More Cultural Vandalism
Garo (AKA Christian Garbis) over at Notes from Hairenik has more on the continuing destruction of Hin Erevan (Old Yerevan). The destruction of cultural and historical monuments is something that is raised constantly by nationalists in Armenia and Diaspora when it is done by Azeris or Turks, but few seldom say anything when it is done by corrupt or connected businessmen and state officials in the Republic.
A few months ago I had posted an entry revealing that a historic building, with a history dating as far back as the late 19th century, was in danger of being destroyed by a developer and multi-millionaire with government connections. The building housed at least two families, both of whom operated small door-step stores selling sandwiches, bottled soda, candy, and other snacks. To my dismay while walking to work this morning past the Yerevan Hotel, across from which the building is located, I found that two thirds of the two-floor apartment building has been completely demolished, virtually overnight. It was still standing yesterday.
The person responsible for the demolition of the site, according to a story published by Hetq Online earlier in the year, is Gagik Tsarukian, an “oligarch” who is infamously known as “Dodi Gago.” He used to own the majority of the shares in the Kotayk brewery until he sold them off over a month ago. He is considered to be the outright owner of the “Kentron” television station and the conglomerate “Multigroup,” which has a broad area of business interests, with stakes in dairy products, a wine factory, cement, real estate, gasoline stations, and other businesses. He is also a member of parliament, and it is generally accepted that he became one in order to escape any kind of prosecution, as all National Assembly members are apparently immune.
Now he is the head of his own political party called “Prosperous Armenia.” He is also closely linked to the top leadership of Armenia, which is another reason why he can do virtually anything he wants.
Ironically, as Garo explains, some of these buildings date back to when Yerevan was a predominently Azerbaijani or Turkish village, and it’s interesting to note that were this happening in Baku, Tbilisi or Istanbul to old Armenian houses, Diasporan lobbying groups would have jumped on the chance to use it for propaganda purposes. There’d be hell to pay, in fact.
Regardless of origin, however, Garo says that there is very little to represent the city’s history before the 20th Century. Thank god the Erebuni museum and historical site is situated outside the city center, or I daresay that it would be gone too.
There is now very little to account for pre-Soviet Yerevan’s history. You can no longer point to any 19th-century structure and announce that it is part of antiquity, it is where people used to live and want to live, it is a monument to how old the city really is. I have never heard of such careless, random demolition occurring in any other city in the world, without any thought or understanding of how the past is being wholly discarded for the supposed sake of progress. These narrow-minded actions represent a total disregard for human rights and for cultural and historical preservation.
Unfortunately, nobody cares because nobody thinks either about the future or the past. All they care about is making a sometimes illegal fast buck today regardless of whether it means that Yerevan no longer has any public parks in the center, or whether urban “redevelopment” is anarchic, mistaken and improperly implemented. The Diaspora holds it up as positive change, while Yerevanians lament the loss of what was once a charming city.
They lost the Palace of Youth despite assurances that it would not be dismantled, and now there are concerns about the Karen Demirchyan (formerly Hamalir) Sports & Concert Complex.
What we’re seeing is corruption and the lack of community involvement in the decision-making process in action. I suppose Armenians can take some solice in the fact that the urban redevelopment phase also hit Baku and Tbilisi before it did Yerevan, and that there were concerns there too. Rena Effendi documented the Mahalla district of Baku, for example, and Tbilisi lost the chance to become a World Heritage Site.
However, Zarchka over at Life Around Me recently showed me some photographs of a trip she made to Tbilisi last year and I was struck by the beautiful and scenic park the Georgians still have in the center of their capital. Moreover, on my most recent trip to Tbilisi last Autumn I was also taken by how a lot of the redevelopment has occured and is still occuring in derelict areas outside of the city center.
I know which is better for a city, and also, what means more for sustainable long-term tourism. One day, Yerevan will pay the price for this madness. In the meantime, I dread the day when residents of Kond are evicted out of their homes with little compensation and another old part of the city center is destroyed to satisfy individual greed.
Armenians have a difficult time separating the wheat from the chaff. The previous Republic caused a stir among Armenians that still existss today because it put the power of the people into the hands of a small group of individuals. You would think that a people that stresses its historical roots so vehemently, would have learned that oligarchy should not be in the Armenian vocabulary. The malaise that exists in Armenia today is in direct proportion to the level of power concentration that is allowed to flourish. It will come to no good.
Comment by Darwin Jamgochian — May 24, 2006 @ 7:12 pm
Yes, I must confess that Georgians know how to keep the face of their city and protect such green parks from environmental destructions. And incidentally, there were no cafés there, only benches…
And yes, I’m one of those who is afraid that Hamalir will have the same destiny as the Palace of Youth.
Comment by Zarchka — May 24, 2006 @ 10:44 pm
Onnik, I do not agree with your wording of “Armenian nationalists” talking about the destruction of Armenian monuments by Turks and Azeris. It sounds as though as only “Armenian nationalists” speak about the destruction, and if that is true (which is not), then Armenian “nationalists” are far normal than the “non-nationalists.” On the other hand, I agree that we need to pay attention to the horrible treatment of Armenian monuments by certain Armenians themselves, though I am sure the difference is obvious.
Comment by Blogian — May 25, 2006 @ 7:14 am
Well, I think that had some of the monuments Azeris and Turks destroyed been in Central Yerevan then they would have been destroyed by Armenians to make way for some grand money-making scheme. We certainly don’t seem to have many Churches in Yerevan compared to Tbilisi, for example, although it has to be said I don’t know how many were actually destroyed in Soviet Armenia to make way for this or that construction.
Regardless, what is happening in Central Yerevan is outrageous, and it’s time the Diaspora stopped feeding into the destruction of a city that belongs more to Yerevanians that somone even from LA or anywhere else temporarily residing in the capital. The construction is a clear example of corruption, the lack of the rule of law, mismanagement, proper urban planning, and community involvement in the decision-making process.
All of that said, however, I will say that Simon at Blogian has been consistent in speaking out about the destruction of monuments in Armenia, Azerbaijan and wherever else whoever it is by. In particular, I remember his photos of some of the vandalism and grafitti committed by Armenians on Armenian monuments in and around Karabakh. I’ve seen something similar with a Church near Hadrut as well.
However, we seem to be going off the main point. The fact is that a lot of this so-called “development,” even if corruption-driven, could be taking place in areas outside the city center that are in urgent need of real re-development and rejuvination. That’s usually what happens in cities that are built maturely and with the future and sustainable growth in mind. Clearly, Yerevan is not being developed in such a manner.
Comment by Onnik — May 25, 2006 @ 9:45 am