Thursday, November 22, 2007

SCREAM

Deconstruction of the city

I don't spend much time outside. I'm either at uni or at work or at home in front of the monitor. When I'm going somewhere by a minibus or whatever I listen to music and look out of the window but what I see doesn't get fixed in my mind. When a bird flies over a lake, its reflection is there but as soon as the bird is gone there is no sign of the bird left in the lake. The same is with me. When I'm in public transport I think some things through, play back some moments of the day, plan, analyze, etc.

Today I've been taking some photos of the street and buildings for Tamanyan's museum-institute's website which I'm working on. I'm not an architect, not a designer, not a person of art so maybe I don't have much right to speak up but I will. I was shocked. Honestly. Every time I saw a construction of a new building my heart fell somewhere and I had one wish: to run away.

It's not the city I knew! Looks like smth between Yerevan and say Chicago.

It's like to live in an American city! Modern tall and ugly buildings being built by the side of those I'm used to, those in the bad state, those that are beautiful.
Nobody cares whether you can meet all colors of the rainbow on the walls of just 1 house. Earlier people I'd say "Yerevan is beautiful! Its buildings are beautiful." Now I'll say "Yerevan is ugly! There are SOME beautiful buildings left."

It's a shame!

Who cares? A handful of people. And what can they do if the Armenian people actually like it all. Of course, new buildings are built and that means more people from villages can move to Yerevan and they will never (don't) care whether the city has lost its face. On the contrary they will be happy and actually will think that it will be better if all buildings are so big, colorful. And of course the government is like its people... Mr. Tsarukian has made a statement that "We will open the doors of the Opera house for sports!" and for example at the moment is being held there! Again a handful of people is terrified while for the majority it's okay. And who can do anything when mr. Tsarukian who is as much educated as the people in his party (great number of people) has so much money? And who in general do you consider educated? Those yellow-mouthed children graduating every year? Come on eveybody knows that daddy will buy a diploma for his daughter who will hang it on the wall to show to her mother-in law. Or to his son whose military service will be delayed and who will anyway become a businessman and continue his daddy's work.

I don't give up or smth. Just I'm very sorry about this situation and about Armenian nation in general. Armenia is somewhere in the Dark Ages now. Hopefully someday Renaissance will take place.

3 comments:

Helen said...

Ir, gites es hamamit em vor Yerevan@ kich-kich korcnum a ir irakan hin patker@. Bayc vor asum es vor ayn "ugly"-a, mi kich shat kopita im hamar. Heto el ayn inch katarvum a hima Yerevanum, da anxusapelia, che vor amen inch el jamanaki @ntackum popoxutyunneri a entarkvum, podobno nam, lyudyam, ved` mi toje menyaemsya so vremenem :))) Patkeracnum es ete mer Yerevan@ erbek chpopoxver, mnar ayn hin Yerevan@, shenker chkarucvein, amen inch qand@rtvac liner, menk hima vonc kapreink tenc Yerevanum? Nuynn el mer erexaneri hamar, ete hima Yerevan@ chmodernacvi, vonc en irank aprelu aystex hamematelov urish zargacac qaxaqneri het??? :)))

Irina D. said...

Hegh I don't say I'm against changes in cities or against construction or anything. Yes of course it's good and has to take place and it's natural BUT it shouldn't be done the way it is done. The way they did it is only for the sake of money. The majority is built in the city center, not in the suburbs or other parts. For example they could have a district somewhere with this new modern buildings and that would be fine. But they build 1-2 modern buildings between the old ones. The styles don't match don't you see?

And I'm not speaking about building new and BEAUTIFUL buildings.. those who plan the city are untalented, those who are talented are the handful of people who are terrified and whose voice is not taken into consideration.

Mary D. Haroutyounyan said...

I fully agree with Irene. The changes that now happen in Yerevan are just terrifying. Here, in Armenia the social class of uneducated people stands higher than all the others: so we are now the witnesses of it's results.
A very good example is the Northern Avenue: the design is too much limited and very rude. A better example will be Gagik Carukyan's (aka Dodi Gago, aka "Armenia's king" as many people call him so) house, or let's say castle. It's a pity parody of some European mid ages architecture mixture.
I feel sorry for all that people who now govern now, they're too small and weak to understand taste, to govern without the help of crime.

P.S. besides, in fact the villagers class as a social construction is much more stable thing, than the citizen's class.