Syrian-Armenians about their small business
The “Aleppo” market has been opened in the subway of “Hanrapetutun” metro station near Metropolitan for more than a year. Here, the Syrian-Armenians have set up their business according to their skills. Still one year ago, the Syrian-Armenians working in this market had expressed some complaints about the government, demanding a signboard for the existence of the market and asking for tax advantages.
The correspondent of “Aravot” visited the “Aleppo market” to understand the situation of Syrian-Armenians businesses in one year and whether they are satisfied with their work. In an interview with us, all Syrian-Armenians working in the “Aleppo market” almost did not express discontent, they are pleased for having a job and are in the homeland, but still they are asking for tax advantages. They say that they would be happy for having a franchise at least for a short time so that they will stand firmly on their business and would again pay taxes equally like others. Araz and Hovik arrived from Aleppo to Yerevan have opened a food service counter a month ago in the “Aleppo market”. Araz says that there are not so many customers but nothing mind, they are just opened and everything will be fine. The husbands named their business after the name of their son, Hrach. They say that it will bring luck. Araz says that they have no intention of moving to another country but if there is peace in Syria they may go back to Syria.
Araz tells that the bomb in Aleppo fell into their store, destroying everything in one second that was created for years. When talking about returning, Araz’s eyes became wet. He recalled, “The bomb exploded in front of our house, Hrach saw, we were scared and for the safety of Hrach, we came to Armenia.” Talking about the business, she says that they had some money, which they bring with them and set up their business with this amount, “Why should I complain if you complain you will live all your life like that.” In the same market, Shavyan sisters are selling textile of Armenian production behind a small counter. One of the sisters says proudly, “It is written, made in Armenia.”
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To our question of why do you sell only Armenian product, they answered, “Should we sell Turkish products? Turks have massacred us, Armenian products are also very good. In Syria, the sisters had a big store, which was bombed and ruined. One of the sisters, Lena, sells her handicrafts next to the Armenians products. The pieces with Armenian ornaments are very accessible. They say that there are many people buying goods from this market, the locals want to be helpful to the Syrian-Armenians. You can feel the Western fragrance in Syrian-Armenian Petros’s store, you can find both spices and oils in this kiosk. The shop-girl says that now the trade has been slowed down and it is throughout Armenia. Syrian-Armenian Vahram, as one of the customers say, makes the tastiest Shaurma and lahmajo. People from the suburbs of the city come to “Aleppo market” to have a snack at Vahram’s.
Vahram says that he barely manages his business: tax payments, rental, house rent, utility payments, no money is left in the end. Vahram says that he could not bring anything with him from Aleppo, he started the business in Yerevan from scratch, the Red Cross has assisted him in obtaining equipment for making the food store operating. He says, if things go like this, I will think of going to another country, perhaps to Syria again. Despite the Syrian-Armenians working in this market encounter many challenges in Armenia, however, all as one say, “This is our homeland, we cannot be safe like this elsewhere.”
Nelly BABAYAN
