No, We Don’t Really Love Yerevan: Narine Mkrtchyan’s Sobering Post

The president of the National Press Club, Narine Mkrtchyan's post: “Today marks the 2804th anniversary of Armenia's capital, Yerevan. As is customary on every anniversary, social media will be flooded with love declarations for Yerevan, photos, and congratulations.

And at the same time, alongside Yerevan's celebration, pedestrians on the city streets will throw cigarette boxes, butts, candy wrappers, and the trash they carry onto the ground. In the days following, new illegal constructions will arise in various parts of the capital, in gross violation of urban planning standards; we will see areas of Yerevan will be paved over, yet another one of the few trees will be cut down, and public transport drivers will blare provincial pop music.

The vicinity of metro stations will remain overwhelmed by the abundance of various kiosks, sidewalks will be overrun by auto service points, and dust will suffocate the city.

At the moment when social media is flooded with congratulations for Yerevan's holiday, the capital will continue to remain the dirtiest city in the country, the loudest city, filled with the blaring horns of cars and the deafening noises from late-night restaurants—a metropolis.

No, we don't really love Yerevan—the city that has artificially grown due to the migration of people from emptying villages and towns, resembling the chaotic colors of an eastern market and the intolerable likeness of western metropolises. Yerevan lacks respect, tenderness, and love.

Love is a binding feeling, but we love Yerevan without any obligation; we love it on social media while hating our city in real life. We ruthlessly destroy our city, have ruined its historical visage, paved over its past and present, robbing Yerevan of being a source of pride for our future.

Today is Yerevan's holiday, a city that is no longer a bearer of urban culture. I love Yerevan with a conscious love. And that love compels me to urge you to cherish and love Yerevan, which has not turned into our 2804-year-old Erebuni. Yerevan is not just for one generation.”