Yerevan is not a hotel but a beloved city for Armenians, with a history of its own

PanARMENIAN.Net - Though nearly two months have passed since the government of Armenia made a hasty decision to remove the hall from the list of architectural monuments protected by the state and gave consent to the proposal of the Moscow Cinema LLC on alienation of the territory in favor of the Armenian Apostolic Church, granting the ownership right to build a new church similar to that of Poghos-Petros which was destroyed during the Soviet era, the wave of public discontent and indignation does not calm down.

This does not at all mean that Armenians living abroad get God-fearing and those living in Armenia become atheists. Fearing to create another source of nostalgia, people just try to prevent destruction of the stirring city atmosphere, where the cinema hall is a part.

There was an attempt to corroborate the idea to destruct the hall by the ‘need to restore historical justice’ through reconstruction of Surb Poghos-Petros Church. Nevertheless, specialists insist that the territory of Moscow cinema’s open-air hall is not big enough for building a church.

A hot debate continues on the historical and architectural value of Surb Poghos-Petros Church and the open-air hall. Some deny the value of the cinema hall; the others see no sense in rebuilding the church.

While the government and clergy keep silent, Armenian intellectuals express discontent and assess the situation. People’s artist Sos Sargsyan says: “You cannot build by destroying.” Yervand Manaryan emphasizes: “It is charlatanism.” Ruben Hakhverdyan asserts: “It is a barbarity.” Armen Mazmanyan objects: “Those slamming destruction of the cinema hall as barbaric kept silent when old Yerevan’s two-storeyed buildings were being destroyed by the order of oligarchs. And now it’s quite easy to oppose the church.”

Announcing the decision to restore the faith of the Armenian society, the Armenian Apostolic Church did mention that “the benefactor expressed wish to build a church in the very place.” So, we should not accuse the AAC but find out what “benefactor” was “blessed” for a remission at the expense of Yerevan and Yerevan residents.

Yerevan is not a hotel but a beloved city for Armenians, with the a history of its own.