‘The city has not suffered damage as such’: Avinyan on openings made in historical buildings

The Deputy Mayor of Yerevan and other officials from the city administration held a press conference regarding the New Year festive decorations. During the press conference, Deputy Mayor Tigran Avinyan addressed the planned New Year events in the capital, informing that comprehensive activities would commence in a few days. ‘These activities will cover all administrative districts of the capital, and the concert portion will be centralized in Republic Square and the park dedicated to the 2750th anniversary,’ he stated.

He spoke about the festive lighting, emphasizing that this year it will be exceptional. ‘Everyone will be impressed with the work that has been done, as our goal was to bring the festive atmosphere to everyone across all administrative districts. During these days, the city will be particularly hospitable, considering the guests arriving for the Junior Eurovision,’ Tigran Avinyan added.

Avinyan noted that the festive lighting in the city would coincide with the opening ceremony of the Eurovision. In this context, the Deputy Mayor also addressed concerns raised regarding the lighting works. ‘These works have been carried out by specialists, and the concerns of citizens regarding the buildings will undoubtedly be alleviated, as our primary demand directed at the working groups has been minimal intervention and the subsequent harmless restoration of the buildings to their original state. Moreover, there have been numerous speculations on this topic, and various openings and metal rods have been left on these buildings since very old times, and the work to address their removal will also be a point of our focus in the spring. In general, we have a significant program related to historical and cultural monuments prepared for the spring,’ he explained.

Tigran Avinyan also emphasized: ‘The city has not suffered damage as such. The images that have circulated online have almost no relation to reality. The large holes, metal rods, the ‘bolt’ within the ornamental pattern have nothing to do with our work. These buildings have suffered significant damage in the past, and we have also documented this during the current period; we are planning to address these issues in the spring.’