Yerevan: 2747 Years Old

by John Hughes At the top of the roundabout where Nalbandian Street completes Sahkharov Square in Yerevan, as recently as five years ago the neediest of the city met to receive welfare flour through a dusty warehouse door on the side of the State Fund of Social Insurance. Lines formed, names were called, vouchers were collected. And if there was embarrassment in taking a handout, shame was suppressed by necessity.

by Vahan Ishkhanyan In 1998, there were 197 cafés in the city center (Kendron district) of Yerevan. Today, there are 427, and the number is increasing. Considering the center's population of about 130,000, that means there is one café per 304 residents. Comparisons must rely on approximation rather than hard data. But a casual stroll in Yerevan any night between May and October would offer evidence that this may be the per-capita café capital of this continent. (They are not "cafés", officially, but "objects of public catering", a hold over category from Soviet times.)

by Julia Hakobyan The traumatic beginning of the 1990s and the quick transition from Socialism to a free market shook Armenia's economic foundation with a mighty jolt. Waves of unease and uncertainty are still felt as this decade has reached its midpoint.

by Julia Hakobyan In 1989, when the grip of communism had just about lost its hold, a 28-year-old Armenian engineer/ economist decided to start his own business in Yerevan. He established contacts with Russian manufacturers and started importing wood and construction material from Russia. Then, with his brother, he opened a store in the center of Yerevan, selling clothes and electronics out of a basement.

by Vahan Ishkhanyan Authority by connection is a peculiarity of life in the capital, as real as reckless traffic and ineffective water delivery. And, if "democratic" elections are still in infancy, clan-rule is a millenniums-old dogma of life in all the Caucasus (described by one regional human-rights service as "mountain democracy"). The matter of clan rule is accepted and respected in the 11 districts that make up Yerevan. In fact, the unofficial system of authority reaches all parts of Armenia.

by Suren Musayelyan Editor's note: While attention is reasonably focused on the out-pouring of Armenians leaving the republic, it is worth notice, also, that a slight but sure trickle is coming from the other direction. More and more Diasporans are uprooting from distant homes and moving to Armenia. We talked to some who say they have no regrets for making Yerevan their new home. Four years ago Artbridge bookstore/cafÈ opened on Abovian Street in Yerevan and became an immediate magnet for Diaspora tourists, ex-pats and, eventually, a favored hangout for young adult locals.