It was with deep grief that I learned about the death of the People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia Rafael Kotanjyan.

Rafael Kotanjyan was very popular and loved not only in the Armenian society, but also in a wide spectrum of foreign audience. Kotanjyan's contribution to the development of Armenian theater and cinema is invaluable.

With his roles in "Forget Herostratus", "The Naked King", "The Great Silence", "The Diamond Arm", "Chaos", "Men", "Baghdasar Divorces From His Wife", "Foreign Games", "The Voice in the Wilderness", "Happy Trip", "Pirate Empire" and many other famous plays and films, he will always remain in our history as a beloved actor, intellectual, Armenian man.

I share the grief of the master's family, colleagues, fans and everyone at the moment of this great loss.