[hytga]

Farewell to Kukuruznik…

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.

http://lifearoundme....uruznik…/

they already brought it down? i didn't know about this.

[Lev7]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

hehe, yeah that building was old and dangerous. I remember going swimming there, they had a nice pool

[Anileve]

Frankly I quietly cried when I read that blog. I feel so sad witnessing the slow disintegration of the authentic beauty of my old Yerevan. How I want my country to improve and prosper... That's why I stay far away from nationalism, it arouses so many passionate emotions and yet leaves you powerless and crestfallen. I really hope that at least certain "ancient" landmarks will be preserved. That's what happens when people try to model the city after western metropolises. Destroying all that's old and spiritual for all that's new and artificial.

[Lev7]

Frankly I quietly cried when I read that blog. I feel so sad witnessing the slow disintegration of the authentic beauty of my old Yerevan. How I want my country to improve and prosper... That's why I stay far away from nationalism, it arouses so many passionate emotions and yet leaves you powerless and crestfallen. I really hope that at least certain "ancient" landmarks will be preserved. That's what happens when people try to model the city after western metropolises. Destroying all that's old and spiritual for all that's new and artificial.

Kukuruznik is not that old, it was built during the Soviet era and almost every ex-Soviet republic has one of those and quite honestly it is very ugly

[MosJan]

From "Corncob" to Luxury: InterContinental hotel coming to Yerevan
By John Hughes
ArmeniaNow reporter
A world-known hotel chain announced today its intentions to add Armenia to its family of luxury properties.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) plans to open a 225-room hotel on the site previously held by the "Corncob" youth palace (so called for its distinct shape). The hotel is planned to open in 2010, and would be only the third internationally-recognized name in Armenia, following Marriott, which took over management of the Hotel Armenia six years ago and added its name to the property in 2004, and Golden Tulip, management of the Yerevan and Congress hotels.

IHG was chosen by local investor Avangard Motors as their hotel operator, after reviewing proposals from a number of international brands. The project is expected to cost at least $50-70 million. The hotel itself will provide more than 225 jobs and the three-year construction phase is expected to employ nearly 500.

Edvard Avetisyan, chairman of Avangard Motors said the InterContinental Yerevan “will place Yerevan at the forefront of Armenia’s hospitality industry for the 21st century. The confidence that this internationally recognised industry leader has placed in Armenia, is a testimony not only to the Diaspora investment confidence, but also to the confidence of the international business community at large.”

IHG is the world's largest hotel group, by number of rooms, with some 3,650 properties representing 540,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. In addition to its flagship brand, InterContinental, IHG’s portfolio includes such names as Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn.

Jennifer Fox, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Brands Europe, said while Armenia is a new country for IHG, it is “within a region in which IHG is rapidly expanding and developing.”

IHG’s first hotel in Russia, Holiday Inn Moscow-Vinogradovo, opened in 1998, followed by the opening of Holiday Inn Moscow Lesnaya in 2005 and Holiday Inn Moscow-Suschevsky in March of this year and Holiday Inn Sokolniki, in recent weeks.

[Arpa]

http://lifearoundme....02/...uruznik…/
they already brought it down? i didn't know about this.

MosJan, you beat me to it.
I will remove the article and leave the references.
Pretty soon there will be more hotels in Yerevan than sunflower vendors.
http://search.hp.net...menianow.com%2F
From "Corncob" to Luxury: InterContinental hotel coming to Yerevan By John Hughes
ArmeniaNow reporter
A world-known hotel chain announced today its intentions to add Armenia to its family of luxury properties.
InterContinental Hotels
====i
n 2005 and Holiday Inn Moscow-Suschevsky in March of this year and Holiday Inn Sokolniki, in recent weeks.
http://lifearoundme....to-kukuruznik…/

This post has been edited by Arpa: 10 November 2006 - 12:15 PM