March 24, 2006
Spring is here!
Spring has finally arrived in Armenia. The temperature is about 60 degrees F or 17 degrees C. This weekend I will be in Vanadzor where it is generally much cooler than the capital, but I'm anticipating the weather to be nice nevertheless.
The strange thing about Armenia is that the weather is totally unpredictable and changes drastically when passing from region to region. Even by simply driving a few miles you sometimes note considerable differences in temperature as well as conditions. I have heard from environmentalists that 11 of the 12 or 13 climate zones of the world are located in Armenia--from the most arid conditions (in parts of Ararat for example) to the most balmy (Meghri). I have yet to experience them all.
Springtime is simply breathtaking in Armenia. It's a great time to visit the country, as well as during autumn. Soon the trees will be in full splendor and fruit blossoms will appear. Hopefully a sudden frost will not hit in April as it did a few years ago so as to ruin the apricot and other fruit crops. Sergey Minasian, who cultivates land on the Ararat plains and is basically like a father to me here, suffered from a hail storm in the middle of July last year, and most of his tomato and cucumber crops were wiped out.
In any case, Armenia is a beautiful place to be, especially now.
Photos courtesy of Tigran Nazaryan at Masis.am.
Labels: Thoughts and Musings
March 20, 2006
The therapeutic properties of ‘khorovadz’
In Armenia there is a particular meal that is relished by anyone who is able to chew, assuming they still have teeth. It can be found in virtually any village you can find, prepared in different ways and cooked in varying conditions, but the etiquette involved in eating is usually the same everywhere you go. The dish is known as “khorovadz,” the Armenian word for barbeque, and although the dish can also be found in the national cuisines of Armenia’s neighbors, such as Iran, Turkey, and as distant as Greece, it nevertheless remains unique, at least according to Armenians.
The most popular terminology known internationally for skewered barbeque is shish kebab, used by Greeks and Western Armenians especially. Other cultures have their own versions of the dish. The Thai roast thinly-sliced lightly marinated meat on small, thin bamboo skewers and call it “satay.” Tandoori chicken, which is roasted whole and prepared in a special round and deep oven, is specific to the cuisine in some parts of India. Brazilian barbeque is cooked on long round skewers, the meat aligned in large hunks. But Americans simply throw slabs of meat on metal racks resting just above charcoal or gas fires, caring less about preparation.
Armenians find any excuse possible to eat barbeque. Any sort of achievement accomplished, holiday commemorated, or special, sometimes invented occasion merits a barbeque celebration. This is only limited of course by budget as some, men especially, eat barbeque several times a week. To build a proper fire, usually dry branches and logs, or if available grape vines, are burned, then charcoal is added if some is available. Skewers are always flat, less than a 1/2-inch wide and 2-2/12-feet long. Armenians will fire up the grill (or “tonir”, a round, clay in-ground oven about four feet deep, which is mainly used for baking bread) to roast nearly any edible domesticated or roaming creature that can be found. These meats include but are not limited to pork, beef, whole lamb, young chicken, wild boar, quail, and fish (most always “Ishkhan” trout or “sig”). The preferred meat is pork, especially riblets and chops, although cubed tenderloin and ham is also broiled by those who do not wish to struggle with all the bones. Between four to six pieces of meat are aligned per skewer, spaced out slightly. The marinade usually consists of onions, a little oil, plenty of salt, and pepper. Dried basil also adds a nice touch.
Other barbeque varieties include the popular “kebab,” also found in Persian cuisine, which is finely ground beef or chicken, sometimes lamb, mixed with pureed onions (which give the meat the necessary stickiness, preventing it from falling of the skewer), salt, pepper, and other seasonings. The long, inch-wide savory roasted kebab is topped with sliced onions, parsley, a few slices of butter, and sometimes sumac. Lamb or beef kidneys, hearts, liver, and other organs are also skewered then grilled to perfection.
One of the problems with ordering meat in Armenia is that very few butchers actually understand how to properly cut various segments of a carcass. Usually a side of pork is placed on a butcher block and is hacked away into chunks with a dull axe, which makes for awkward skewering. I have only been to about two or three places where meats are cut according to European or American standards, but even in one small food market that I go to on Nalbandyan Street which has very fresh meat, depending on the person who serves you more often than not expect boney, indistinguishable blocks rather than uniform, even delicate cuts.
As with other meals, such as the uniquely Armenian “khash,” several bottles of vodka, usually homemade if some can be acquired, are consumed during the meal, accompanied with long, mostly boring toasts. Plenty of lavash, paper-thin bread usually baked on the walls of a tonir, is made available as well as other sandwich-capable breads. The meat is usually eaten with the hands or wrapped in lavash, as eating barbeque with a fork and knife is frowned down upon. As side dishes, expect to find mostly grilled potatoes in the winter and skewered tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and eggplant when in season. The vegetables shortly after being removed from the grill are peeled to remove the charred skins.
Armenian barbeque is the ultimate comfort food and never disappoints, unless it is thoroughly charred dry. Naturally not everyone is pleased all of the time, as Armenians are genetically complainers. They are rarely wholly satisfied and nearly always find a fault in anything, particularly when it comes to food preparation. But in my experience I have only come across one person in a large group who voiced that he did not enjoy the barbeque served, I believe to spite me since I made a suggestion of going to a specific restaurant that he had not previously frequented, irked that we did not go to his usual place. In all honesty, it’s hard to screw up barbeque. As long as you have fresh, young and tender meat you’re good to go and are bound for barbeque bliss. Even if there is no vodka to be had—which is nearly impossible—there seems to be something released in the roasting process that intoxicates the eater. This can be attributed perhaps to a thick layer of fat that is untrimmed on each meat chunk, the juices seeping in while it roasts. The attached fat is usually consumed along with the meat, and thus the sudden overwhelming fat intake on an empty stomach probably produces a sort of temporary euphoric effect.
I know one guy who was lured after 10 years of being a strict vegetarian into going back to eating meat shortly after moving here from England, just by being in several situations where barbeque was the only thing to be consumed. The heckling by his hosts and downing several shots of vodka one evening encouraged him as well.
The meal is also a peacemaker of sorts. No matter how much Armenians argue with one another to the point where they want to gouge each other’s eyes out, once the barbeque is served a cease fire is called, and the two parties sometimes forget what they were carrying on about. This is an amazing thing, really. There is no other way that I know or have seen to suppress animosity in this country outside of politics, even if momentary. Yet I can’t help wonder if the serving of barbeque would be the catalyst for resolving the Karabagh conflict once and for all the next time Presidents Kocharian and Aliyev meet to find a peace solution.
Just to reiterate, it is very difficult to find bad barbeque, no matter where you are in this country. Proshyan Street in Yerevan is famous for its barbeque restaurants, and if you choose to check one of them out stick with the mom-and-pop operations, as the service will be better than the giant, ostentatious restaurants there. The further you go from Yerevan the better in my experience when dining out. One of the best ways to spend a summer afternoon is to buy some meat and skewers (you can find them in most domestic goods stores) as well as watermelon, drive out to a shady spot alongside a river, like somewhere in the Ashtarak gorge, and make a barbeque. Getting a fire going will take about an hour, maybe less, depending on whether you’re fumbling for a long time with matches, paper, and so forth to light the wood or charcoal. Depending on the place, you can find either a waist-high grill or two long rails that you lay a foot apart, between which you can build a fire, then when ready you simply rest the skewer across the rails. This sort of event is a favorite pastime among Armenians.
Eating barbeque is the common bond between Armenians who struggle with differences of opinion, clash of egos, and even with language barriers. It may perhaps be the best medium for giving outsiders a glimpse of what Armenian hospitality and culture are all about.
The most popular terminology known internationally for skewered barbeque is shish kebab, used by Greeks and Western Armenians especially. Other cultures have their own versions of the dish. The Thai roast thinly-sliced lightly marinated meat on small, thin bamboo skewers and call it “satay.” Tandoori chicken, which is roasted whole and prepared in a special round and deep oven, is specific to the cuisine in some parts of India. Brazilian barbeque is cooked on long round skewers, the meat aligned in large hunks. But Americans simply throw slabs of meat on metal racks resting just above charcoal or gas fires, caring less about preparation.
Armenians find any excuse possible to eat barbeque. Any sort of achievement accomplished, holiday commemorated, or special, sometimes invented occasion merits a barbeque celebration. This is only limited of course by budget as some, men especially, eat barbeque several times a week. To build a proper fire, usually dry branches and logs, or if available grape vines, are burned, then charcoal is added if some is available. Skewers are always flat, less than a 1/2-inch wide and 2-2/12-feet long. Armenians will fire up the grill (or “tonir”, a round, clay in-ground oven about four feet deep, which is mainly used for baking bread) to roast nearly any edible domesticated or roaming creature that can be found. These meats include but are not limited to pork, beef, whole lamb, young chicken, wild boar, quail, and fish (most always “Ishkhan” trout or “sig”). The preferred meat is pork, especially riblets and chops, although cubed tenderloin and ham is also broiled by those who do not wish to struggle with all the bones. Between four to six pieces of meat are aligned per skewer, spaced out slightly. The marinade usually consists of onions, a little oil, plenty of salt, and pepper. Dried basil also adds a nice touch.
Other barbeque varieties include the popular “kebab,” also found in Persian cuisine, which is finely ground beef or chicken, sometimes lamb, mixed with pureed onions (which give the meat the necessary stickiness, preventing it from falling of the skewer), salt, pepper, and other seasonings. The long, inch-wide savory roasted kebab is topped with sliced onions, parsley, a few slices of butter, and sometimes sumac. Lamb or beef kidneys, hearts, liver, and other organs are also skewered then grilled to perfection.
One of the problems with ordering meat in Armenia is that very few butchers actually understand how to properly cut various segments of a carcass. Usually a side of pork is placed on a butcher block and is hacked away into chunks with a dull axe, which makes for awkward skewering. I have only been to about two or three places where meats are cut according to European or American standards, but even in one small food market that I go to on Nalbandyan Street which has very fresh meat, depending on the person who serves you more often than not expect boney, indistinguishable blocks rather than uniform, even delicate cuts.
As with other meals, such as the uniquely Armenian “khash,” several bottles of vodka, usually homemade if some can be acquired, are consumed during the meal, accompanied with long, mostly boring toasts. Plenty of lavash, paper-thin bread usually baked on the walls of a tonir, is made available as well as other sandwich-capable breads. The meat is usually eaten with the hands or wrapped in lavash, as eating barbeque with a fork and knife is frowned down upon. As side dishes, expect to find mostly grilled potatoes in the winter and skewered tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and eggplant when in season. The vegetables shortly after being removed from the grill are peeled to remove the charred skins.
Armenian barbeque is the ultimate comfort food and never disappoints, unless it is thoroughly charred dry. Naturally not everyone is pleased all of the time, as Armenians are genetically complainers. They are rarely wholly satisfied and nearly always find a fault in anything, particularly when it comes to food preparation. But in my experience I have only come across one person in a large group who voiced that he did not enjoy the barbeque served, I believe to spite me since I made a suggestion of going to a specific restaurant that he had not previously frequented, irked that we did not go to his usual place. In all honesty, it’s hard to screw up barbeque. As long as you have fresh, young and tender meat you’re good to go and are bound for barbeque bliss. Even if there is no vodka to be had—which is nearly impossible—there seems to be something released in the roasting process that intoxicates the eater. This can be attributed perhaps to a thick layer of fat that is untrimmed on each meat chunk, the juices seeping in while it roasts. The attached fat is usually consumed along with the meat, and thus the sudden overwhelming fat intake on an empty stomach probably produces a sort of temporary euphoric effect.
I know one guy who was lured after 10 years of being a strict vegetarian into going back to eating meat shortly after moving here from England, just by being in several situations where barbeque was the only thing to be consumed. The heckling by his hosts and downing several shots of vodka one evening encouraged him as well.
The meal is also a peacemaker of sorts. No matter how much Armenians argue with one another to the point where they want to gouge each other’s eyes out, once the barbeque is served a cease fire is called, and the two parties sometimes forget what they were carrying on about. This is an amazing thing, really. There is no other way that I know or have seen to suppress animosity in this country outside of politics, even if momentary. Yet I can’t help wonder if the serving of barbeque would be the catalyst for resolving the Karabagh conflict once and for all the next time Presidents Kocharian and Aliyev meet to find a peace solution.
Just to reiterate, it is very difficult to find bad barbeque, no matter where you are in this country. Proshyan Street in Yerevan is famous for its barbeque restaurants, and if you choose to check one of them out stick with the mom-and-pop operations, as the service will be better than the giant, ostentatious restaurants there. The further you go from Yerevan the better in my experience when dining out. One of the best ways to spend a summer afternoon is to buy some meat and skewers (you can find them in most domestic goods stores) as well as watermelon, drive out to a shady spot alongside a river, like somewhere in the Ashtarak gorge, and make a barbeque. Getting a fire going will take about an hour, maybe less, depending on whether you’re fumbling for a long time with matches, paper, and so forth to light the wood or charcoal. Depending on the place, you can find either a waist-high grill or two long rails that you lay a foot apart, between which you can build a fire, then when ready you simply rest the skewer across the rails. This sort of event is a favorite pastime among Armenians.
Eating barbeque is the common bond between Armenians who struggle with differences of opinion, clash of egos, and even with language barriers. It may perhaps be the best medium for giving outsiders a glimpse of what Armenian hospitality and culture are all about.
Labels: Food and Drink, Personal Experiences, Social and Cultural, Thoughts and Musings
March 16, 2006
Yet more Armenian Logic
According to a recent report appearing on ArmeniaLiberty.org, apparently it is safe to consume Turkish foodstuffs as determined by a "State Quality Official." Thus even though Armenia has no diplomatic relations with Turkey, the country can apparently continue to illegally do business with its centuries-old adversary, even though people are complaining that Turkish products are inferior. Turkish products enter Armenia by road transport via Georgia, since there is of course no open border crossing to Turkey along the Arax River.
There is no mention of the fact in this article that Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations with each other, and that trade between the two countries contradicts this reality. Nevertheless, importing Turkish goods is OK by Armenian government officials. Just so long as they meet Armenia's quality standards and of course government officials get a slice of the pie.
As I have stated in this blog before, it is becoming impossible to not purchase Turkish goods in stores--whether they are domestic goods, construction materials, or foodstuffs. In my experience Turkish stuff is crap--I have had several problems with Turkish fuses and electrical sockets burning out in my rented apartment, and my landlord refuses to install anything made elsewhere because Turkish things are inexpensive. In some stores I frequent I have noticed that some Armenian brands are no longer being carried to make room for Turkish imports or even those from Eastern Europe. And I have also made the point that if the border with Turkey ever opens, the Armenian market will be totally saturated with inferior, cheap Turkish goods, thereby driving Armenian companies out of business completely. It will happen without a doubt. No one is foreseeing this and no one cares. In the mean time, Turkish sunflower seeds and chewing gum are proudly advertised on TV, and people buy it without questioning where it's from or even caring. "Vochinch."
It is completely hypocritical that while Armenians around the globe cry about Turkey not recognizing the Armenian Genocide, no one from the Armenian nation makes a peep about pressuring the Armenian government to ban the import of Turkish goods into Armenia, including Armenian nationalist political parties. Armenians still have a lot to learn.
Read the full article here.
A State Quality Inspection official today published the findings of studies of 46 names of Turkish products imported and sold in Armenia, assuring the media that while some of them may fall short of certain requirements of Armenian quality standards, they are all safe for use and contain no threat to human life.
Thus, the Inspection responded to a series of recent "we-don’t-need-Turkish-junk" publications in the Armenian press alleging that products imported to Armenia from neighboring Turkey, in particular chocolate, put human lives at risk.
There is no mention of the fact in this article that Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations with each other, and that trade between the two countries contradicts this reality. Nevertheless, importing Turkish goods is OK by Armenian government officials. Just so long as they meet Armenia's quality standards and of course government officials get a slice of the pie.
In the recent period the Inspection has penalized entities importing or selling Turkish products that fall short of domestic quality standards for a total of 2,300,000 drams (about $5,100)...
As I have stated in this blog before, it is becoming impossible to not purchase Turkish goods in stores--whether they are domestic goods, construction materials, or foodstuffs. In my experience Turkish stuff is crap--I have had several problems with Turkish fuses and electrical sockets burning out in my rented apartment, and my landlord refuses to install anything made elsewhere because Turkish things are inexpensive. In some stores I frequent I have noticed that some Armenian brands are no longer being carried to make room for Turkish imports or even those from Eastern Europe. And I have also made the point that if the border with Turkey ever opens, the Armenian market will be totally saturated with inferior, cheap Turkish goods, thereby driving Armenian companies out of business completely. It will happen without a doubt. No one is foreseeing this and no one cares. In the mean time, Turkish sunflower seeds and chewing gum are proudly advertised on TV, and people buy it without questioning where it's from or even caring. "Vochinch."
It is completely hypocritical that while Armenians around the globe cry about Turkey not recognizing the Armenian Genocide, no one from the Armenian nation makes a peep about pressuring the Armenian government to ban the import of Turkish goods into Armenia, including Armenian nationalist political parties. Armenians still have a lot to learn.
Read the full article here.
Labels: Politics, Social and Cultural
March 14, 2006
A commentary on 'rabiz'
A social commentary that I recently wrote about 'rabiz'--the music, social stereotype, and culture--was just printed on Hetq Online.
This article is based mostly on my personal observations as well as some information provided on online forums with posts made by young Armenians either based in the Los Angeles area or in Yerevan.
I've been surrounded by the rabiz mystique for some time now, and although I believe my article may be the first examination of what it is all about published in the English language, I acknowledge that there may be things that I have overlooked or even overstated in my commentary.
The article can be read here.
Photo caption: The common rabizmobile, Lada 2107, minus the black tinted windows.
Labels: Music, Social and Cultural
March 13, 2006
More Armenian Logic
A news report that appeared last Friday on ArmeniaLiberty.org explains that the chairman of Armenia’s public television, Channel 1, is seeking to overturn a mandatory law that requires the state-controlled station to broadcast parliament sessions, which take place once every few weeks. The chairman claims that showing parliamentary sessions violates the right to freedom of speech by the press. The thing is that the televised sessions are not sponsored by the station’s news programming.
He then goes on to say that freedom of speech is being jeopardized when parliament sessions are broadcasted on television for nearly the entire Armenian population to watch.
Thing is that as far as I am aware parliament sessions are televised in most if not all democratic nations. The United States has a dedicated cable station that televises all congressional sessions. They are also broadcasted on government co-financed public television on occasion. I believe the same can be said for the UK for instance but I’m not positive.
The fact that by law parliamentary sessions are required to be broadcast on state-controlled public television is not a bad thing. Especially when it is showing how the law making process is being conducted by the people’s elected representatives. It is also the only forum in which both opposition and pro-government sides can be heard debating on specific issues affecting the nation’s citizens.
Some pro-government leaders, notably parliament deputy speaker and Republican party member Tigran Torosian, do not object to the law being overturned. However, he goes on to say that “We must find the most useful and effective way of presenting the work of the parliament to the population,” he said. So even though Channel 1 should no longer be required to televise parliament sessions in a country where the overwhelming majority of citizens obtain their news from TV, there needs to be some solution for people to learn what lawmakers are discussing. You would assume that continuing with the broadcasts would be the answer. Here’s where Armenian logic kicks in.
To be fair, a leader of the pro-government party Orinats Yerkir claims that another station could be set up to televise parliament sessions. Problem is that there are no other tenders being issued to potential broadcasters. This proposal also doesn’t make sense since parliament sessions last for four days about every month. So this potential channel is only going to show programming for those few days and go off the air the rest of the month? Well, why not?
Here’s Europe’s traditional response to continued one-sided broadcasted information:
Well, there you go. The continuing television coverage of pro-government decisions or undertakings is appropriate, while televising public debate or protests aimed against the government is out of the question, even if it takes ceasing the broadcast of sessions of parliament, which incidentally has a pro-government majority. It seems that it would be in the government’s favor to continue showing how its lawmakers are taking care of business, especially when it comes to antagonizing or silencing oppositionists, which I have seen happen in these broadcasts. But then again, Armenian logic prevails. The parliament will undoubtedly overturn the law now that it is being discussed. It doesn’t matter if it is repressing the very freedom of speech that Channel 1’s chairman claims to have already been violated.
You can read the full article here.
The chairman of the government-controlled Armenian Public Television and Radio (HHR) [Channel 1], Aleksan Harutiunian, claimed on Friday that legal provisions obligating it to broadcast parliament debates runs counter to European standards for press freedom and must therefore be abolished.
He then goes on to say that freedom of speech is being jeopardized when parliament sessions are broadcasted on television for nearly the entire Armenian population to watch.
According to Harutiunian, forcing a TV station to broadcast anything by law is wrong by definition. “Of course I am not so naïve as to say that this is the main danger to press freedom in Armenia,” the former chief of Kocharian’s staff told RFE/RL. “I just want the abolition of legal norms that could be viewed by European structures as endangering freedom of speech.”
Thing is that as far as I am aware parliament sessions are televised in most if not all democratic nations. The United States has a dedicated cable station that televises all congressional sessions. They are also broadcasted on government co-financed public television on occasion. I believe the same can be said for the UK for instance but I’m not positive.
The fact that by law parliamentary sessions are required to be broadcast on state-controlled public television is not a bad thing. Especially when it is showing how the law making process is being conducted by the people’s elected representatives. It is also the only forum in which both opposition and pro-government sides can be heard debating on specific issues affecting the nation’s citizens.
Some pro-government leaders, notably parliament deputy speaker and Republican party member Tigran Torosian, do not object to the law being overturned. However, he goes on to say that “We must find the most useful and effective way of presenting the work of the parliament to the population,” he said. So even though Channel 1 should no longer be required to televise parliament sessions in a country where the overwhelming majority of citizens obtain their news from TV, there needs to be some solution for people to learn what lawmakers are discussing. You would assume that continuing with the broadcasts would be the answer. Here’s where Armenian logic kicks in.
To be fair, a leader of the pro-government party Orinats Yerkir claims that another station could be set up to televise parliament sessions. Problem is that there are no other tenders being issued to potential broadcasters. This proposal also doesn’t make sense since parliament sessions last for four days about every month. So this potential channel is only going to show programming for those few days and go off the air the rest of the month? Well, why not?
Here’s Europe’s traditional response to continued one-sided broadcasted information:
European observers have strongly criticized HHR [Channel 1] and other local broadcasters for what they consider extremely biased coverage of every national election and referendum held in Armenia over the past decade. Harutiunian has rejected the criticism.
Well, there you go. The continuing television coverage of pro-government decisions or undertakings is appropriate, while televising public debate or protests aimed against the government is out of the question, even if it takes ceasing the broadcast of sessions of parliament, which incidentally has a pro-government majority. It seems that it would be in the government’s favor to continue showing how its lawmakers are taking care of business, especially when it comes to antagonizing or silencing oppositionists, which I have seen happen in these broadcasts. But then again, Armenian logic prevails. The parliament will undoubtedly overturn the law now that it is being discussed. It doesn’t matter if it is repressing the very freedom of speech that Channel 1’s chairman claims to have already been violated.
You can read the full article here.
Labels: Politics, Social and Cultural
March 3, 2006
Would someone do something about stopping the cutting of Yerevan’s trees?
I was walking down Vasken Sargsyan Street away from Republic Square last night and turned right on Khorenatsi to discover that the trees along the sidewalk near the park there and those along both sides of the road on the stretch between Zakyan and Mashdots Streets all had their limbs cut down to the upper trunk. These trees were healthy, high, and green through the end of last year, as I often walked down the street when heading towards Mashdots simply because it was a beautiful area. Now the trees have been desecrated through a process known as pollarding, a feeble attempt to protect the trees from disease or decay, yet another example of Armenian logic but an excellent excuse to sell wood by Yerevan authorities looking to make money through any possible means.
I am appalled to see the continuation of pollarding in Yerevan or in any other town or city for that matter, such as Vanadzor. It does nothing to protect the oak, maple, and other indigenous trees lining some of Yerevan’s streets. Some trees simply die from pollarding—those that have had their limbs cut multiple times or for the first. I am convinced that there is no other excuse to pollard trees other than for officials to earn extra cash for their pockets, especially during the winter when nearly all pollarding takes place.
Reforesting Armenia is a huge priority. The majority of people who are forced to cut down trees for fuel in remote areas do not plant new trees in their place—this is a fact. I have seen areas completely decimated of trees, with even the roots removed. Something is being done about this problem through the efforts of two organizations in particular—the Armenian Forests NGO, which is based in Armenia and is making huge strides, and the Armenia Tree Project, a diasporan organization still obsessed with planting decorative trees in Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial park but is making steps, albeit small ones, towards reforestation.
However, I could not find any information from these two organizations or any others regarding how they are implementing ways to persuade Yerevan authorities from ceasing pollarding and use alternative, modern ways to protect trees from disease. The Ministry of Agriculture, which presides over the “Hayandar” agency responsible for forest protection and is headed by ARF member Davit Lokian, is doing nothing about this problem—as far as I have been previously informed it is not doing a lot about forest protection either.
So what can we do to prevent further tree pollarding/cutting in Yerevan and keep the city looking beautiful? If someone has any ideas (or wants to make excuses as to why it should continue), please leave a comment.
I am appalled to see the continuation of pollarding in Yerevan or in any other town or city for that matter, such as Vanadzor. It does nothing to protect the oak, maple, and other indigenous trees lining some of Yerevan’s streets. Some trees simply die from pollarding—those that have had their limbs cut multiple times or for the first. I am convinced that there is no other excuse to pollard trees other than for officials to earn extra cash for their pockets, especially during the winter when nearly all pollarding takes place.
Reforesting Armenia is a huge priority. The majority of people who are forced to cut down trees for fuel in remote areas do not plant new trees in their place—this is a fact. I have seen areas completely decimated of trees, with even the roots removed. Something is being done about this problem through the efforts of two organizations in particular—the Armenian Forests NGO, which is based in Armenia and is making huge strides, and the Armenia Tree Project, a diasporan organization still obsessed with planting decorative trees in Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial park but is making steps, albeit small ones, towards reforestation.
However, I could not find any information from these two organizations or any others regarding how they are implementing ways to persuade Yerevan authorities from ceasing pollarding and use alternative, modern ways to protect trees from disease. The Ministry of Agriculture, which presides over the “Hayandar” agency responsible for forest protection and is headed by ARF member Davit Lokian, is doing nothing about this problem—as far as I have been previously informed it is not doing a lot about forest protection either.
So what can we do to prevent further tree pollarding/cutting in Yerevan and keep the city looking beautiful? If someone has any ideas (or wants to make excuses as to why it should continue), please leave a comment.
Labels: Social and Cultural
Labels
Links
FootprintsTings...
The Armenia Blog
Armenia Travel Blog
The Armenian Economist
Armenian Eyes
The Armenian Observer Blog
The Armenian Odar
ArmYouth Blog
Cicer et cetera
Global Voices Online Armenia
IPen
Halfway Down The Danube
Hasmik's Blog
The Instant Me
Karoun Charkoudian
Iain Dale's Diary
Life Around Me
Martuni Or Bust!!!
Neeka's Backlog
Oneworld Blog
Recollections of a Vagabonde
Transitions Online
Sarkis Mkrtchian's Blog
Tonyspad.com
Tour Armenia
Hetq Online
Armenia Liberty
The Armenian Weekly
Radio-Gayane - Armenian Radio
BlogRankings.com
Archives
November 2004December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009