It Seems More Like a Ministry of Culture Than the Yerevan City Hall: Izabella Abgaryan

The decision by the Yerevan City Hall to allocate $180,000 from the budget for new recordings of 15 old and beloved songs dedicated to the capital's celebration and for a new song indicates serious risks, according to Yerevan municipal council member Izabella Abgaryan.

"Considering Yerevan's primary issues, such a move speaks of serious risks. I believe that if a study is conducted, it is not excluded that personal interests may be uncovered," Abgaryan said in a conversation with NEWS.am.

“It has been a year since Tigran Avinyan became mayor, and if we look at the activities of the city hall, it seems more like a ministry of culture than the Yerevan city hall, which should engage in the uninterrupted operation of infrastructure necessary for citizens. Instead, we see numerous concerts, ballet performances, and funding for foreign groups,” the city council member stated.

According to her, it is easier to list the areas where problems have been somewhat resolved than those where serious issues exist. “Since 2018, a waste sorting program has started in Yerevan, yet we are still stuck in the same place. We have important steps to take for Yerevan—issues of yard irrigation, care, and we face serious sanitation problems, as shamefully in prehistoric times, women are still cleaning the streets with brooms. Should we put all this aside and engage in such matters? When I raised such questions, I was told that billions are needed to solve these problems, while here there is $180,000. The issue is that there is no awareness that a billion consists of thousands,” Abgaryan explained.