Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a decree on 27 April, which states:
“1. In connection with the death of Armen Safaryan, an honored cultural figure of the Republic of Armenia, President of the Armenian Center of the International Union of Puppet Artists “UNIMA-Armenia”, Director, a funeral committee was created and its individual composition was confirmed:
- The Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia shall submit an appropriate proposal to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia within a 20-day period based on the report on the funeral expenses submitted by the Commission.”
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On 25 April, 2023, at the age of 64, the honored figure of RA culture, the President of the Armenian Center of the International Union of Puppet Artists (UNIMA-Armenia), director Armen Safaryan passed away.
Armen Suren Safaryan was born in 1958 in Yerevan, in the family of an artist. In 1980 graduated from the Directing Department of the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theater Institute, and continued his studies in Moscow, passing the courses of the chief directors of puppet theaters.
In 1988, he organized the shadow puppet theater troupe, and in 1989-1992 was the artistic director and chief director of Gyumri State Puppet Theatre.
From 1992 until his death, he headed the Armenian Center of the International Union of Puppet Artists (UNIMA-Armenia).
In 1999-2000, he was the Artistic Director of the Yerevan State Theater of Marionettes.
In 2006, he founded the International Festival of Puppet Theaters “Tumanian Tale Day”.
In 2010, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, in 2019, the “Hovhannes Tumanyan” Medal of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, and in 2011, the honorary title of Honored Figure of Culture of the Republic of Armenia.
Author of 37 puppet television shows, 2 radio plays, 56 puppet plays, including “The Thumbs Up”, “The Decameron”, “The Wise and the Fool”, “The New Year’s Book”, “The Satan and the Bitliser”, “The Goose”, “The Puy Puy Mouse”, “David of Sassoon”, “The Fun of the Merrymaker will not run out”, “Leonardo da Vinci’s Fables and Fairy Tales”, “The Wayward Princess”, “Be careful, they are Mines”, “Forgive me Lord” and others.
Armen Safaryan was also known as a translator of literary works. He translated the “Bambi” fairy tale from Russian to Armenian, and Nahapet Kuchak’s “Hayrens” from Armenian to English.
