Just a week is left until the opening of STARMUS VI international science and art festival. Preparations are actively underway in Karen Demirtchyan Sports and Concert Complex.

The founder of the festival, astrophysicist Garik Israelian spoke with journalists about the surprises awaiting the participants.

Only once, only in Armenia

You will not surprise anyone with music and sports events, as they are common in all countries of the world, but STARMUS festival prepares a new program for each year. The topic on the Planet Mars will be discussed only during the festival in Armenia, the scheduled lectures will be held only this year and only here, and the concerts as well.

Photo: Mediamax

I want to urge people to take STARMUS festival very seriously, because it is one-of-a-kind event. We have tried our best to ensure that the festival held in Armenia be as good as the previous ones, and a week before the start I can already see that it will definitely will not yield to the previous ones.

Exclusive concert performances

Big concerts will take place as part of the festival. Queen guitarist Brian May performed at almost all STARMUS festivals, but only 2-3 songs, while in Armenia we will have a chance to enjoy 5-6 and maybe more of his performances.

Garik Israelyan

Photo: Mediamax

We are preparing an exclusive performance of Queen’s Show Must Go On with the participation of a number of singers, including Serj Tankian. After the 1988 disastrous earthquake that hit Armenia, the rock stars united in the Rock Aid Armenia project and performed Smoke On the Water. The role of Brian May in this historic event was great. Queen’s guitarist and a number of powerful musicians will perform this song in Armenia.

There will also be a performance dedicated to the late Armenian musician, duduk player Jivan Gasparyan. We have prepared many other interesting surprises as well.

Different fields of science

We are expecting to see 6000-7000 people in the sports and concert complex. It is very important for them to not only participate in the concerts, but also in the lectures. These musicians have come for a science festival. If we did not have such a high scientific standard, such musicians would hardly join us. I have seen world music stars sit and listen to lectures during our festivals.

Photo: Mediamax

We will dedicate one day of lectures to the Planet Mars. All current issues related to the planet will be discussed – starting from whether there was life on Mars to what they are trying to build on the planet in the future.

The topics of the lectures of the festival are diverse: astronomy, artificial intelligence, quantum computing. There will also be a panel discussion dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Andrei Sakharov, the topic of which is scientific ethics. Sakharov always raised this issue. All his life he asked himself whether he did good by inventing the hydrogen bomb.

The beginning of change

The sports and concert complex has always hosted thousands of people in the framework of sports and music events while this time several thousand people will gather there for a scientific lecture which is an unprecedented event in the history of the complex. This can be a life-changing event for Armenia.

Photo: Mediamax

I always say that if several thousand people sit to listen to a very famous scientist who will arrive here, it will mean that the Armenian society is changing. Such societies in the world can be counted on the fingers. STARMUS will be the beginning of that change in Armenia.

Gayane Yenokyan