Members of the Civil Society Initiative organized a march from the Afrikyans’ house to the Covered Marketplace calling for preserving the buildings in Yerevan of historical and cultural importance. The Afrikyans’ heir Armen Afrikyan also participated in the march. He is afraid that the stones will be damaged in case of dismantlement and they will not manage to restore the construction in its original shape. Arakel Afrikyan’s heir also has doubts that they don’t intend to restore the construction after destroying it, “Because no building that was destroyed has been restored so far.” Sedrak Baghdasaryan, the head of the Victims of State Needs NGO, reminded about the laws and the decisions of the Cabinet, “Historical and cultural monuments cannot be dismantled, period, it is provided for by the law. Besides, there is another decision of the Cabinet that reads – a standing building can be dismantled only if it is under threat of collapse.”
Architect Sarhat Petrosyan raised the issue of illegally destroying the rear part of the AOX building, “There are manifold unlawful deeds and those who destroyed should be held accountable.”
The march ended outside the Covered Marketplace. The protesters left chanting “It will not be destroyed.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
