The Value of Yerevan Mayor's Word: On September 15, the Indoor Market Will Become Yerevan-City Supermarket

Hasmik Harutiunian

Translated by Vartan Matiossian

During two years, the media and the architects spoke continuously about the issue of the Indoor Market (Փակ շուկայ/Pak Shuka). During two years, there were continuous press conferences, protest demonstrations, hundreds of articles. During two years, the bodies accountable for the fate of the building, the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality, either avoided talking about the Indoor Market or asserted that everything would be OK.

An Urgent Problem Whose Urgency is Fading

Edmond Y. Azadian

 

An A.R.F. political thinker named E. Agnouni has encapsulated the Armenian people’s propensity to emigrate away from their native land by a perfectly rhyming sentence in Armenian: «Հայը ամէն տեղ է փնտռում ապաստան, բացի այն տեղից որը կոչւում է Հայաստան» (“Hayeh Amen tegh eh penderoom apastan, batsi ayn teghits voreh kochvoom eh Hayastan,” The Armenian is seeking a haven in all places but the place called Armenia.)

Yerevan’s ‘Pak Shuka’: An Iconic Market’s Uncertain Future

Armen Sanentz 

What was once known as “one of Armenia’s best architectural structures” is now subject to demolition. For the past six decades, tourists and locals alike flocked to the Pak Shuka (literal translation “closed market,” meaning covered indoor market), where vendors sold their goods under the massive building’s prominent arches.

The historic Pak Shuka Market was a central bazaar constructed in 1952 by engineer Hamazasp Arakelyan and designed by famed architect Grigor Aghababyan (whose 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2011). It was listed on the State List of Immovable Historical and Cultural Monuments of Yerevan as an officially recognized architectural monument. During the Soviet era, when the avenue was named Lenin Prospekt, it was Yerevan’s only market with a fixed roof.

Oligarchy on the Defensive

 Edmond Y. Azadian

While the Cold War is intensifying over the Syrian crisis, pitting again the old warriors against each other, an internal crisis is brewing in Armenia with broad ramifications; this time the oligarchy is on the defensive, mind you, not yet on the run.

In order to put the crisis in perspective a background flashback is warranted here.

Since Armenia emerged as an independent country, it claimed to have adopted the system of market economy, replacing the Soviet-style command economy. But it turned out that only the worst traits of capitalism were adopted and practiced giving rise to a sharp divide between the rich and the poor. A caste of oligarchs evolved, making its own rules of conduct and placing itself over the law and the constitution.

Armenia: Backhanded Victory for Environmental Activists

Liana Aghajanian

After almost three months of continuous protests and sit-ins staged by activists in a battle to save Mashtots Park,  batthe Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, ordered the removal of structures already constructed on the basis that they weren't aesthetically appealing, a reason that wasn't on the agenda of those fighting against illegal construction in one of Yerevan's last remaining green spaces.

In addition to their demands to preserve the park for health and environmental reasons, protesters objected to the 'boutique' kiosks because no public hearings were held on the matter and no environmental impact assessment was conducted on the area, both of which are required by law. Voice of the Nightingale voiced its concerns [AM] with the government's disregard for rule of law.

«Պարզուեց, որ նախագահն օրէնքի մասին պատրաստ է մոռանալ, երբ խնդրի օբիեկտն է դառնում… էսթետիկան: Նախագահը տեղում յայտարարեց, որ շինարարութեան առումով ամէն ինչ ճիշդ է, քաղաքապետն ամէն ինչ լաւ է արել, բայց կրպակներն աչք չեն շոյում, ու լաւ չի լինի, եթէ երկու-երեք տարի աչք մազոլեն»: ("It was made clear that the President has forgotten about the law when the issue has to do with the aesthetics of objects. The president announced that the construction of the kiosks were perfectly legal, the mayor had done everything correctly, but the kiosks weren't so pleasing to look out and it wouldn't be a good idea to have them as eye sores for the next few years.")