TEHRAN, AUGUST 2, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. Famous conductor and composer Loris Chgnavorian sent a letter of complaint to Hasmik Poghosian, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, on the occasion of change of the RA hymn and the competition announced for a new hymn. The Tehran Armenian "Alik" daily informs about it, mentioning L.Chganvorian's great contribution in 1991 in the affair of proclaiming the "Mer Hayrenik" (Our Fatherland) hymn as the RA national hymn. To judge from the letter, L.Chgnavorian presented a claim for participation in the competition, by sending a little changed variant of the present hymn ("Mer Hayrenik" Our Fatherland). It is particularly said in the letter dated for July 26: "Dear Mrs.Poghosian, I address to You on the occasion of a too important issue for our people, the hymn of the Republic of Armenia. I propose for the announced competition the acting "Mer Hayrenik" anthem of the Republic of Armenia and present attached to the letter the notes and the recording. I propose it as it has a national and historic meaning. I want to stress that it has never been sung with the "wretched, ownerless" ("tshvar, anter") text, but our fighters (fidayi, in Armenian war of liberation against the Turks) and heros sang it with the text "everywhere death is one" (amenayn tegh mah mi e) for example in the 1915 Van heroic war and our May 26 battle, the result of what is our Armenia of today. It has been the hymn of two republics, 1918 and 1991, and has never been sung with the text "wretched, ownerless." I must also stress that "Mer Hayrenik" is national and revolutionary music and has a wonderful soul and stragers are fond of it as well. I have a hope that pages of the history will not be changed by competitions. Giving preference to "Mer Hayrenik" and taking into account that my colleagues participate in this competition, I want to participate with them with the work written on my words and music. I present attached to the letter the notes and recording of my work as well."

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