Sharm Company and the Renaissance Foundation presented the new novel “When the Apricot Blossoms”, a story about love, memory, friendship, and time. The book was published by Newmag Publishing House. Its author is Vigen Jakokajyan, and the novel was released in both Armenian and Russian.
The presentation evening recreated the atmosphere of 1970s Yerevan. Guests entering the venue were greeted by a character portraying Leonid Brezhnev, whose visit to Yerevan is one of the central episodes in the novel.
The events of When the Apricot Blossoms unfold in Yerevan in 1974. At the heart of the story are three friends whose ordinary and predictable lives gradually turn into a tense and dangerous reality.
Ruben Jaghinyan, founder of Sharm Company, announced during the event that a film adaptation of the novel is already planned.
“This story and its characters will take all of us back to Yerevan in the 1970s. I am grateful to Artur Janibekyan that a film will also be produced based on the novel. I believe this story has all the potential to become a very interesting film.”
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Artak Aleksanyan, head of Newmag Publishing House, compared the atmosphere of the novel to Once Upon a Time in America, calling it “Once Upon a Time in Yerevan.”
“It is a great honor for Newmag to publish this bilingual novel. It is a competitive literary work by international standards. The story of these friends living in Yerevan in 1974 will stay with readers for a long time. The plot is dynamic, engaging, and emotionally rich.
The partners of the book are Sharm Company and the Renaissance Foundation. For the Renaissance Foundation, it is important to help create cultural value that connects the past and the future.”
The evening’s nostalgic atmosphere was completed by performances from the Funicular band. Musical director Garik Saribekyan and vocalist Sona Umroyan performed beloved Yerevan songs that reflected the mood and spirit of When the Apricot Blossoms.