The Civilitas Foundation was pleased to participate in a book fair which took place in Gyumri on the 12th of June, 2009, organised by the “Art Bridge” bookstore-café (Yerevan), and Gyumri’s “Elav” bookstore.

A sunny afternoon on the newly-renovated Rizhkov Street in central Gyumri saw a lot of activity in front of the “Elav” bookstore. Tables were laden with books on various subjects – history, art, religion, science, novels and textbooks – some of which were being made available to the citizens of Gyumri for the first time. The books were, of course, marked at discounted rates for this special occasion.

Moreover, three authors had arrived to present and sign copies of their recently-published works, an event which took place at a different location in Gyumri, the quaint Dzitoghtsyan-Merkurov museum complex.

Vartan Oskanian’s collection of speeches – Speaking to be Heard – made its Gyumri debut after having been first presented in Yerevan, Beirut, Aleppo and Karabakh in April and May. In his short speech, Mr. Oskanian said that it would be impossible not to present the book in Gyumri, which is not only Armenia’s second largest city, but was also a scene of important events in Armenia’s foreign policy in the beginning of the 20th century.

Tatul Hakobyan, a renowned journalist, spoke about his Kanach yev Sev: Artskhyan Oragir (“Green and Black: A Journal on Artsakh”), and Janna Hakobyan presented a historical novel, alongside her other works.

After the presentations, autographs and reception, the director of the museum, Sona Harutyunyan, gave a tour to the authors and guests, presenting the history and culture of the city of Gyumri.