The first-ever feature film about world famous Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian has gone into production in Yaroslavl, producer Tigran Manasyan has revealed.

"Saber dance", as the movie is aptly titled, was written and is directed by Yusup Razykov, while Ruben Dishdishyan's Mars Media is producing.

“The first shooting cycle takes place in the city of Yaroslavl, where the scenes of Khachaturian meeting Soviet violinist David Oistrakh and outstanding composer Dmitri Shostakovich are shot,” Manasyan said, according to Rusarminfo.ru.

After Yaroslavl, the film crew will travel to the homeland of the composer - Armenia - in April 2018, with shooting set to be held in Yerevan, Dilijan and Khor Virap.

The film is set in 1942, when the Kirov (Mariinsky) theater was evacuated to the Urals, where Aram Khachaturyan had just finished composing the ballet 'Gayane’.

Khachaturian was the most renowned Armenian composer of the 20th century and the author of the first Armenian ballet music, symphony, concerto, and film score. He is highly respected in Armenia, where he is considered a "national treasure".