Turkish, Armenian actors break longest handshake record

TBILISI

Barış and Hajinyan’s handshake beat the previous record, which was set in New York in 2011, by 25 minutes.

A Turkish and an Armenian actor completed the longest-ever handshake on Dec. 8 in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, in an act designed to help foster peace between the two long-time foes.

Deniz Barış from Turkey and Hovhannes Hajinyan from Armenia stood for 43 straight hours holding each other’s hands, in a performance aimed at underlining the possibility of better relations between Turkey and Armenia.

It took place thanks to the initiative of a group of Turkish and Armenian entrepreneurs and artists, supported by the TANGO Network (Turkish and Armenian NGO Network), which unites Armenian and Turkish non-profit organizations.

Barış and Hajinyan’s handshake beat the previous record, which was set in New York in 2011, by 25 minutes.

The whole event was broadcast live on the Internet, allowing everyone to witness Barış and Hajinyan holding hands in defiance of the rain, wind and cold weather, with the temperature falling to as low as minus 3 degrees Celsius during the night. The organizers are currently working on a Guinness World Records Book entry.

Hajinyan is an actor at the Yerevan Patomime Theater, and Barış is from the southern Turkish province of Mersin.