April 27, 2014: A renowned Armenian poet Hovhannes Shiraz’s birthday was celebrated in Gyumri on April 27. The jubilee celebrations started at the poet’s birthplace Gyumri, thus launching the start of “The Year of Shiraz”. The celebration started from paying respect to the great poet in the courtyard of his house museum participated by Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan. Afterwards, the solemn ceremony devoted to the poet’s 100th anniversary took place at “Hoktember” theater, where in his speech Samvel Balasanyan mentioned that living in a city which is the great poet’s birthplace is already a big honor for every Gyumri resident.

  Dear Maestro,
I would like to warmly congratulate on the anniversary of your 90th birthday. Due to your big creative talent and patriotic intellectual devoted activity you have left a deep and indelible trace on the cultural life of all Armenians. 

 April 24, 2014: Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan visited the Herheri canyon (The canyon massacre) on April 24, the commemoration day of victims of the Armenian genocide, where he paid respect to the memory of the victims.