Today when we were about to start our lesson suddenly one of the girls yelled out “ Vay!! Where is Kukuruznik?” We all hurried to look through the window. Being busy with our everyday life and studies, before that we never paid attention that something was wrong with the view from our classroom window. A wave of “vays” followed then. Last year we were witnesses of how the building was being taken down day by day, though it wouldn’t come to our minds that it would be taken away totally. Later on we learnt that it’s more than a month that it doesn’t exist. People say it was about to collapse if they didn’t dismantle the building. Being built at 1977-78 it really had many problems.
Does anyone know what will be there in it’s place?
I hope they will not construct one of those modernized buildings that do not fit the appearance of the city. Although Kukuruznik stood aside from other buildings .It was the stunning building of the time when it was newly constructed. Later people called it “krtsats kukuruz” ( bitten corn), and considered it as an inseparable part of Yerevan. Please, people who are leading this construction, let it be only a reconstruction. You can put the bitten part back to its place if there are to be changes, but don’t touch its architectural appearance. You will not amaze anyone with your new, shining and too much stunning building. On the contrary, people will always denounce and condemn you for that. No matter how wonderful your building-to be will be, people will always reiterate that kukuruznik was better. But right, I know what your answer will be: “ Who cares? The deed is done, and all”.
On the other hand, the capital, which once used to be called pink Yerevan (vardaguyn), is not pink any more. The rose-coloured buildings, which represented the face of Yerevan, are not rose any more. They are dark now because of the dust and dirt. And polishing of the stone is expensive and will set the people back. So why to care to put themselves to the least trouble with clearing it? I regret a great deal for this situation.
Anyway, I wouldn’t like to say this , but Yerevan looses its face day by day……….
Life around me 
February 22, 2006 at 8:26 pm |
Hi Zara, there’s going to be a hotel built there. Ironically, when the Palace of Youth was privatized the new owners said they wouldn’t destroy the building. Of course, they lied and the government couldn’t give a damn…
February 22, 2006 at 8:57 pm |
[…] Meanwhile, Life Around Me’s Zarchka laments the loss of one of Yerevan’s most famous landmarks, the Palace of Youth. The dismantling of this building is really a crime, but one typical of what’s going on in Yerevan at present. This is particularly the case given that when the building was privatized, the new owners promised not to destroy the landmark. Now, they’re going to build another luxury hotel in its place at a time when Yerevan sorely needs cheaper accomodation for budget travellers and backpackers. “The average length of a tourist visit to Armenia is five to six days and a typical tourist spends between $800 and $1,000, including the cost of air tickets, during that time,” Petrosian told reporters. […]
February 23, 2006 at 10:34 am |
This is what happens when the government privitizes all the famous and historic buildings it owns. Many ministry buildings have seen the same fate as well as various structures on well-travelled streets like Abovyan. I only hope that the Karen Demirchian concert hall does not meet the same fate. It is considered to be an architectural wonder internationally, and any external modifications to it would truly be architectural vandalism. The interior is also stunning in my opinion–from what I have heard though it will be remodeled, perhaps gutted then renovated.
February 23, 2006 at 6:16 pm |
Wow. 😦 I’m so sad about this. Really. When I visited Armenia I wanted to go in there. My mom tells me there used to be an ice cream place at the top, and the whole place (the thing at the top) would revolve slowly as you sat there. I’ve been there as a kid (1.5 years old) but I don’t remember anything. Anyway, there was “construction” going on when I was there and I couldn’t go in. This is a shame, really. 😦
February 26, 2006 at 9:43 pm |
Listen, if there will be no Kukuruznik-like(new construction but preserving architectural solutions of classic Kukuruznik) building I think few years later we will have “Hanrapetutyan Hraparak” flattened to the ground. We must preserve our past to be valuable to the future.
OR WE HAVE NO FUTURE
LETING FOREIGN INVESTMENT
DOESN’T MEAN LETTING OUR DISTRCUTION
Am I wrong Zarchka?
February 27, 2006 at 7:05 pm |
Arsen
Right..that’s what I meant..
March 9, 2006 at 7:17 am |
I am probably a bit late with my response, but I will comment anyway. While I would definitely agree that old dismantled buildings on Abovyan held a historic and cultural value (and hey I was running around helping collecting signatures for petiton to Kocharyan), I would not make a big deal about the destruction of The Palace of Youth (provided the agreement has not been violated). Of course it was famous for it was different, but then again, I never liked the way it looked.
March 21, 2006 at 12:50 am |
Hi great blog. thanks
April 3, 2006 at 12:27 am |
hi dear armenians
I have been ther inside the building and, i can tell you it wasnt,t so buitifuly as it should be. The building was almost coming down and you could see the watermarks evry where and, i,m actualy happy whit this because this was another proof of ugly sowjet architecture.
I hope they will build a butifuly new building thate the city disurves and not another proof of the ugl so cold westeren architecture as the northeren avenue
April 3, 2006 at 3:00 pm |
Armenchik, don’t hope for some real Armenian architectural building. I don’t doubt that it’ll be the same as in Northern avenue, tasteless European buildings…
April 12, 2006 at 9:20 pm |
There are a couple of buildings that look like ‘krtsats kukuruz’ but much taller and much larger.
And just like krtsats kukuruz, they are ugly, too.
May 24, 2006 at 11:17 am |
[…] Unfortunately, nobody cares because nobody thinks either about the future or the past. All they care about is making a sometimes illegal fast buck today regardless of whether it means that Yerevan no longer has any public parks in the center, or whether urban “redevelopment” is anarchic, mistaken and improperly implemented. The Diaspora holds it up as positive change, while Yerevanians lament the loss of what was once a charming city. They lost the Palace of Youth despite assurances that it would not be dismantled, and now there are concerns about the Karen Demirchyan (formerly Hamalir) Sports & Concert Complex. […]
July 13, 2007 at 9:00 pm |
I can only pray God that the current anti-popular, narrow-minded, semi-literate, self-centered, and inherently geghaci Karabakhi clan rulers and their brown-nosers in the Armenian government be demolished the way they have demolished one of the most beautiful and dear to every Yerevantsi landmarks, the Youth Palace. Have faith that they will receive punishment for all the crimes they have committed against our impoverished people. The Day will Come. . .