Almost everybody in the Armenian capital understands that the boom in the number of cafes in the city center reflect growing corruption among senior officials, their relatives and government connected businessmen. Even if most Diasporans are oblivious to the fact, civil society in Armenia has long battled against the destruction of Yerevan’s parks.

Now, according to Hetq Online, classical musicians are involving themselves after one such cafe now makes it impossible for them to practice.

On October 18 the musicians who gathered near the Yerevan Chamber Music House demanded the immediate termination of the constructions of a cafe which stretches from the entrance of the Chamber Music House to Abovyan street, because it is disturbing their work.

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“It is time to wake up and think not so much about our stomachs but also about our souls. All countries are flourishing in terms of their culture and we are representing Armenian culture properly. Until now, devoted people keep Armenian culture at a proper and high level but today, they may be appear in the streets and slowly the Last Mohicans will go from here, because they really need us there. I am calling everyone to seriously think about this issue,” said the famous soprano, Anna Mayilyan.

http://www.hetq.am/eng/society/0510-kamer.html

I’m also glad to see that Jeffrey Tufenkian, a prominent Diasporan with a background in environmental activism and an understanding that most of Yerevan’s cafes are illegal and corrupt, is also speaking out. Other prominent Armenians have joined him.

“I perform here frequently. All the musicians can testify that it is impossible to perform, especially cappella music, when pop music sound is simultaneously played outside. Musicians can’t concentrate on their music and as a result, art is suffering. Finally, people need to stand above a policy that favors cafes and think about a cultural policy”, complains Anna Mayilyan.

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“We have to have a nation-wide fight, Yerevan has lost its looks. We cannot have this area to have the same fate as the area around the Opera House. We must care about all areas, otherwise in future we will live in Armenia, looking like a desert, full of dust, stone and garbage”, added the actor Sos Sargsian.

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“In whole Europe one cannot find as many cafes as in Armenia. The Armenian people is strong and rich in its culture; to construct this café is to give a blow to men of arts. I have been visiting Armenia to perform concerts in the Chamber Music House. Where will I have the concert next year if this café is constructed? Do not kill the genius of artists, if we weaken culturally, we will die spiritually”, this was the appeal of New-York conductor Raffi Svachian, to the Government of Armenia.

http://www.hetq.am/eng/society/0510-kamer-1.html

Meanwhile, Garo (AKA Christian Garbis) over at Notes From Hairenik, blogs about another manifestation of environmental destruction in Yerevan. There’s also an interview with Sona Ayvazyan, Environmental Policy Expert/Project Director, Center for Regional Development/Transparency International Armenia online here.