YEREVAN ARM ENIA
ANDREW DAVID GREEN
ARMENIA Geographical position: Armenia is located in Southwestern Asia, North-East of Turkey and South of Georgia. -Official name is Republic of Armenia -Language: Armenian -Currency: Dram (AMD) -Time Zone; AMT- +4.0 hrs -Head of State is President of RA -System of government: republic -Armenia is 29,800 sq km in area -Population:
2,982,904
-Religion: Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi monotheist 1.3% -Small populations of other nationalities; Yezidi
Russian, Iranian and Georgian.
-11 States including the capital Yerevan Curent President: Serzh Sargsyan
YEREVAN Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world’s oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Civilization in Yerevan dates back to the 8th Century BC and is at least 24 years older than Rome. 2791 years have passed since the foundation of the city. The population within central Yeravan is estimated to be around 1,107,800, with the agglomeration around the city regrouping to 1,245,700 people across the greater Yerevan area, more than 43% of the population of Armenia. The city It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital of Armenia since 1918 and the twelfth in the history of Armenia. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by king Argishti I at the western extremity of the Ararat plain. After World War I, Yerevan became the capital of the Democratic Republic of Armenia as thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide settled in the area. The city expanded rapidly during the 20th century when Armenia became one of the fifteen republics in the Soviet Union. In fifty years, Yerevan was transformed from a town of a few thousand residents during the first republic to the principal cultural, artistic and industrial center as well as becoming the seat of the political institutions of the country. In 1920, Yerevan became the capital of the newly formed Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union. The Soviet era transformed the city into a modern industrial metropolis of over a million people, developed according to the prominent Armenian architect Alexander Tamanian’s designs. Yerevan also became a significant scientific and cultural center. Following the collapse of Soviet Union on the 21st September 1991, Armenia and Yerevan had so many other problems to cope with than to be investing in new cultural buildings; Librarys, museums, so on. Today, the appearance of new buildings, roads, restaurants, boutiques, quarters etc. have started to erase the traces of 70 years of Soviet dominance. With the growth of the economy of the country, Yerevan has been undergoing a major transformation as construction sites have appeared all over the city since the early 2000s. TOPOGRAPHY AND LOCATION -Yerevan is located at Latitude: 40°11’ North, Longitude: 44°30’ East. -The city of Yerevan is 210 square kilometres (82 square miles) in size. Yerevan is located in Eastern Armenia to the center-west of the country in the north-eastern extremity of the Ararat Valley. The upper part of the city is surrounded by mountains on three sides while to the south it descends to the banks of the river Hrazdan. Yerevan lies at an altitude of between 865 and 1390 meters above sea, and over 60% of its territory over 1200 meters above sea level. URBAN ANALYSIS Between 1920-1938 the current city plan was designed by prominent architect Alexander Tamanyan. Arriving in Armenia after the declaration of independence in 1918 he began development of the first general plan of Yerevan. The original plan was designed for 150,000 inhabitants. In 1934 he began development of a plan for ‘’Big Yerevan’’ designed for 500,000 inhabitants, however the city now has over 1.2 million inhabitants. The main concept was for the ‘City of the Sun’, a one mile diameter circle that represents the sun and its emanating streets that represent light. The plan was treated as a tabula rasa and incorporated 3 main Sectors; Educational, Cultural and Political. Tamanian incorporated national traditions with contemporary urban construction. His design presented a radial-circular arrangement that overlaid the existing city. As a result, many historic buildings were demolished, including churches, mosques, the Persian fortress, baths, bazaars and caravanserais. Many of the surrounding districts around Yerevan were named after former Armenian communities that were decimated by the Ottoman Turks during the Armenian Genocide. The districts of Arabkir, Malatya-Sebastia and Nork Marash, for example, were named after the towns Arabkir, Malatya, Sebastia, and Marash, respectively. Following the end of the Second World War, German POWs were used to help in the construction of new buildings and structures, such as the Kievyan Bridge. The construction sector has experienced strong growth since 2000. Recently, Yerevan has been undergoing massive construction boom. Over the last five years, central Yerevan has been transformed into a vast construction site, with cranes seemingly outnumbering trees. Officially, the scores of multi-storied buildings are part of large-scale urban planning projects. Roughly $1.8 billion was spent on such construction in 2006 and prices for downtown apartments have increased by about ten times over the last decade.
CULTURE The country is saturated with vibrant colour and aroma. It is the Armenian tradition is to harmonize, drink and make money. Armenia has a rich, diverse history and a complex cultural grain which is reflected in the physical environment and people of Armenia. The city is enriched by the many museums and parks, Culture is not just an option here. The National Gallery of Armenia houses Armenias master works of art from throughout history. The National Museum of Architecture commemorates local and national Armenian architects from over the past Century. Currently under construction is the The Cafesjian Museum of Art designed by David Hotson architects, following an international architectural competition entered by high profile architects such as Coop Himmelblau and Bernard Tschumi.
FILM
VODKA LEMON 2004 Directed by Hiner Saleem Intoxicating Melancholy. The story is set in a Yazidi Kurdish village in Armenia, still suffering economically from the Soviet collapse. Hamo, a Kurdish widower with three sons, visits his wife’s grave everyday. In the graveyard, he meets Nina, a widow who works in a local bar named Vodka Lemon which is about to close down. Both are penniless, yet start an unexpected relationship which revitalizes them.
SAYAT NOVA / THE COLOUR OF POMEGRANATS 1968 Directed by Sergei Paradjanov Through complex symbolism and allegories this compelling ‘sensitive and inspiring film delves into the elusive poets inner world. Through the trepidations of his soul, passions and torments. “Mercy on the old master building a bridge, The passer-by may lay a stone to his foundation. I have sacrificed my soul, worn out my life, for the nation. A brother may arrange a rock upon my grave” “Books must be well kept and read” “for books are soul and life” “without books the world would have witnessed nothing but ignorance” “you should read aloud for the people to hear, in benefit of their souls” “since many are unable to read what is written”
THE LIGHTHOUSE (MAYAK) 2007 Directed by Maria Saakyan The film is about the war in the Caucasus. The girl (Lena) from Moscow, rides in a small Caucasian town, where she was born. There the war began. Lena wants to take away one’s grandmother and one’s grandfather out of this dangerous place. But, having arrived home, she realizes that she has no opportunity to return to Moscow. Lena learns to live in conditions of war. She realizes that run away - not mean to escape. The latest frames of the film give us hope that life continues and everything will be fine. ancient manuscripts / railway village / breathtaking scenery / atmosphere / dance and music / emotion / politics and war with Georgia
DAY #01 In the departure lounge, the locals of Yerevan and Tblisi stare at me like I was an intruder even before we have left London Heathrow. We board the 1980’s aircraft. I eat the plastic food and watch a French film. When I arrived at the airport around 2am local time it takes about 3 hours to clear passport control. Hoards of chain smoking arguing men hang around outside the airport entrance. I met my driver and walked to his car. The driver was quiet, but the things I could see through the window of the 1960’s lada that drove me to my hostel looked fascinating. Imposing monolithic structures, flashes of soviet housing and a collection of neon structures, reminiscent of a compact Las Vegas, although with the mediocrity of the Blackpool illuminations.
DAY / #02 I wake up late, it’s grey outside. I am slightly daunted but intrigued by what lies ahead. People here look quite distinctive, pale grey skin, dark hair and eyes like black pools. There seems to be a number angry people around, and only a few are happy to help with directions, still, its an upgrade from London.. Its enlightening to be surrounded by lots of brutal soviet architecture and feels beautifully oppressive. At first glance, architectural materials consist of concrete, metal, blockwork and an incredibly diverse range of stone, each have subtle intricacies.
CASCADE//: People seem to have a lot of time on there hands. Young couples dotted around hidden alcoves of the structure, almost as if their relationships were forbidden by their families. The sound of falling water is punctuatingly audible. At the top of the cascade structure is a tall monument and a gigantic construction site with an impressive panoramic view of the city towards Mount Ararat, shame its cloudy.
DAY #03 The weather is clear, fresh and sunny today.
10am Day Tour, where I learn that Yerevan is in fact the 12th Capital City of Armenia and has been since the independence of the First Republic in 1918. There are also 400,000 churches in Armenia which solidifies its status as a powerful Christian nation. Today, there were Borat moments; the tour guide explained how very safe it is in Yerevan, “girls can walk in the street at night without fear of the rape�. Secondly, most men seem to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek, and just bluntly ignore the women..
According to my tour guide, being an architect is easy; Its about drawing boxes, It doesn’t matter how its looks, as long as long as each room has a window and a door.
Crossing the street is insane. The signal may be green, but no one gives a shit..
Afterwards I went to the Matenadaran, an ancient Manuscript Museum and repository for ancient books and documents. It was fascinating and enriching to learn about the Aryan ‘Mesrop Mashtots’; creator of Armenian Alphabet; 405 and history of ancient documents that have survived war and genocide.
Books? Shit loads of books, all with broken spines..
The underground book markets are amazing. Endless dark and atmospheric passages of book stalls which according to locals, can source any book internationally from this central node
I ate some street food, and slightly regretted it..
Literally everyone smokes, and with them costing about 40 pence for 20, I feel obliged.
DAY/ #04
The The The ing
local cuisine baffles… food is grim and I am starving. streets and markets filled with the heady aroma of ancient meats, heavy fermentcheeses, preserved fruit.
I’m surviving on bananas and chrisps…
I managed to find the Yerevan state university department of architecture. I wander round the dark coridoors where I happen to meet bilingual Sarhad, a diploma student from Iran who sorts me out with the cad plan of the city!
Was invited for a traditional Armenian meal in downtown Yerevan today, approaching the house was like a scene from the cold war. I recall an almost narcotic feeling as to whether this was really happening.. The internal walls exposed concrete with exposed soffits and with live cables protruding from the walls. They later tell me they built the house with their bear hands following the collapse of the soviet union.
The meal consisted more of toasts than it did of eating! a multitude of separate toasts, each involving a shot of local brandy or vodka… For mother, for guests, for deceased, for babies, for children, for family abroad, for mother Armenia, for food, for animal, for friends, the list continues… During the meal, I swore I heard a gunshot outside! They tell me not to worry, it’s just the children playing…
DAY/ #05 Met up with Sarhad and his Uncle and Aunt at the opera house, my stomach was still churning from last nights alcoholic banquet.. They kindly took me to Echmiadzin; the holiest town and spiritual capital of Armenia, is located in the Aramvir province, about 20 kilometers West of Yerevan. It was enlightening to witness the strength of the Christian religion.
uneasy
In many ways the city reminds me of France. The grime and wall to wall traffic are reminiscent of Paris, which is further rationalized by the connection of the two countries, the French embassy was the first to be built in Armenia, and the Armenian language is infect sometimes replaced by words such as merci. Apparently, France is the only country that gives without expecting anything in return.
Russian Cinema
When we got back to Yerevan we visited the Genocide memorial located at the highest peak of the city. I was appalling to learn about the depravity of this horrific event. Over a period of approximately 30 years around the turn of the 20th Century over 2 million Armenians were brutally killed by the Turkish, who still today deny any involvement, although now own 2/3rds of previously Armenian soil.
I was again invited for a Meal, this time traditional Persian at Sarhad’s uncles house just north of the city. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming, but, it was incredibly uncomfortable having to eat and pretend to enjoy the almost inedible food and putrid alcohol whilst literally everyone around the table is staring at you..
DAY/ #06
I was kept with a security guard in an interrogation room for a few hours, but I finally was given access to the National Archive of Armenia. The archive stored historical information from the 18th Century onwards. Photographs, letters, political documents and transcripts from the 1920’s soviet period. The building was constructed 85 years ago during the Soviet Union.
I was lucky enough to be given access to one of the archives, although was not allowed to photograph. However, it remains one of my most poignant memories of the trip, I recall the blocked out windows, the dewy atmospheric lighting and the distinctive smell.
For the first time in my life, I want a Lada!
During the day the city is relatively desolate and it is at night when the city seems to thrive.
Beautiful, partially westernized girls with cold blank expressions, frail old ladies with faces that reflect a lifetime of memories and men with their oversized, bloated guts, resemble Italian mafia dons.
DAY /#07 Attended lecture at the Armenian State University on ‘Modern Armenian Architecture’ post-1850. Soviet, Radical Eclecticism, Alexander Tamanyan, Karo Haliabian, Nicoli Biave, Bauhaus, Socialism, Russian expansion into the CAUCASUS..
National library of Armenia, City Central Library. Surprised to find they still use the old card catalog classification system.
My name is Andrew and I hide behind bookcases
None of the staff spoke English so it was hard to communicate, although after a around a hour of explanation I came to the conclusion that dyslexia is more or less unheard of in this country..
I bought a chicken, turned out the oven in my hostel didn’t work, so I boiled it. It wasn’t so good…
DAY/ #08
I managed to find the Office of City Planning in Yerevan. The scaled urban models were amazing and although all of the staff could speak fluent English, they had argumentative conversations in Armenian amongst each other and seemed extremely secretive and precious and eventually asked me to leave..
British Embassy, ironically it is the only building in Yerevan that I was not allowed access.
I take a trip on the 10 pence subway. The escalator in the subway is fast enough to trip you up, the noise of the trains more intense than cities like London or Tokyo.
I get off at the old Republic Square, built in soviet times, is incredibly regal. I find the National Museum of Armenia. Much to my surprise, the artwork seems to me to be of equal significance to anything I have seen in the UK or even Europe.
Thankfully I managed to get intricate topographical data of my site from the Topographical department of the Institute of Surveyors
DAY/ #09
Aesthetic Upbringing Centre on the outskirts of the city, which turns out to be a partially deserted Kindergarten. Again, the principal confirmed my suspicions of the countries unfamiliarity with dyslexia..
I finally found the Museum of Contemporary Art, hidden down a backstreet in the south of the city. The art on display was colourful, complex and overtly morbid, many pieces drawing reference from pain, anger, murder, genocide.
In the evening I get a cab to the Mother Armenia statue. I is incredibly peaceful and serine. Providing a beautiful city panoramas and a wonderful vista of my site
I later realize that the vast construction site is for the Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by New York architect, David Hotson.
DAY /#10 Spent the whole day at my site, on the northern edge of the educational sector of the city. I entered the interior of the crumbling structure and got approached by nosey students from the adjacent English language school questioning my motives on the site! Eerie, abandoned Little did I realize that the building was inhabited by squatters, and out of the blue, I hear a high pitched screech, clearly angrily shouting at me to leave. I then noticed the colourful jars of passata in the top floor window.
DAY/ #11 End..
DAY/ #11