The presentation of “When the Apricot Blossoms” brought back the spirit and memories of 1970s Yerevan (photos)
05/13/2026
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.
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![When the apricot tree bloom [RUSSIAN EDITION]](https://newmag.am/public/assets/images/books/e4bb0c3c746be18f272a5048f162bf74.jpg)
7800 ֏
Description
1974, Yerevan. The life of three friends changes irreversibly in one year. What seemed simple and predictable turns into a tense and dangerous reality, where every decision has its price.
This is a story about friendship and betrayal, about dreams and forced compromises. Values that seemed unshakable in youth collide with reality, and mistakes become irreparable over time. Delayed apologies cannot bring back the lost.
They are young, full of enthusiasm and faith in their future. But imperceptibly they find themselves drawn into the world of secret conversations, forbidden topics and other people's games. The desire for freedom, sincere and pure, gradually turns into a dangerous path, where the stakes have long ceased to be youthful.
"When apricots bloom" is a novel about love, memory and time. About love, which does not fade, but grows deeper with age. And about spring, which always returns.
7800 ֏
Description
1974, Yerevan. The lives of three friends change irrevocably over the course of a year. What seemed simple and predictable turns into a tense, dangerous reality, where every choice has a price. This story is about friendship and betrayal, about dreams and forced concessions. Values that seemed unbreakable in adolescence collide with reality, mistakes become irreparable over time. Attempts to ask for forgiveness are late and do not bring back the loss.
They are young, enthusiastic, full of faith in the future. But they find themselves unnoticed in a world where secret conversations, forbidden topics, and foreign games are everywhere. The thirst for freedom gradually leads them down a dangerous path, where the stakes are not at all youthful.
The novel “When the Apricot Blossoms” is about love, memories, and time. A love that does not fade, but deepens over the years. And about spring, which always returns.
