Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasian, Photo from the official website of Gyumri City Hall
Gyumry mayor Vardan Ghukasian announced on Monday, that his family is ready to contribute all the money necessary to acquire great Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanian’s house in Tbilisi and hand it over to Armenia’s Writers’ Union to be turned into a literary, cultural center and library, Aravot.am reports. Continue reading
Yerevan’s Central (Closed) Market, a popular tourist attraction and an officially recognized architectural monument, has closed its doors for renovation since January 1st. Continue reading
Tagged Armenia, Closed Market, Gagik Tsarukyan, Samvel Alexanyan, Shopping, Yerevan
Armenia -- Businessman Gagik Tsarukian receives the title of Armenia's 'best European of the year' from Henrik Kroener, secretary general of the European Movement International
Someone well versed in Armenian politics has published a stark warning against holding a major conference of the European Movement in Yerevan in October 2011, attended by Catherine Ashton (the European Union’s foreign-policy high representative), Armenia’s president and other dignitaries. The author’s name is Armen Haykyan, which is a nickname sounding like “Armenian Armenian”. But the identity of the author is not really relevant. The warning is and I urge you to read it.
Posted in Armenia, Economy, Politics, Society
Tagged Armenia, Catherine Ashton, European Union, Gagik Tsarukyan, Government, Yerevan
Armenia -- Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrossian and prominent opposition leaders Sasun Mikayelian and Nikol Pashinian face the rally of supporters, Yerevan, 31May2011
Armenian opposition has achieved a great deal over the past two months and is ready for dialogue with the authorities, after President Serzh Sargsian’s administration agreed to release all jailed opposition activists, grant permission to hold rallies in Yerevan’s Liberty Square and relaunch the investigation into the deaths of 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. Continue reading
Armenia’s ruling coalition parties will jointly endorse Armenia’s incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan’s reelection bid, despite continuous rumors, that Armenia’s richest oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan and his personal-use Prosperous Armenia (BHK) party might be seeking to break off from the coalition. Continue reading
Armenia’s richest man – Gagik Tsarukyan bets $1 milion, saying sociologist Aharon Adibekyan won’t be able to prove claims, that Tsarukyan’s “Prosperous Armenia” party has a very low rating.
It all started on the air of Shant TV’s “Herankar” talk-show program. The guest in studio, sociologist Aharon Adibekyan, who has many times been accused by various opposition forces and even coalition parties, for manipulating sociological surveys, in response to program host Nver Mnatsakanian’s question made a statement, that the political rating of “Prosperous Armenia” («Բարգավաճ Հայաստան») party is very low.
Next day on the air of the same program Gagik Tsarukyan, the founder and leader of “Prosperous Armenia”, discounted Adibekian’s claims, saying he’ll bet $1 million (later corrected to 1 million Armenian drams), that Adibekian won’t be able to back his claims with data.
E-channel quotes Adibekian saying he’s sorry that “a political figure of that calibre acts on restaurant mentality.”
“Prosperous Armenia” party has in its turn issued a statement, saying “Sociology is generally a serious science, if serious people practice it.” The party revels, that Aharon Adibekyan has been expecting a “tailored” offer from Gagik Tsarukyan, with data manipulated to the tastes of the “Prosperos Armenia” party. The party statement implies, that seeing he is not getting an offer, Adibekian has come out with statements about the low rating of the party.
“Adibekian has now received an offer [Tsarukian's bet], so instead of pointless talk he ought to either accept it, or apologise in a due manner for dishonoring a serious science like sociology”, the party’s statement concludes.
PS: In a possibly related development Nver Mnatsakanyan, Shant TV’s leading anchor and political journalist, who initiatited the discussion above, was beaten in Yerevan last night.
The 25 Armenian athletes departing for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China, will face the 639-strong Chinese, 596-strong US and 470-strong Russian teams. Given the sheer size of the competing teams and the fact, that our national team brought zero gold medals from the past Olympics in Athens, it’s really hard to believe in the success of our tiny Armenian team.
The Olympic torch will be lit in Beijing on 8th month of year 2008, at 8 seconds, 8 minutes past 8 o’clock of local time – as the figure 8 is considered lucky in China. The motto of the Olympics is – “One world, one dream” and that dream will cost China 44 billion dollars – a record amount to be spent on organization of Olympic games.
The history of independent Armenia has only seen one Olympic champion so far – wrestler Armen Nazaryan won Olympic gold in Atlanta, 1996. Overall Armenia has had 13 Olympic champions and we’ve been the best in wrestling, weightlifting, athletics. Clearly the team sports are not one of our strengths.
The Armenian team this year has 6 weightlifters (Hripsime Khurshudyan, Tigran g. Martirosyan, Gevorg Davtyan, Ara Khachatryan, Tigran V. Martirosyan, Edgar Gevorgyan), 4 boxers (Hovhannes Danielyan, Hrachik Javakhyan, Eduard Hambardzumyan, Andranik Hakobyan), 3 free wrestlers (Martin Berberyan, Suren Markosyan, Harutyun Yenokyan), 6 Greco/Roman wrestlers (Roman Amoyan, Karen Mnatsakanyan, Arman Adikyan, Arsen Julfalakyan, Denis Forov, Yuri Patrikeyev), 2 judoists (Hovhannes Davtyan, Armen Nazaryan), 2 track-and-field athletes (Melik Janyan, Ani Khachikyan), 1 swimmer (Mikayel Koloyan) and 1 shooter (Norayr Bakhtamyan).
On my flight to Moscow on July 31st, I was lucky to be on the same plane with our judo team – the guys were wearing the proud uniform of Armenian Olympics team and were sure of their success. Their coaches, however, were more cautious – the Chineeze team is especially strong they said and they have the mental ability of concentrating for the hour of the match in such a manner, that the results resemble that of using doping means. At any rate, the Armenian team has the high sponsorship of Armenian oligarch, head of Armenian Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan, who has promised money, gifts and honor to Armenian gold winners – along with grave threats to make sure they bring home the Olympic gold. Will this kind of ‘stick and carrot’ policy force the tiny Armenian team bring medals home? We will see soon – shooter Norayr Bakhtamyan, judoist Hovhannes Davtyan (60 kilos) and boxer Andranik Hakobyan (75 kilos) will be first to compete in Beijing on August 9. All we can do now is prey for them and watch the splendid opening ceremony which is due to start soon and will be broadcast on Armenian Public TV. Go Armenians – Stronger, Faster, Higher!!!
One of the richest Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan’s Multi Group Company, in partnership with Russian Storm International has constructed the most impressive gaming facility in the region – the Shangri La Casino, which will officially open on April 16th, with the Grand Opening scheduled for May 2nd.
Via: RIA OREANDA | The complex area now is 2400 sq. m with a planned expansion of a further 800 sq.m by the end of the year. The gaming configuration for the main floor is for an initial12 tables (with the possibility to introduce more tables if required) plus a poker room for the increasingly popular game of Texas Hold `em and a multi-level slot area with 85 state-of-the-art machines. There are 3 bars, a restaurant and a fully equipped stage for show programmes and music concerts. It has a parking capacity for 100 cars.
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The Grand Opening promises to be one of the most memorable events of the year. World-famous Toto Cutugno will be the headline act, along with other performers including “Blestyaschie” for the benefit of the invited guests.
There are also some unverified reports, that the Storm International have opened a special school in Armenia to prepare qualified staff for the casino business. This is a clear indication of plans to further expand the gaming industry and turn Armenia into a Caucasian Monte Carlo.
