Meltha Magazine Online

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Meltha 2000, No 10 pages 28-29

"QALA ATOURAYA" OF MOSCOW

In the face of general apathy following the split of Assyrian national public organizations in Moscow there is only one positive moment in now day's national activity. This is "Qala Atouraya" radio programmed. On October 28, 2000 it was 500th run of this program. For nearly 8 years, first two runs a week then every Saturday at 612 kHz medium range at 7 PM the Assyrian word is cast through the Russian State broadcasting network over CIS and Middle East countries. ,

In fact this "Qala Atouraya" program was apparently the only happy moment with the League of Assyrians in Russia. The most considerable inputs to this program were made by a couple of the Russia's foreign radio casters, the first chief editor "Qala Atouraya" Rabi Marona Arsanis and Mr. Khammurabi Slivtsov. As a matter of fact "Qala Atouraya " has been in the steady progression all these years, and largely it is due to the sponsor of the program Mr. Igor Ballo and its major host Mr. Roland Bidjamov who became the program's',s chief editor in 1997.

For now "Qala Atouraya" runs a weekly news desk to carry news on the Assyrian Diaspora and its public organizations as well as most topical issues of the world. The focal point of the program is "The Round Table: topics, acts and people". And, of course, feedback from audiences including letter digest talk show and/or telephone interaction line with Assyrian public figures abroad has always been much in focus.

The audio library of the "Qala Atouraya" program is constantly updated in a way to include more of new and old Assyrian recordings. For example, it was very nice of Jews of Urmia to donate a compact disc with a compilation of Jewish chanting in the Urmian Jewish Aramaic dialect.

It will be just fair to say that "Qala Atouraya" now a days in Russia is the only means of communication between Assyrians who once were just as one put together in the friendly Assyrian community of the Soviet Union" It is believed that this good example will have some following. Therefore we expect to have some new interesting programs with '"Qala Atouraya" as well as some innovative forms of interaction with audiences~ We all believe that this program will keep feeding us with its Assyrian word. We wish everybody at Qala Atouraya" a big success and many returns of the day!

"Qala Atouraya" studio

Mr. Roland Bedjamov on air

Address: Qala Atouraya

25 Pjatnitskaya Str.

Moscow, 113326

Russia

E-mail: Qala Atouraya@newmail.ru