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Hetq: Yerevan-Found And Lost

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  • Hetq: Yerevan-Found And Lost

    YEREVAN-FOUND AND LOST
    Jaana Davidjants

    HETQ
    http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/7206/yerevan-found-and-lost.html
    November 24, 2011

    Ten years ago when I lived in Yerevan I was completely in love with the
    city. Armenia felt like home in its post-war sincerity and patriotism,
    as well as in the complete hospitality of its people.

    Everything seemed possible, the overall mood was bright, and everyone
    looked to the future with hopeful expectations.

    I guess this was the reason I was so taken aback while visiting
    this time.

    The triumph of ghost houses

    The first thing that perplexed me was the view of the city. I noticed
    with surprise that Yerevan is in worse ruins than it was back then,
    the city centre now filled with empty houses and building carcasses.

    It took me a while to realize that these are completely new
    constructions, the city is covered with "modern ruins". Instead of
    valuing its history and architecture, and renovating its buildings,
    Yerevanīs official policy seems to favor sheer destruction, demolition
    and later construction of bad quality ghost houses.

    Yet, there are amazing places in Yerevan, for example the outdoor
    cinema next to the main square which is soon set to be demolished.

    Places like this can make every tourist envious.

    Despite prevalent nationalistic sentiments, it becomes clear that
    Yerevan values its own identity little and looks longingly towards
    Europe. This can be seen while strolling down a sidewalk in the
    center of the city, lined with cafes named: London, Paris, Rio and
    so forth. But it seems that Armenians are trying to copy Europe from
    what they've seen in music videos, or as told by a distant relative
    who knows someone who went there a long time ago. The outcome is a
    cheap and absurd imitation which has nothing to do with those cities.

    Furthermore, as much as Yerevan tries, it will never become Paris or
    London (and why should it?).

    A great example of ghost houses can be found on the main street in
    the city centre. If one walks on Abovyan during the day, things seem
    quite glamorous, as every building carries a big logo like Hugo Boss
    or Versace. But during the night, it becomes clear that something
    doesn't add up, on the whole street only few windows are lit up. The
    rest of the apartments sit empty since they were built, more than two
    years ago. Certainly one explanation is the poor construction quality,
    as well as the high prices which exceed some cities in the heart of
    Europe, for example Berlin (keeping in mind that Armenian medium wage
    is 200-300 dollars per month). The city is full of empty apartments
    while the actual need for new ones is very small. Foreign Armenians
    with their desire for summer apartments in Yerevan have created a
    real-estate bubble with no connection to reality which will burst soon.

    Public space and trade

    There is a noticeable absence of public space. People seem to exist for
    the city, not the other way around. And so it happens that when in a
    park with a little child who walks on the grass, suddenly a security
    guard appears and announces it is strictly forbidden. This gives one
    an impression that the park is not there for spending a good time but
    for admiring it from afar. How to explain this concept to a 1,5 year
    old is altogether another subject.

    Caucasian trading mentality mixed with raging capitalism is far
    from charming. One starts to tire when it turns out that from ten
    identical tables you happen to be sitting at the one unmarked "VIP"
    table with a large extra fee. Or when a taxi driver tries to convince
    you that the rate has doubled as you place a small bag into the trunk
    (per the driver's request). And so now the pack is somehow considered
    as some kind of separate traveller in the trunk.

    One could think that Armenians are just not very blessed with any kind
    of mathematical talent. Somehow though not one of those miscalculations
    happen to be in favor of the client. It seems that the locals have
    learned only one side of the business making, that is the part where
    you ask for the money without understanding that there is at least
    some degree of well-being you have to provide in return.

    If for no other reason, at least because you might need the client
    at some later point. As we know, good business is done with a stable
    client base.

    Cutting the branch you sit on

    And the sad paradox? The only ones suffering from all this are the
    locals themselves who are consistently cutting the branch they sit
    on. Statistics shows that a big part of Armenian economy is supported
    by foreign Armenians. And most of the tourists are foreign Armenians.

    Why bite the hand that feeds you? And when my friends ask me how
    Yerevan is and whether they should travel there I donīt know how to
    answer. Because I am not sure anymore what Yerevan has to offer. The
    architecture of the city has been ruined, life is more expensive
    than in Europe and the story of Armenian hospitality has turned into
    an old myth from a distant time. And so I tell them: better go to
    Tbilisi. Georgians at least value their city and in big part have
    been able to get rid of the sickness common to the Caucasus region:
    corruption. Or then go to Istanbul, which is truly vibrant, a good
    mixture of East and West and where a tourist doesnīt feel taken for
    a fool at every step.

    I understand that Iīm being unfair to many amazing Armenians, to some
    that I met during my stay. But then again, it isnīt about the common
    person. Itīs about a society with an extreme level of corruption, a
    society where the only value is money, a society which doesnīt cherish
    its own people. It is ugly and very far from anything sustainable. And
    it produces a large number of small criminals who are sadly louder
    than nice people.

    And because of everything mentioned above, I am not surprised to hear
    that Armenia is loosing a large part of it's youth to emigration. As
    in Estonia, no official media campaign can bring back young people,
    only the real knowledge that there is a possibility of building
    something in your homeland can stop this emigration.

    I deeply hope that when I travel to Armenia again in a couple of
    years I will be positively surprised. I hope that things will have
    changed for the better.

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