MosJan Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 WIDOW OF KAREN DEMIRCHYAN AGAINST PRIVATIZATION OF K.DEMIRCHYAN SPORTS AND CONCERT COMPLEX http://arminfo.info/images/foto_demirc_mat.jpg YEREVAN, AUGUST 17. ARMINFO. Widow of Karen Demirchyan Rima Demirchyan is against privatization of K.Demirchyan SCC. Talking to ARMINFO, she stated that SCC is a facility symbolizing revival of Armenia's spirit as counterbalance to the Memorial for the Victims of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. Besides, Rima Demirchyan stated that construction of the complex cost 40 mln Soviet rubles to the country, which is equal to $40 mln, so its privatization for $6 mln is illegal. Meanwhile, the promised $9 mln investment will be made at the expense of SCC's incomes. She also stated that the Armenian Government will made a decision on privatization on August 18. In his turn, Prime Minister assured Rima Demirchyan that the complex will not be renamed even after privatization. However, she doubts in it. It should be noted that a Russian construction concern BAMO expressed intention to buy SCC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted August 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Armenia’s Largest Concert Arena Privatized Amid Protests http://www.armenialiberty.org/images/photo/hamalir1.jpg By Karine Kalantarian The government approved on Thursday the controversial sale of Armenia’s largest concert and sports arena to an Armenian-born Russian businessman who has pledged to repair and modernize it. Murad Muradian, the owner of the Moscow-based construction group BAMO, will pay 2.57 billion drams ($5.4 million) to become the owner of the Karen Demirchian Sport and Cultural Complex, one of Yerevan’s largest and most imposing buildings. Muradian offered to buy the facility in a letter to President Robert Kocharian earlier this year. Kocharian’s opinion appears to have been instrumental in the Armenian cabinet’s decision to formally accept the offer without holding an international bidding for the complex. The decision was made at a weekly cabinet session chaired by the president. As the ministers met behind the closed doors about 20 opposition supporters picketed the government building in Yerevan, condemning the anticipated deal. “The complex named after Karen Demirchian must never become anybody’s property. It’s a national value and property of the entire people,” said Stepan Minasian, the organizer of the protest. Minasian is a senior member of the opposition People’s Party of Armenia (HZhK), which was founded by Karen Demirchian, the country’s longtime Soviet-era leader assassinated in the 1999 terrorist attack on the Armenian parliament. The Sport and Cultural Complex, which has two large concert halls, was built at Demirchian’s initiative in 1983 and became one of the modest modern Soviet facilities of its kind. It has since mainly hosted concerts by Armenian and foreign singers. Murad said he is bewildered by the protests against the privatization of the sprawling complex. “I wonder why they are against,” he told RFE/RL. “The complex will continue to serve as a venue for sporting, cultural and entertainment events.” According to Muradian, the arena is in urgent need of capital repairs and his construction firm, one of the largest in Moscow, will spend about $10 million to get it into shape. “The state has no means to repair it,” he argued. The businessman also said that he will cancel the deal if the protesters manage to collect 200,000 signatures of Armenian citizens. HZhK representatives said they are already collecting such signatures. (Photolur photo) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud EXPAT Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 The businessman also said that he will cancel the deal if the protesters manage to collect 200,000 signatures of Armenian citizens. HZhK representatives said they are already collecting such signatures. style_images/master/snapback.png The fact that he proposed canceling the deal says a lot. I'm sure his intentions are completely good, and I can't wait to see that place repaired. It needs MAJOR help right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 It is just natural that these protests take place. But they seem to be of a very small scalle. I am not quite sure whether this shows apathy or support for privatization. I am inclined to believe in the first alternative. In any case I think it is excellent that there is someone willing to rebuild it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 SPORTS AND CONCERT COMPLEX AFTER DEMIRCHIAN SOLD 09.09.2005 08:05 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian met today with BAMO company President Murad Muradian, who became the owner of Sports and Concert Complex after Karen Demirchian according to the agreement signed with the department of state property of the RA, President's press office reported. During the meeting the new owner assured that he will fulfill all the obligations set by the agreement and promised to launch new investment programs for the SCC. <!> Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted September 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 BAMO VOWS TO INVEST $10 MILLION TO RESHAPE ARMENIA'S LARGEST SPORT AND CONCERT COMPLEX YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS: Murad Muradian, the owner of the Moscow-based construction group BAMO, said he will pay $5.7 million to the government in return for ownership of Karen Demirchian Sport and Cultural Complex, the largest sport and concert hall in Armenia. The Armenian government gave a green light to the deal late last month. Speaking to a news conference today Murad Muradian said under the deal he will invest around $10 million in the structure to upgrade and reshape it. He also said another term of the agreement requires that the name of the complex be not altered. He said a commission of experts will be formed within next three months to decide what should be changed or repaired in the building that was built 25 years ago. Approximately $200 will be invested in every square meter of the building, he said, adding that he expects the returns in 8-10 years. The announcement of the deal sparked protests among a segment of Armenians who argue that the complex named after Karen Demirchian must never become anybody's property because it is a national value and property of the entire people. The Sport and Cultural Complex was built at Demirchian's initiative in 1983. Murad Muradian was received today by president Robert Kocharian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 (edited) It is just natural that these protests take place. But they seem to be of a very small scalle. I am not quite sure whether this shows apathy or support for privatization. I am inclined to believe in the first alternative. In any case I think it is excellent that there is someone willing to rebuild it. style_images/master/snapback.png Forgive me for pouring cold water on this hot topic. You can shoot me if you want. May be this thread is not the proper place to bring up this aspect of the debate. I don’t want to get involved in the politics and the economics of the matter as I know very little about them. As Boghos wisely puts it, we should be glad that someone is willing to salvage a national landmark, however privatization may not always prove to be good as national institutions will be measured by their profitability and loss, whereas such institutions if run by the state may be maintained where they are profitable or not. Just imagine that the matenadaran and the national opera were to run based on profit and loss. This is not unique to Armenia, even in America many cultural institutions are run with huge deficits and can only survive with state intervention and grants. What if those private owners find out that electricity costs too much and decide to turn half the lights off, or remove the comfort stations! Also consider the prospect of our churches being run by private corporations. How long do you think they would last based on profit and loss? You know what? May be they should also privatize the Parliament and the presidency, and buy chalets on the Riviera, mansions in Beverly Hills or dachas on the Black Sea with the proceeds! Here is the part that you may want to shoot me for. Why is an Armenian national institution and landmark would be given a Turkish name? Would the Turks name their national opera house Tigranian named after Tigran Chukhajian (another Turkish surname), or would they name their sports complexes “Armenoglu”? I have great admiration for Karen Demirjian, and I still mourn his untimely loss. Yet why does he have a Turkish surname? Was he born in Turkey? Why are we so content with ourselves that we have Armenian surnames? Does the mere addition of an -ian or a -yan to Turkish words make a surname Armenian? Would a surname like Mehmetoglu-ian be Armenian? Why almost 50% Yerevanites have Turkish surnames? When was the last any of us was either born in Turkey or lived there? Here we are talking about the Genocide and lamenting of our ottomanization, (an aside to Ara Baliozoglu who laments our ottomanization a million times a day yet does not have the courage or the ethnic honor to deottomanize his surname). Imagine that one of the most visible and prominent landmarks of Yerevan will have a name like Demirji-ghlu-ian. Why are we stopping there? We might as well renamen Ejmiatsin either Kazanji-oghlu, or even Balji-oghlu, the latter much loved and respected of Blessed Memory, Catholicos Vazken I and the former the previous Ptraiarch of Istanbul. Rename the Opera House Chukhaji, the Matendaran Demirjibash-oglu-ian, Sirmakeshkhanian, Chobanian or Tekeyan. (All the foregoing are real names of our intellectuals and writers.) I can go on ad nauseam, but I cringe at the thought that some day the son of Karen Demirji-oghlu, Stepan Demirji-oghlu may run and be elected president of Armenia. Of course, when that happens we can rejoice in the thought that some day someone named Armen Yerevanian may be elected as prime minister of Turkey. If we had half the pride the Turks have in their identity we would be deserving respect and admiration too. A Turk will not be caught dead with surnames like Cholakh-oglu, Topal-oglu, Koer-oglu, Chirkin-oglu, Eshekji-oglu ot Katirji-oglu, yet we idiots take pride in having more Turkish surnames than the Turks themselves. Do we need to legislate national pride, the removal of ugly and degrading Turkish surnames? Do we need an Armenian Ataturk to dangle a few of us at the Hraparak for having such horrendous surnames, as it seems we would not do it at our free will? We have been lucky so far that the Turks have not picked up on this subject that more than 50% of Armenians, having left their (Turkish) “motherland” still have Turkish surnames. They will sooner or later come to that aspect of our confused identity too. SPEAKING OF OTTOMANIZATION!!! If we had brains and ethnic pride we could be dangerous. Edited September 12, 2005 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takoush Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Forgive me for pouring cold water on this hot topic. You can shoot me if you want. May be this thread is not the proper place to bring up this aspect of the debate. I don’t want to get involved in the politics and the economics of the matter as I know very little about them. As Boghos wisely puts it, we should be glad that someone is willing to salvage a national landmark, however privatization may not always prove to be good as national institutions will be measured by their profitability and loss, whereas such institutions if run by the state may be maintained where they are profitable or not. Just imagine that the matenadaran and the national opera were to run based on profit and loss. This is not unique to Armenia, even in America many cultural institutions are run with huge deficits and can only survive with state intervention and grants. What if those private owners find out that electricity costs too much and decide to turn half the lights off, or remove the comfort stations! Also consider the prospect of our churches being run by private corporations. How long do you think they would last based on profit and loss? You know what? May be they should also privatize the Parliament and the presidency, and buy chalets on the Riviera, mansions in Beverly Hills or dachas on the Black Sea with the proceeds! Here is the part that you may want to shoot me for. Why is an Armenian national institution and landmark would be given a Turkish name? Would the Turks name their national opera house Tigranian named after Tigran Chukhajian (another Turkish surname), or would they name their sports complexes “Armenoglu”? I have great admiration for Karen Demirjian, and I still mourn his untimely loss. Yet why does he have a Turkish surname? Was he born in Turkey? Why are we so content with ourselves that we have Armenian surnames? Does the mere addition of an -ian or a -yan to Turkish words make a surname Armenian? Would a surname like Mehmetoglu-ian be Armenian? Why almost 50% Yerevanites have Turkish surnames? When was the last any of us was either born in Turkey or lived there? Here we are talking about the Genocide and lamenting of our ottomanization, (an aside to Ara Baliozoglu who laments our ottomanization a million times a day yet does not have the courage or the ethnic honor to deottomanize his surname). Imagine that one of the most visible and prominent landmarks of Yerevan will have a name like Demirji-ghlu-ian. Why are we stopping there? We might as well renamen Ejmiatsin either Kazanji-oghlu, or even Balji-oghlu, the latter much loved and respected of Blessed Memory, Catholicos Vazken I and the former the previous Ptraiarch of Istanbul. Rename the Opera House Chukhaji, the Matendaran Demirjibash-oglu-ian, Sirmakeshkhanian, Chobanian or Tekeyan. (All the foregoing are real names of our intellectuals and writers.) I can go on ad nauseam, but I cringe at the thought that some day the son of Karen Demirji-oghlu, Stepan Demirji-oghlu may run and be elected president of Armenia. Of course, when that happens we can rejoice in the thought that some day someone named Armen Yerevanian may be elected as prime minister of Turkey. If we had half the pride the Turks have in their identity we would be deserving respect and admiration too. A Turk will not be caught dead with surnames like Cholakh-oglu, Topal-oglu, Koer-oglu, Chirkin-oglu, Eshekji-oglu ot Katirji-oglu, yet we idiots take pride in having more Turkish surnames than the Turks themselves. Do we need to legislate national pride, the removal of ugly and degrading Turkish surnames? Do we need an Armenian Ataturk to dangle a few of us at the Hraparak for having such horrendous surnames, as it seems we would not do it at our free will? We have been lucky so far that the Turks have not picked up on this subject that more than 50% of Armenians, having left their (Turkish) “motherland” still have Turkish surnames. They will sooner or later come to that aspect of our confused identity too. SPEAKING OF OTTOMANIZATION!!! If we had brains and ethnic pride we could be dangerous. style_images/master/snapback.png Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasun Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 A while back there were similar protests against the privatization of Cognac factory. I don't think it is bad now that non-Armenians own it, it is still the same cognac and we can be proud of it the same way (not that I am proud of a cognac factory, I would rather have an Armenian major computer brand) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted September 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2005 Sasun jan that was one of 6 cognac factorys in ARmenia we stilll have 5 and some of the good staff is still in them - Vazgen & Vano have got most of the best coghnacs off that factory befor it was handet to / or sold to non-Armenian owners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted September 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2005 http://www.azg.am/IMAGE/200516202.jpg THE SKATING-RINK OF SPORT AND CONCERT COMPLEX FIRST TO BE RESTORED -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President of BAMO Promises Investments of $9-10 Million The new owner of Yerevan Sport and Concert Complex after Karen Demirtchian, president of Moscow-based construction group BAMO Murad Muradian met with journalists at the Armenpress media hall last week. He firstly represented the activities of the company in Russia, informing that BAMO is one of the most famous construction companies in Russia which employs 2500 people. Muradian said that the company has recently built 2 big sport complexes in Moscow region. The president of BAMO group applied to the President of Armenia offering $5 million to buy the Sport and Concert Complex. The final price of the deal was $5.7 million. Muradian said that he has set a commission of exports to study the Complex in three years' time and settle on the size of investments. He promised to inform about the process of reconstruction once in 3-6 months. He also said another term of the agreement requires that the name of the complex be not changed. One of the first goals is to reconstruct the skating-rink to hold winter sports all-the-year-round. The company also looks to cultural arrangements. "Yerevan should become a city of festivals", Murad Muradian underscored. The company will invest $9-10 million under the deal. No restaurants or hotels will spring up in the territory of the Complex nor will the green areas reduce. One of the founders of BAMO group, Hovik Muradian, rebuffed the rumors that the wife of Moscow mayor is a shareholder of the company. Murad Muradian pointed out that the family of the Muradians is the all-out owner of BAMO group. By Ara Martirosian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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