AZNAVOUR CENTRE

In Armenia, where he is the object of a real cult, Charles Aznavour had his place (in Yerevan), his statue (in Gyumri), he now has a museum-foundation in the capital, which is almost a mausoleum dedicated to the Franco-Armenian artist who died on October ¹, 2018. The institution is also a tribute to Aznavour's action in the service of Armenia, of which he was ambassador to UNESCO and which dates back to the tragic earthquake of 7 December 1988 in Gyumri. Aznavour then orchestrated a massive mobilization and founded "Aznavour for Armenia", which allowed the implementation of several humanitarian programs in the country. In 2016, in collaboration with his youngest son Nicolas, the philanthropic commitment of the singer, who also became Armenian ambassador to Switzerland, reached a new milestone with the creation of the Aznavour Foundation. It aims to develop educational, social and cultural programmes in a country that has made this prodigal son of the diaspora a national hero and honorary citizen of Yerevan. Located on the green heights of the Cascade, in a bright, airy building offering a superb view of the capital and the Ararat, inaugurated in 2011 by N.Sarkozy, former Armenian President Serge Sarkissian and Aznavour himself, the Foundation began its activities with the launch of an Aznavour Centre which in 2021 will house a museum open to the public.

The multimedia and interactive journey unfolds in ten rooms devoted to the key stages of life, from the family exodus to global triumph, from the son of immigrants, whom the visitor will discover via audio guides, lulled by the voice of the deified master of the place, to the repertoire of the interpreter of La Bohème, Les Plaisirs démodés or Emmenez-moi. The project was unveiled on 11 October 2018 at a ceremony attended by E. Macron and President Armen Sarkissian on the sidelines of the 17th Summit of La Francophonie in Yerevan. The museum is accompanied by a cultural and educational centre, centred around cinema, music and French, and equipped with a 200-seat amphitheatre designed to host master classes led by personalities from the 7th art and the theatre, and a media library thanks to the support of the French Institute.

A place of exchange, knowledge and transmission, promotion and traditional learning of this French language, of which the singer was a fervent ambassador, the Aznavour Centre aims to provide courses using a "new method, based on the lyrics of Aznavour's songs".