�It�s very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present, ya know what I mean� - From the film Grey Gardens, a documentary by the Maylses brothers.
One of the great aspects of Yerevan that I personally enjoyed was the abundance of museums that one can visit during either a short stay or as part of you general living experience. Yerevan is a walkable city that lends itself nicely to taking casual strolls to and from these museums if one should choose to do so. During the last few days of my visit, I had the opportunity to take advantage of some of the more interesting cultural sites the city had to offer. The Parajanov Museum was my first stop. I have been a big fan of Sergie Parajanov ever since my parents took me to see �The Color of Pomegranates� as a kid in Chicago at the Music Box Theater. Parajanov�s use of folk art, music, imagery, and storytelling was so unique that it had a profound effect on the way that I eventually viewed film, music, and art. He is rightly regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. A contemporary of the great Andrei Tarkovsky, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kirosawa, he was a world-class filmmaker who was extremely talented- but not just in the medium of film. The museum pays homage to the full spectrum of Parajanov�s art-including his paintings, collages, and photos. Staffed by a few loyal employees who actually personally knew the great master, it is my opinion that the Parajanov Museum is the best museum in Armenia. The woman who runs the tour in either English, Armenian, Russian, or Georgian -depending on your flavor- gives an extensive background on every portion of the museum but is never intrusive. If you have questions, she will answer them. Otherwise you are given your own space to revel in his masterworks. There are two floors to the museum that include about seven sections in total. One of the major sections of the museum is the area in which Parajanov was going to live for the rest of his life. The museum was originally intended to be his residence and was actually replicated to look like his former residence in Tblisi, Georgia. Although it looks tastefully dated, the structure was actually built in the 1980�s and is a dead ringer for his former residence. He passed away before the residence was completely finished and it was then turned exclusively converted into a museum. The entrance to the museum features a courtyard featuring a bust of Parajanov along with some if his signature symbols, including the pomegranate. Some of the highlights of the museum include stills from his four feature length movies. My favorites include �Ashik Kerib� and �Shadow of Forgotten Ancestors�. The various stills of his Sofiko Chiaureli are stunning.
From the Parajanov Museum, the friend I was with took me to a surprisingly moving site. As we got out of the mini-bus, she directed me toward the area of the park where Parajanov, Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, and William Saroyan (among others) have been laid to rest. Some of the most influential Armenian creators of art, music, and literature were all in one area with fresh flowers respectfully laid on their gravesites. It was a particularly moving experience for me and certainly one I will never forget. Thanks Number 9.
Other Museums well worth noting are the Aram Khachaturian Museum, Saryan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Armenian History, and of course, the Madenataran. All of these museums are accessible on foot or by public transportation. The one site that I visited that was a bit of a hike was Erebuni, the original fortress of Yerevan. From city center, it is about a half hour mini-bus ride to the site.
In Armenia, there are various modes of transportation. The metro is a clear cut favorite of mine because of the convenience of the ride. It is a smooth ride but limited in where it can take you. The metro costs about 10 cents to ride. In some sections of the city there are trolleys that can be taken. Other modes include regular style city buses. However, on this particular day, my friend decided to introduce me to the world of the mini-bus. The mini-buses in Armenia are actually the most versatile way to get around town due to the various routes they take. Varying in quality, each mini-bus is about the size of an airport shuttle van in the West. The system is fascinating. You wait until your bus line is present. If the autobus is not filled, you open the van door on the passenger side and hop in. If you are lucky during rush hour, you squeeze in and get your seat. If no seats are available, you kind of have to get in anyway and do a yoga-like contortion and just pretend you are �light as a leaf, floating on a river�� to get comfortable. The level of intimacy is much more pronounced than in the West. In Armenia, getting used to using a fraction of your ass to sit on a seat is a skill that takes some practice. Also, it is not uncommon for people to sit on each others lap and seem pretty damn fine with it until another seat opens up or it�s time for you get off at your stop. There is always your fair share of drama to behold on each bus trip. On the trip to Erebuni, the full autobus stopped to let a passenger off (I grabbed a seat quickly!) and was about to take off when a man wanting to catch the autobus jumped into the vehicle and slammed the door shut. The driver hit the brakes and said, �What the hell is your problem, aghper. Did you have to slam the door?� The new passenger stated, �yeah, what�s it to you? The door wouldn�t shut otherwise. Keep driving�. Well, would you ever want to piss off a bus driver? Not I. The bus driver started driving and at the next stop told the guy to leave the bus. The new passenger didn�t budge and told the bus driver to �Relax� and just keep driving. The bus driver and the passenger stared at each other while he was driving for a few seconds. I was surprised to find how calm everyone was because my heart was pounding as we almost ran over a pedestrian. The new passenger eventually blinked and got off at the next stop. The bus driver refused to accept his money.
Once we arrived at Erebuni, the museum was closed and we decided to hike up to the ancient fortress. The view of Mt. Ararat was extremely clear that day and as we reached the top where the site was located, it was time for another shakedown. This time though, it was well done. At the �beginning� of the site, there was a middle-aged woman sitting on a blanket that obviously looked weathered. My diasporan instincts kicked in and I said hello to her and asked if she could explain the site to me and my friend. That was it, I was hooked. A quick call to the bullpen and a cute young girl about seven or eight in age came out with a flower bunch and gave it to my friend. I gave the girl a couple of bucks for the gesture (again you pick and choose your spots) and then the closer came strolling out of the bullpen. The veteran right-hander who was about sixty five years old warmly greeted us and started the tour of Erebuni. See Kiesling and Kojian�s �Rediscovering Armenia� for the details on the site. The site was fascinating and is referred to in Armenia as �Mayr Kaghak�. Equally as impressive about the Erebuni site are the views overlooking parts of the city of Yerevan and Mt. Ararat. If you get over there on a less crowded (there were only a few school kids there the day that I went) it�s a great place to meditate, reflect, write, read, whatever. As the tour ended, there was the usual momentary silence when you don�t know if you should give the unofficial tour guide/resident some money for his time or if it is insulting to even offer the gesture (like the villagers outside of Yerevan). Well, I figured I am in Yerevan so it was time to reach into the pocket. I gave him one U.S. dollar folded up. He took it, stared at it, and took his time unraveling it. When the dollar bill was fully extended using his two hands, he put it in front of his eyes and looked up toward the sun as if to check the authenticity of it. I knew I was in trouble at this point. In front of my friend, who happened to be a woman (in the shakedown process, this is when you are at your most vulnerable) he let me have it. He said, � Do you know how much this is? Do you know how much meat costs in this town? Aren�t you ashamed of yourself for giving me only this much. What is this? Are you kidding me?� I am standing here getting a lecture from this guy and all I am saying to myself is �Dude, do you have to embarrass me in front of my friend? Come on aghper, in front of her? All right, you have me, what do want? More money, my first born, my blood, what? Let�s get this form of extortion over with.� At that point I got pissed. I�m saying to myself, �What the fuck, this guy is a pro.� Game over, I gave him a disgusted look, I lunged into my pocket and gave him about 3000 dram and said, �Here, you want money, here�s your money. I thought you were giving me this tour because you are proud of this place.� Granted, it is probably the only way that he makes a living. However most would agree that we equate kids with purity and old men as sources of wisdom and treat both of them with respect. The people who execute the shakedown know this, and use it to their advantage. He thanked me for the money and wished me a good day. I turned away and looked at Mt. Ararat and Erebuni and wondered aloud if I would ever resort to what the old man did to me. If I were in his shoes- unemployed, too proud to beg, a family man trying to feed his loved ones- would I ever do what he did?
I don�t know. Would any of us?
-Raffi Meneshian
One of the great aspects of Yerevan that I personally enjoyed was the abundance of museums that one can visit during either a short stay or as part of you general living experience. Yerevan is a walkable city that lends itself nicely to taking casual strolls to and from these museums if one should choose to do so. During the last few days of my visit, I had the opportunity to take advantage of some of the more interesting cultural sites the city had to offer. The Parajanov Museum was my first stop. I have been a big fan of Sergie Parajanov ever since my parents took me to see �The Color of Pomegranates� as a kid in Chicago at the Music Box Theater. Parajanov�s use of folk art, music, imagery, and storytelling was so unique that it had a profound effect on the way that I eventually viewed film, music, and art. He is rightly regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. A contemporary of the great Andrei Tarkovsky, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kirosawa, he was a world-class filmmaker who was extremely talented- but not just in the medium of film. The museum pays homage to the full spectrum of Parajanov�s art-including his paintings, collages, and photos. Staffed by a few loyal employees who actually personally knew the great master, it is my opinion that the Parajanov Museum is the best museum in Armenia. The woman who runs the tour in either English, Armenian, Russian, or Georgian -depending on your flavor- gives an extensive background on every portion of the museum but is never intrusive. If you have questions, she will answer them. Otherwise you are given your own space to revel in his masterworks. There are two floors to the museum that include about seven sections in total. One of the major sections of the museum is the area in which Parajanov was going to live for the rest of his life. The museum was originally intended to be his residence and was actually replicated to look like his former residence in Tblisi, Georgia. Although it looks tastefully dated, the structure was actually built in the 1980�s and is a dead ringer for his former residence. He passed away before the residence was completely finished and it was then turned exclusively converted into a museum. The entrance to the museum features a courtyard featuring a bust of Parajanov along with some if his signature symbols, including the pomegranate. Some of the highlights of the museum include stills from his four feature length movies. My favorites include �Ashik Kerib� and �Shadow of Forgotten Ancestors�. The various stills of his Sofiko Chiaureli are stunning.
From the Parajanov Museum, the friend I was with took me to a surprisingly moving site. As we got out of the mini-bus, she directed me toward the area of the park where Parajanov, Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, and William Saroyan (among others) have been laid to rest. Some of the most influential Armenian creators of art, music, and literature were all in one area with fresh flowers respectfully laid on their gravesites. It was a particularly moving experience for me and certainly one I will never forget. Thanks Number 9.
Other Museums well worth noting are the Aram Khachaturian Museum, Saryan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Armenian History, and of course, the Madenataran. All of these museums are accessible on foot or by public transportation. The one site that I visited that was a bit of a hike was Erebuni, the original fortress of Yerevan. From city center, it is about a half hour mini-bus ride to the site.
In Armenia, there are various modes of transportation. The metro is a clear cut favorite of mine because of the convenience of the ride. It is a smooth ride but limited in where it can take you. The metro costs about 10 cents to ride. In some sections of the city there are trolleys that can be taken. Other modes include regular style city buses. However, on this particular day, my friend decided to introduce me to the world of the mini-bus. The mini-buses in Armenia are actually the most versatile way to get around town due to the various routes they take. Varying in quality, each mini-bus is about the size of an airport shuttle van in the West. The system is fascinating. You wait until your bus line is present. If the autobus is not filled, you open the van door on the passenger side and hop in. If you are lucky during rush hour, you squeeze in and get your seat. If no seats are available, you kind of have to get in anyway and do a yoga-like contortion and just pretend you are �light as a leaf, floating on a river�� to get comfortable. The level of intimacy is much more pronounced than in the West. In Armenia, getting used to using a fraction of your ass to sit on a seat is a skill that takes some practice. Also, it is not uncommon for people to sit on each others lap and seem pretty damn fine with it until another seat opens up or it�s time for you get off at your stop. There is always your fair share of drama to behold on each bus trip. On the trip to Erebuni, the full autobus stopped to let a passenger off (I grabbed a seat quickly!) and was about to take off when a man wanting to catch the autobus jumped into the vehicle and slammed the door shut. The driver hit the brakes and said, �What the hell is your problem, aghper. Did you have to slam the door?� The new passenger stated, �yeah, what�s it to you? The door wouldn�t shut otherwise. Keep driving�. Well, would you ever want to piss off a bus driver? Not I. The bus driver started driving and at the next stop told the guy to leave the bus. The new passenger didn�t budge and told the bus driver to �Relax� and just keep driving. The bus driver and the passenger stared at each other while he was driving for a few seconds. I was surprised to find how calm everyone was because my heart was pounding as we almost ran over a pedestrian. The new passenger eventually blinked and got off at the next stop. The bus driver refused to accept his money.
Once we arrived at Erebuni, the museum was closed and we decided to hike up to the ancient fortress. The view of Mt. Ararat was extremely clear that day and as we reached the top where the site was located, it was time for another shakedown. This time though, it was well done. At the �beginning� of the site, there was a middle-aged woman sitting on a blanket that obviously looked weathered. My diasporan instincts kicked in and I said hello to her and asked if she could explain the site to me and my friend. That was it, I was hooked. A quick call to the bullpen and a cute young girl about seven or eight in age came out with a flower bunch and gave it to my friend. I gave the girl a couple of bucks for the gesture (again you pick and choose your spots) and then the closer came strolling out of the bullpen. The veteran right-hander who was about sixty five years old warmly greeted us and started the tour of Erebuni. See Kiesling and Kojian�s �Rediscovering Armenia� for the details on the site. The site was fascinating and is referred to in Armenia as �Mayr Kaghak�. Equally as impressive about the Erebuni site are the views overlooking parts of the city of Yerevan and Mt. Ararat. If you get over there on a less crowded (there were only a few school kids there the day that I went) it�s a great place to meditate, reflect, write, read, whatever. As the tour ended, there was the usual momentary silence when you don�t know if you should give the unofficial tour guide/resident some money for his time or if it is insulting to even offer the gesture (like the villagers outside of Yerevan). Well, I figured I am in Yerevan so it was time to reach into the pocket. I gave him one U.S. dollar folded up. He took it, stared at it, and took his time unraveling it. When the dollar bill was fully extended using his two hands, he put it in front of his eyes and looked up toward the sun as if to check the authenticity of it. I knew I was in trouble at this point. In front of my friend, who happened to be a woman (in the shakedown process, this is when you are at your most vulnerable) he let me have it. He said, � Do you know how much this is? Do you know how much meat costs in this town? Aren�t you ashamed of yourself for giving me only this much. What is this? Are you kidding me?� I am standing here getting a lecture from this guy and all I am saying to myself is �Dude, do you have to embarrass me in front of my friend? Come on aghper, in front of her? All right, you have me, what do want? More money, my first born, my blood, what? Let�s get this form of extortion over with.� At that point I got pissed. I�m saying to myself, �What the fuck, this guy is a pro.� Game over, I gave him a disgusted look, I lunged into my pocket and gave him about 3000 dram and said, �Here, you want money, here�s your money. I thought you were giving me this tour because you are proud of this place.� Granted, it is probably the only way that he makes a living. However most would agree that we equate kids with purity and old men as sources of wisdom and treat both of them with respect. The people who execute the shakedown know this, and use it to their advantage. He thanked me for the money and wished me a good day. I turned away and looked at Mt. Ararat and Erebuni and wondered aloud if I would ever resort to what the old man did to me. If I were in his shoes- unemployed, too proud to beg, a family man trying to feed his loved ones- would I ever do what he did?
I don�t know. Would any of us?
-Raffi Meneshian
posted by ArmeniaLog at 6:29 AM
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