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Open Letter to Eduardo Ernekian
http://hetq.am/eng/news/24286/open-letter-to-eduardo-ernekian.html
19:45, March 10, 2013
Dear Mr. Ernekian,
I am writing to you firstly as an architect who proudly presents the
brand new Zvartnots airport of Yerevan to his international colleagues
and friends. I am also writing to you as a young first generation
diasporan who is proud of the investments and innovative projects that
our diasporan brothers and sisters spread all around the globe are
doing in Armenia. Karas wine is one of those successful examples,
which is yet another reason to be proud of Armenia because of you. And
finally, I am writing to you as an urban planner who since, the early
2000s, has been trying to influence and direct the developments
taking place in Yerevan city center in a more sustainable direction
and towards the objective of heritage preservation. Unfortunately we
have not had much success in this direction yet, but thanks to the
relatively open approach of the Government of Armenia over the last
few years and also the accessibility of the press and social networks,
we local Armenians are more aware of, and sensitive to, our rights. In
the last few years, in spite of many unacceptable projects, the youth
of Armenia managed to save the open air hall of Moscow cinema,
Mashtots Park - in the heart of Yerevan - and several other valuable
buildings and public spaces.
Honorable Mr. Ernekian,
The reason that I am writing this letter to you is to present the
situation that has been created concerning the current Foreign
Ministry of Armenia building. This building which was built by the
accomplished architects of the 1950's Samvel Safaryan, Varazdat
Arevshatyan and Rafo Israelyan is one of the cornerstones of Republic
Square of Yerevan. This square, which is considered the masterpiece of
one of the greatest and talented architects of the 20th century,
Alexander Tamanyan and several other individuals, won a USSR State
Prize in 1970 as a whole complex. The square with its five buildings,
statue of Lenin (demolished in 1996) and fountains was, and still is
included in the Immobile Historical and Cultural Monuments of Yerevan
State List which was approved by the Government of the Republic in
2004, as the most important - Republican (National) monument (Decree
No. 1616-N, October 7, 2004; monument No. 96). The Law on the
Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments and Protection and
Exploitation of Historical Environments of Armenia (approved in 1998)
sets down very strict regulations for making any changes on
Republican (National) Monuments. For example, for each change, you are
obliged to get the agreement of the Government of the Republic. I do
no doubt that that Government of the Republic of Armenia who sold the
building to Tango LLC, and then announced an unsuccessful open tender,
will approve any change or extension on that building. But I just want
to mention that, for the sake of drawing in investments, all our
Governments have been and are ready to ignore the national
legislation, national heritage and the rights of citizens to be
informed of planned changes in our immediate environment. In
particular, for this building no public hearing or expert discussion
has been held. Moreover, this issue has not been discussed by the
authorized state body, which is the Ministry of Culture, as is the
requirement of the Law.
Honorable Mr. Ernekian,
As an architect who has personally measured the whole building in the
early 2000s, I assure you out that, in order to transform this
building to a five-star hotel, you will be forced to completely tear
down the interior of the building. It means that after paying around
50 million US$ for this building your designers and architects will
not be able to keep the magnificent interiors of the building, which
are also an inseparable element of this monument, where part of our
newly-independent history was shaped and written, where many foreign
officials have negotiated and discovered our newly- independent dream
- land of Republic of Armenia. At the end of the day you will find
yourself in a grave situation and you will be forced to keep only the
envelope (external walls) of the building and ruin the entire interior
of the building- a building which symbolizes the right of the Republic
of Armenia, as an independent country, to have a sovereign foreign
policy: the Second Governmental Building - the Foreign Ministry of the
Republic of Armenia.
Dear Mr. Ernekian,
I am approaching you as a citizen of Armenia, who is proud of all your
initiatives, including the `a laptop for each school-child` project in
Artsakh; do not cast a shadow over your patriotic past and reputation
in Armenia by doing this project. All Armenians around the world are
proud of your airport, wine and Nur project in Artsakh and I beg you
not to give anybody the opportunity to compare you with the oligarchs
that we have in Armenia. Some of them are ready to ruin the whole 19th
century heritage of Yerevan in order to build Northern Avenue, or to
ruin the fantastic Yerevan Covered market in order to build a
supermarket. Diasporans have brought a new mentality and dimension to
Armenia over the last 20 years, which in its turn has improved the
business environment and must continue to do so.
Once again I call on you to take a step back and re-evaluate this
transaction within the context of the last two decades in Armenia and
your valuable contribution and role in it.
Looking forward to hearing about an annulment on the transaction for
the MFA building.
With best Regards,
Sarhat Petrosyan
Architect, Urban Planner
Research Principal and Founder of the urbanlab Yerevan
http://hetq.am/eng/news/24286/open-letter-to-eduardo-ernekian.html
19:45, March 10, 2013
Dear Mr. Ernekian,
I am writing to you firstly as an architect who proudly presents the
brand new Zvartnots airport of Yerevan to his international colleagues
and friends. I am also writing to you as a young first generation
diasporan who is proud of the investments and innovative projects that
our diasporan brothers and sisters spread all around the globe are
doing in Armenia. Karas wine is one of those successful examples,
which is yet another reason to be proud of Armenia because of you. And
finally, I am writing to you as an urban planner who since, the early
2000s, has been trying to influence and direct the developments
taking place in Yerevan city center in a more sustainable direction
and towards the objective of heritage preservation. Unfortunately we
have not had much success in this direction yet, but thanks to the
relatively open approach of the Government of Armenia over the last
few years and also the accessibility of the press and social networks,
we local Armenians are more aware of, and sensitive to, our rights. In
the last few years, in spite of many unacceptable projects, the youth
of Armenia managed to save the open air hall of Moscow cinema,
Mashtots Park - in the heart of Yerevan - and several other valuable
buildings and public spaces.
Honorable Mr. Ernekian,
The reason that I am writing this letter to you is to present the
situation that has been created concerning the current Foreign
Ministry of Armenia building. This building which was built by the
accomplished architects of the 1950's Samvel Safaryan, Varazdat
Arevshatyan and Rafo Israelyan is one of the cornerstones of Republic
Square of Yerevan. This square, which is considered the masterpiece of
one of the greatest and talented architects of the 20th century,
Alexander Tamanyan and several other individuals, won a USSR State
Prize in 1970 as a whole complex. The square with its five buildings,
statue of Lenin (demolished in 1996) and fountains was, and still is
included in the Immobile Historical and Cultural Monuments of Yerevan
State List which was approved by the Government of the Republic in
2004, as the most important - Republican (National) monument (Decree
No. 1616-N, October 7, 2004; monument No. 96). The Law on the
Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments and Protection and
Exploitation of Historical Environments of Armenia (approved in 1998)
sets down very strict regulations for making any changes on
Republican (National) Monuments. For example, for each change, you are
obliged to get the agreement of the Government of the Republic. I do
no doubt that that Government of the Republic of Armenia who sold the
building to Tango LLC, and then announced an unsuccessful open tender,
will approve any change or extension on that building. But I just want
to mention that, for the sake of drawing in investments, all our
Governments have been and are ready to ignore the national
legislation, national heritage and the rights of citizens to be
informed of planned changes in our immediate environment. In
particular, for this building no public hearing or expert discussion
has been held. Moreover, this issue has not been discussed by the
authorized state body, which is the Ministry of Culture, as is the
requirement of the Law.
Honorable Mr. Ernekian,
As an architect who has personally measured the whole building in the
early 2000s, I assure you out that, in order to transform this
building to a five-star hotel, you will be forced to completely tear
down the interior of the building. It means that after paying around
50 million US$ for this building your designers and architects will
not be able to keep the magnificent interiors of the building, which
are also an inseparable element of this monument, where part of our
newly-independent history was shaped and written, where many foreign
officials have negotiated and discovered our newly- independent dream
- land of Republic of Armenia. At the end of the day you will find
yourself in a grave situation and you will be forced to keep only the
envelope (external walls) of the building and ruin the entire interior
of the building- a building which symbolizes the right of the Republic
of Armenia, as an independent country, to have a sovereign foreign
policy: the Second Governmental Building - the Foreign Ministry of the
Republic of Armenia.
Dear Mr. Ernekian,
I am approaching you as a citizen of Armenia, who is proud of all your
initiatives, including the `a laptop for each school-child` project in
Artsakh; do not cast a shadow over your patriotic past and reputation
in Armenia by doing this project. All Armenians around the world are
proud of your airport, wine and Nur project in Artsakh and I beg you
not to give anybody the opportunity to compare you with the oligarchs
that we have in Armenia. Some of them are ready to ruin the whole 19th
century heritage of Yerevan in order to build Northern Avenue, or to
ruin the fantastic Yerevan Covered market in order to build a
supermarket. Diasporans have brought a new mentality and dimension to
Armenia over the last 20 years, which in its turn has improved the
business environment and must continue to do so.
Once again I call on you to take a step back and re-evaluate this
transaction within the context of the last two decades in Armenia and
your valuable contribution and role in it.
Looking forward to hearing about an annulment on the transaction for
the MFA building.
With best Regards,
Sarhat Petrosyan
Architect, Urban Planner
Research Principal and Founder of the urbanlab Yerevan