surge in attendance in theaters and concert venues. In the meantime, the ministry does not forget to pay attention to older cultural and art workers: they are visited by specially formed groups of volunteers, provided with the necessary personal protective equipment. In particular, their task includes assistance in purchasing the necessary medicines and products.