Festival in Arinj
Arinj, Kotayk Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007
After hearing that Gagik Tsarukian, founder of the Prosperous Armenia party, would be attending a special event in his home village of Arinj on the outskirts of Yerevan, there was no way I couldn’t go either, and not least because despite all the controversy surrounding Armenia’s richest man, word has it that he is highly respected in the area surrounding the city of Abovian.
Indeed, according to Garo (aka Christian Garbis) from Notes from Hairenik, Arinj itself might even be considered a model village for Armenia. Of course, it’s situated pretty much on the outskirts of Yerevan, but there’s no doubt that Tsarukian’s businesses and assistance has something to do with it. Garo and a mutual friend, Hamlet, set off this afternoon to take a look.
We missed Tsarukian who apparently turned up in the morning, but the day was interesting nonetheless. As Garo explains in his latest post, not only was the village quite unlike many others in Armenia, but the event was notable in itself — if only for plumes of smoke eminating from the fire of hundreds of candles lit by those converging on an old church.
Today was the “village day” for Arinj, in other words a holiday, during which hundreds of people—perhaps thousands as they were coming from all around the vicinity—migrate to the site of an ancient monastery perched on hill. All that remains is a tiny chapel, but nearly all the visitors managed to cram into it—not all at once but in a remarkably orderly fashion, filing in and out without shoving, cutting in line or whatever else. Those that could not manage to enter to light candles instead lit them in two large rectangular votives just outside. But for some reason people had given up lighting the individually and inserting them into the sand. Instead the simply threw the candles on top of this uncontrollable fire that burned from the melted liquid wax. I never saw anything like that before—it just shows that Armenians cannot ever let completely go of their fire-worshipping roots. […] Alongside the road leading up to the chapel were vendors selling toy guns, lollipops, sunflower seeds, popcorn, plastic jewelry and all sorts of other things. Oh, and candles, I almost forgot to mention. Every vendor there was selling candles, I swear.
[…]
Arinj must be one of the cleanest villages that I have ever visited in Armenia. It is rare to find any litter on the sidewalks or gutters. And in the late spring there are perennial flowers planted alongside the curbs—even grass grows in certain spots. I would dare think the fact that the small town’s golden boy lives there is the primary reason why the town looks so nice. There are even young trees planted throughout, especially around the vicinity of the chapel, which also serves as a public park it looked to me.
Afterwards, we ventured into Abovian and the same could be said about the city as well. Unlike many other regional urban centers that last saw better days during the Soviet era, it too appears to be doing quite well in relative terms. The trees hadn’t been cut down, and tidy shrubs lined the roads. It’s perhaps no wonder that the city and surrounding area are considered to be almost totally behind Tsarukian.
Indeed, even RFE/RL noted this when Prosperous Armenia unveiled it’s political platform last April.
The burly oligarch’s party is almost certain to win the 2007 election at least in Abovian, a town 15 kilometers north of Yerevan, and surrounding villages. Tsarukian was born and lives in one of those villages, and the entire area is considered to be his exclusive zone of influence.
The leader of Prosperous Armenia’s local chapter, Gegham Hayrapetian, told RFE/RL on Friday that local residents impressed with jobs created by Tsarukian and his charitable activities have been applying for party membership en masse. He said only those of them who want to join the party “very much” are actually admitted into its ranks.
Abovian’s Public School No. 1 is a case in point. All of its 40 or so teachers are already affiliated with Prosperous Armenia. “Look at our repaired roof. [Tsarukian] did it for our school,” one of them, Marietta Sardarian, said when asked to explain why.
Both Sardarian and the school principal, Sevil Hovannisian, insisted that none of the teachers was constrained to join the party. Their collective decision was an “expression of gratitude” to the tycoon, said Hovannisian.
The situation is similar in Abovian’s sole public policlinic. According to its director, Ruben Harutiunian, at least 40 of his 250 employees enlisted in Prosperous Armenia in a matter of days.
The recruitment process there is handled by the policlinic’s chief therapist, Margarita Karapetian. “People can’t be indifferent to Gagik Tsarukian because during all these years they have felt his support on their skin,” she said. “Perhaps it’s time for a payback.”
Support for the man, who epitomizes Armenia’s tiny class of millionaires riding in long motorcades and surrounded by notorious bodyguards, also seems strong among unemployed residents of Abovian. “I’m going to join [Prosperous Armenia] because [Tsarukian] is a great benefactor, a good Armenian,” said one man as he played backgammon in a local public park. “I’ll do whatever he asks me to.”
Another jobless man loitering nearby said he too will become a Prosperous Armenia member because Tsarukian had once given him firewood to heat his home in the winter. “It’s worth supporting that person,” he said. “It’s even worth making him our king. I just can’t think of a better president for Armenia.”
Incidentally, it even looks as though the village has its domain name, but anyway, Garo’s full post is here.
Arinj, Kotayk Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007
E-channel has more on the charitable deeds of Prosperous Armenia and looks at the political ramifications of such actions.
Comment by Onnik — April 16, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
Comment by Onnik — April 16, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
I like the giant flame. Looks exciting
Comment by nazarian — April 16, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
Nazarian, it was…
Not quite trendez, but anyway.
Comment by Onnik — April 16, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
Well, if there was any doubt about the “political” party BHK:
“We will develop 90 percent of our relations with Russia and 10 percent with Europe and others,” Tsarukian told the O2 TV channel in rare remarks on Armenian foreign policy. He declined to elaborate.
The tycoon, whose party is widely seen as Kocharian’s new power base, was also asked about the Armenian opposition’s chances of replicating the kind of post-election regime change that took place in Ukraine and in Georgia to Moscow’s dismay. “Our president is very strong and is closely following the pre-election struggle,” he said. “If something happens, he will strictly punish the guilty.”
http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2007/04/E39C3F2B-D348-4229-A3FC-B882E792EEFB.ASP
Comment by Artashes — April 17, 2007 @ 8:38 am