Newmag published Suren Baghdasaryan's book “Ararat 73: The Golden Age of the Armenian Football” (trailer)

The greatest success of Armenian football was recorded in 1973. The historic game of “Ararat 73” was originally going to be broadcast on central television from Moscow. So the leaders of the State Committee on Television and Radio of Armenia decided that it makes no sense to broadcast the game on Armenian television or radio as well, commentator Suren Baghdasaryan recalls. “It was a happy moment, I have told many times how I got that report to be broadcast in Armenian. It doesn't make sense, they said. A large group came from Lebanon, and they wondered am I coming to Moscow. When I said no, they were surprised. They said that Lebanon is waiting to hear the game in Armenian”.

Everyone was preparing to go to Moscow for the final match of the USSR Cup. Suren Baghdasarayn tells in the book that together with the head of the Sports Broadcasting Department, Derenik Gevorgyan, he applied to Hovhannes Hakobyan, the vice president of the TV and Radio State Committee, to conduct the report from Moscow in Armenian. The request was rejected a day before the game. Two-time Olympic champion Hrant Shahinyan, who was also the chairman of the sports committee, comes to help. The business trip was finally approved. Suren Baghdasaryan was in Moscow in the evening.

“Ararat”, which had a “mediocre” reputation in comparison to the strong football teams of the USSR, became the country's champion and cup winner in 1973. This team began to be loved not only for the results they recorded but also for the magical football they showed. Baghasaryan described his memoirs with the meticulousness of an eyewitness in the book “Ararat 73: The Golden Age of the Armenian Football” and told what difficulties and hardships “Ararat” went through to achieve this unprecedented success. “I am the lucky commentator who became a direct witness of the glorious victories of “Ararat 73”. It was thanks to “Ararat73” that I established myself as a commentator because it was difficult to replace the commentator Levon Danielyan, who became the idol of football fans, who passed away in January 1972, at the height of his powers, when he was only 42 years old. I became a commentator because of the brilliant performances of “Ararat” in those years and even the strict football fans, excited and becoming kind thanks to the victories, didn’t criticize the commentator much”.

“Ararat” football player Levon Ishtoyan called Suren Baghdasaryan the 12th player of “Ararat 73”, and head coach Nikita Simonyan was convinced that this team and Suren Baghdasaryan's reports will remain in the hearts of Armenian football fans. A graduate of the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute won the competition of sports commentators at the age of 21, but commented for the first time only 10 years later, in 1971. In 1973, reports of all “Ararat” matches were broadcast on Armenian radio and television only with the commentary of Suren Baghdasaryan.

Years later, while writing the book about “Ararat 73”, Suren Baghdasaryan talked with the football players again, as he did 50 years ago, preparing the victory report. After half a century, Ararat team members were asked if there were more exciting football moments after the historic game. Suren Baghdasaryan, looking back, confidently says that neither he, as a sports commentator, nor “Ararat 73” football players have had a more dramatic, exciting and victorious game.

On the day of the presentation, the profit from the sale of the book “Ararat 73: The Golden Age of the Armenian Football” will be transferred to the forcibly displaced compatriots from Artsakh. Only on October 10, the book will be sold with a special discount of AMD 5,000. The memoir was published with the support of Artur Soghomonyan. Entrance is free.