Shine and poverty in Armenia: Yerevan. Photo Report Bashny.Net

Yerevan has become for me the last capital of the former Soviet republics, where I was not, because in the sightseeing, I spent much more time than usual. On the one hand, this was due to the antiquity of the city (after all, the official Yerevan 30 years older than Rome), on the other - interest as the capital of the country lives, natives of which formed one of the most influential in the world of the diasporas. That is why I paid more attention not only some promoted tourist attractions and the city center, but also the relative margins. However, the outskirts of the city without examining the larger chamber, and turned to shoot only place in the center where a lot of tourists. Such is the dialectic. In general I can say that Armenia is planned well, the central part of town is very small and compact area, which is up and down, you can get around just a couple of hours. Well, I invite to explore the city.
Often sightseeing begins with the station, so let us not break the tradition this time. Moreover, the Yerevan railway station recently restored nice, slightly odd for a station at which should be one train every two days, and several pairs of trains. Railway Station Square, as usual in the Caucasus, is some combination of the market, the boulevard for strolling and crush taxi drivers.
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Trains on the Armenian railroad (now called the South Caucasus, since bought out the entire CFR) are literally museum pieces of rolling stock, which, according to the interior design, has never held a major overhaul. Although much dirty appearance, inside their carefully scrub.



In parallel with the platform of the station is the station "David Sasuntsi" Yerevan Metro. Metropolitan Armenia is rather amusing: it consists in fact of a single line that slowly move dvuhvagonnye (!) Of the train. Most trains are old, but the couple were modernized in Tbilisi and look at the background of other very smart. Entrance to the subway is very inexpensive and you can get to it, roughly speaking, from the southwest of the city to the north. Some stations at the entrance are a good finish, such as the "Republic Square", the entrance to which is decorated with an interesting fountain.



The square itself the Republic, in the city center, is limited to buildings with beautiful front facade, vaguely reminiscent of Kiev Khreshchatyk.



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On the Square of the Republic is something that few in the capital which will meet at the central square - Bubbler.



It offers a good view of the Yerevan TV Tower. According to the project it is strongly reminiscent of Tbilisi, but the night is not so smart flashing lights and shimmering colors.



Just two blocks from the central square is the recently rebuilt the main shopping street of the city. There are so many young people and usually empty chain stores of various Italian atelier.



Street abuts the little square near the Opera House, which began to build some art objects. That piano-bed:



That some pianist, having a disproportionate and excessive expression of hands in the game:



Curiously, the area adjacent to the square shopping street, it's hard to find a restaurant of Armenian cuisine, though the catering establishments in the quarter full, but quantitatively dominated by either institution "global" cuisine ("McDonalds", "Sbarro") or cafes Iranian cuisine and even Lebanese fast food. By the way, the Iranians in Armenia for a huge amount, and they come to the strange painted buses, such as this:



On an incredible amount of Iranians in Yerevan says such a seemingly insignificant fact, the vast number of signs in Farsi, not only at the cafes, but also directly to the city lampposts:



Here and there ply Iranian tourists, in groups or one by one, like this beautiful Iranian geoblogger:



Defile through the city center and the local ladies:



Public transport in the city is very patchy, with a predominance of the largest collections of vintage Soviet buses that ride on gas:



Where else can you find real Rafiq, who are not only on track, but also actively work as minibuses:



Of all three South Caucasus capitals in Yerevan, most notably the influence of Russia, and signs here very often duplicated in Russian. In the heart of the city is the Russian theater:



Central theater of the city is called «Moscow»



Next to it is a group of statues, one of which is a huge spider with a group of stylized antique sculptures:



In Armenia, the Russian business came in full. In addition to redeem Armenian Railways Railways, the country came to mobile operators "Beeline" and "MTS", as well as "VTB»



Log in to the bank is decorated with figures of Mercury



For the majority of Russian Yerevan, of course, the attitude of quite favorable, but with some caution, do not skimp if Russian business all over the country by the gross? Others retorted that let them buy, the money, they say, will bring, and the Turks, knowing the possible intercession of Russia, will not go to the final decision of the "Armenian issue" in the style of 1915. Perhaps that is why the city is not less than half of signs are duplicated in Russian.



Armenia in general, but especially in Yerevan different somehow permanent, but peaceful coexistence of wealth and poverty. For example, in the city center near the clothing market (!!) you can easily see doroguschy sports car with Hungarian numbers (do not be surprised that this machine is one of the few in the country of gasoline, because in order to save the drivers, even very expensive prestigious jeeps translate their "iron horses "gas):



But right there, two steps (the center) are downright slums of Latin America:



Of particular poignancy this slum makes the fact that they are located close to the main church of Yerevan - Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral.



Near the cathedral is a monument to some Armenian ruler who rode on two horses, won the Armenian enemies, and then climbed Mount Ararat, where he lost to the ends



Inside in the cathedral there is nothing remarkable. People come, look, even photographed the monks not paying any attention to the visitors, the service is performed.



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One of the strangest monuments of the city - a monument to some other Armenian hero. At the monument there would be nothing wrong if the image is not a horse rider. It seems that the horse ... stands on its own guts. It's strange shocked.



What's in Russia "Putinka" in Yerevan - "Medvedevka»



In Yerevan, a lot of churches and cathedrals, which are both very different, but the principle is very similar



One of the most famous enterprises in the city - Ararat Brandy Factory is located on the high bank of the river Hrazdan



It is rumored that a significant share of this enterprise is an oligarch, nicknamed Dumb Gago. Propensity Blunt Gago to the most obscene luxury has already entered the jokes, and his revelations about the crocodiles in the zoo's own personal cause huge estates citizens fierce anger. Once on TV Gago I open up and complained, saying that the day crocodiles devour whole calf that the poor, in general, the country has caused acute attacks of hatred among the electorate. In an attempt to appease the population, tycoon allegedly paid some vehicle tax for all taxi drivers in Yerevan for several months, which strengthened his persona obmusolivanie taxi drivers in conversations with passengers.

If you see the city from street leading from the airport, beautiful views of the cognac factory Noah and skyscrapers Center:



The last photo of 35-th
Overall, Yerevan is still a very pleasant city, which is certainly worth a visit on occasion. Even the airport here is very friendly and nice after the opening of the new terminal:



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