Civil Contract Party MPs have proposed changes to the national anthem, recommending the removal of the last stanza from its text.

National Assembly MPs Sisak Gabrielyan, Taguhi Ghazaryan, and Alen Simonyan presented a new draft of proposed amendments and additions to the law “On the Anthem of the Republic of Armenia.”

The draft suggests that the anthem be performed exclusively in the version officially published by the authorized body of the state education administration. MPs have proposed extending the mandatory performance of the national anthem to preschools and institutions offering pre-vocational and secondary vocational programs.
Currently, this requirement applies only to schools. The draft legislation also seeks to standardize the anthem’s performance at all official international competitions and tournaments held within Armenia, as well as during award ceremonies at national sports events.

“While the anthem’s text and music are specified in the annex to the current law, variations in performance and recordings have emerged across official sports, cultural, and other events,” the proposal states. “To address these inconsistencies, it is essential to release an official, unified recording of the anthem for use in the instances defined by law.” Additionally, due to time constraints, the anthem is often performed in a shortened version at certain events, particularly sports and cultural ones.

To ensure consistency, the draft authorizes the government to establish an official short version of the anthem, aligned with the text and music specified by law. The proposal further suggests a revision to the anthem’s text, rearranging it to conclude with the following stanza: “Look at the tricolor, A valuable symbol for us. May it shine against the enemy, And may Armenia be glorious forever.” This change would remove the following lines: “Death is the same everywhere, A man dies but once, Blessed is the one who dies For the freedom of his nation.”