How Much Was Spent on New Year Celebrations in the Capital

The press secretary of the Yerevan mayor, Hayk Kostanyan, announced on his Facebook page how much money was spent on New Year celebrations in the capital.

“Given the public interest, I would like to present summarized information regarding the various components related to the New Year festivities in the capital:

1. 2750th Anniversary Park and the Organization of the Christmas Fair at the Stepan Shahumyan Memorial
   The community has acquired a total of 40 high-quality booths for long-term use, in addition to restoring several booths from the previous year, which were provided free of charge to our compatriots displaced from Artsakh. Two enclosed and one open platform have been installed with holiday decorations to enjoy food and drinks purchased from the fair while having a pleasant time. All of these have also been acquired for future use. A number of thematic decorations from the previous year have been restored, and a decorative arch signaling the entrance to the Christmas fair has been installed at the park's entrance. To highlight the festive spirit, the park's trees have been adorned with holiday lights. Two types of children's carousels are operating for free in the fair area. The contract organization will also ensure sanitation, security, and public order in these areas. It is also worth noting that in order to provide our citizens with higher quality services, the Yerevan Municipality has set certain requirements for entrepreneurs to follow. Therefore, the engagement of entrepreneurs, familiarizing them with the aforementioned regulations, ensuring their compliance, and addressing organizational issues related to the Christmas fair has been delegated to the contracting organization. No separate payment has been made from the community budget for these works, based on the understanding that the contracting organization will receive payment for the rental of the booths, which has a cap set for it. The total contractual value of the aforementioned items is approximately 226.5 million AMD.
2. ILLUMINATION CEREMONY
   On December 19, the lights of the main New Year tree of the Republic were ceremoniously lit. As you know, this year marks the 120th anniversary of the renowned composer Aram Khachaturian, and in that context, Republic Square was completely filled with the spirit of Khachaturian and shades of classical music. The lighting of the lights took place under the sounds of Khachaturian's “Masquerade” with the performances of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra. The event featured performances by the students of the “Friendship” ensemble and children from the “Swag Art School.” Live performances were also made by Aram MP3 and Srbuk. The lighting of the tree was accompanied by a magnificent fireworks display. The total contractual value of the aforementioned items is 89 million AMD.
3. DESIGN OF THE REPUBLIC SQUARE FOUNTAINS
   The design concept for the fountains in Republic Square is once again rooted in classicism and Khachaturian. We attempted to hint at this with various elements and achieve an overall picture, including giant crystal chandeliers using a total of 440,000 crystals, pianos, and branching notes from excerpts of various Khachaturian works. The acquired decorations will also be used in future years. The total contractual value of these items is 79 million AMD.
4. 2750TH ANNIVERSARY PARK CONCERT PROGRAMS
   Concert programs, as an inseparable part of the New Year fair, have already become a tradition. This year too, at the 2750th Anniversary Park in Yerevan, performers such as Srbuk, Jazz for the Kids, Kami Friends Project, and Lav Eli Band will take the stage,” he wrote, adding: “The total contractual value of the aforementioned events is approximately 25 million AMD.

Thus, the total amount spent on the aforementioned New Year events in the capital is 419.5 million AMD, including taxes of 58,770,000 AMD,” Kostanyan concluded.