VIENNA – CAPITAL OF THE IMPERIAL MAGNIFICENCE

A really imperial capital, this was the first idea that occurred to me, when I “was rambling” through the streets of Vienna. On July 16-17 by the invitation of “Austrian Airlines” we, a group of Armenian journalists, were in the capital of Austria to learn more about the Air Company and Vienna.
As opposed to other European capitals, Stockholm, Warsaw, Prague, Copenhagen, not to mention Bern, Dubrovnik and Valetta, Vienna “bursted upon my eye” with its imperialistic , somewhat specifically reverential monumentalism. The magnificent and broad buildings are not rare to grab special attention, but quite the opposite, those dominate in Vienna and for that reason in this city the small constructions may burst upon the eye, if you certainly run into them. In the center part of the city there are old buildings everywhere, the youngest of which is built at the end of 19th century. And all those buildings are preserved and renovated with the most care and constantly. Because Vienna is the Vienna exactly thanks to the old buildings. Everything is done here, as, by the way, in almost all the European capitals, to appreciate, I would say even cherish, their own culture. And the people born and living in that atmosphere have learned the lessons of their history. And even foreigners thousands of whom have resided in Vienna start becoming the bearers of that culture.

 
In the parts of the city, where the asphalt-concrete has not allowed for some reasons to plant trees, huge vases are installed, in which there are just the most ordinary maples.

 
From the beginning of July till the beginning of September an open festival of musical films takes place, during which musical films, i.e. operettas, concert videos, operas are shown every evening in the open-air, on the screen installed on the building of the Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) … And the open-air affiliates of the restaurants representing different national cuisine are located in the square in front of Rathaus, the heady smell of which will not leave either the Viennese, or the countless guests of the city indifferent. People approach the cuisine of the country they like – Mexican, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Austrian etc. – buy food and drinks, after tasting they sit on the benches in front of the screen and enjoy the beautiful concert by the light of the stars…
It is quite romantic.

 
One may lie down too… In Downtown Vienna there are lots of places where instead of benches “stove benches” like this are installed, in which people lie freely and relaxed, read, look at the sky, dream and listen to music…

 
The history and the present walk side by side in whole Vienna, in this case literally the coach and the bus.

 
The trams, of which they have got rid so cruelly in Yerevan, are the integral part of the European cities. This red tram reminded me of my childhood, when I used to take tram no. 5 every morning to get to school.  

 
The past and the present intersect here too, represented by the 18-19th-century buildings and 21st-century statues.

 
Pride and symbol of the city “Stefansdom”, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, is being renovated. However the cathedral was not closed for the visitors and was not covered with blue cellophane or fence. The part being renovated was covered with waterproof material, on which the very part of the church being renovated was illustrated. Thus, a visitor can learn about the cathedral at least in this way.

 
Last Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne, 98-year-old Otto von Habsburg, the son of the last Austro-Hungarian emperor, died on July 5. His funeral was on July 17 in Vienna. The funeral was so splendid that even some stations of the Vienna metro were closed, since the stream of people to the funeral procession was too big. The tourists were taking pictures, having fun, laughing and the Austrians themselves were silently bowing and rebuking the laughing tourists with angry faces.