Traces of Civilization Were Detected in Yerevan
Guests of Yerevan, Spyurkahay brothers, tourists - I have great news! Bilingual (Armenian-English) signs, pointing to important places in Yerevan were seen downtown. I am the witness.
This is indeed very good news, because one of the problems for all my foreign friends/guests to Yerevan was always the difficulty to find their way around town, and even in downtown, although God knows - Yerevan is really small. Moreover, I have photographed this map in one of the bus stops. A good one two - and again in two languages. And the last - but not least, the bus stops occasionally have signs showing which minibus routes go by that given point! That is a most amazing breakthrough! Take my word on it! I have been hoping for something like this since 1996, when I discovered, that this is common practice in the civilized world (e.g. in the Europe, US). So - come visit Yerevan. It is a beautiful city, and now it is trying to become foreigner friendly too!
PS: This is not really news - because they’ve been installing these signs all over the place for some time now, but today I had to do a big walk around Yerevan, and suddenly understood that this is indeed happening. So I decided to share my joy with you all! 
“in the civilized world (i.e. in the US)”
You’re being sarcastic here right? Tell me your being sarcastic.
Comment by George — 10/26/2006 @ 5:41 am
You bet! US is one big zoo - and one should be blind not to see that. Still - when it comes to street signs, maps, GPS, etc - US is definately civilized, and to deny that would be - again, a little too much. Don’t you admit?
Comment by Observer — 10/26/2006 @ 8:29 am
I love the sign with “Erebooni”.
Comment by Myrthe — 10/26/2006 @ 2:24 pm
I wonder how are they going to write III Mas? If they do - 3rd Part, it doesn’t sound right. If they write plain-old Garegin Njdeh, the whole flavor and peculiarity and sense of “qyartu-ness”, and “apero-ness” and “goxakanutyun” will be gone.
Anyway - I find it hard to explain. Maybe someone can do it better?
Comment by Observer — 10/26/2006 @ 9:39 pm
Observer, but why would they want to send any tourist to III Mas?
Comment by Myrthe — 10/26/2006 @ 11:58 pm
Observer, sadly the “feel” you speak of in your comment #4 is quickly leaving Yerevan. Gone is the Mastun Ladies in the center. I used to love the feel of Barikamutsun three years ago when it was still full of “sovo8akan mardik”. Now, it has been upscaled and like the Kentron the local people are being pushed out.
Yerevan will change. I guess it must. Sadly, we are loosing a truly wonderful city to be replaced with a modern ideal that is so opposite of what should be Yerevan in my opinion.
There will be more signs. I suspect at some point, the marshutney system will be changed / consolidated / tourist-ified . In part, it is a good thing. It is development but people like myself will miss the tatik selling matsun.
Comment by Burnell — 10/27/2006 @ 9:23 am
I guess you’re right Burnell… we’re loosing more then we’re gaining with globalization. Moreover, at times we’re becoming so preoccupied with copying Western style “everything”, that we’re starting to look like the old monkey at the zoo, who just got hold of a cigarette and is trying to smoke it, mimicking its human owners. But then again - many people like the funny monekey, and many tourists, diaspora Armenias like Yerevan. I’ve heard them say many times - Yerevan is becoming more beutiful every day.
Comment by Observer — 10/27/2006 @ 2:02 pm
I MISSED YEREVAN AND BAREKAMUTYUN…. But i have to admit that of all parts in Yerevan, last time i visited only arabkir regian aka berkamutyun was the only part of Yerevan that had stayed the same… no retarded cafes on every corner… oh and komitas was still classy and ooohhhh soooo yerevan. Komitas is proly the best street in yerevan just cuz it doesnt really change… i was there last year… i hope it hasnt changed since!!!!
but the signs around is a good idea, they should also print maps for the tourists… haha i just remembered Hrant from Mer bak 3 lol
Comment by SAM — 10/27/2006 @ 8:44 pm
Komitas??? You should see Komitas these day!!! Karauuuuuuull!!! They’re removing the Tram lines there - the whole of the street is in a mess. If I happen to drop by I’ll post a photo for you. In the meanwhile, I avoid going anyware near Komitas if I can, because its literally undrivable due to construction works started 3 months ago and left unfinished ever since…
Comment by Observer — 10/28/2006 @ 9:52 am
Barev!
The traffic signs and street signs in Armenia are already bi-lingual, armenian and russian!
So the phenomen which you noticed is more than a progress, it is a change of parameters, from armenian + russian to armenian + english (or american?)
it’s a change which might make life more easy for some foreigners, but a lot of foreigners already have orientation (those who can read cyrillic which is by all means not too difficult)
greetings from Hamburg, just being back from Yerevan,
Connie
Comment by Connie — 10/29/2006 @ 10:32 am
one more thing:
as noted above, Yerevan is loosing a lot
I wrote the following article last year:
http://www.avantart.com/version.php?v=armenia/2005&d=kultur.html
and still I sit on a lot of photomaterial documenting the destruction of the old city, not worked on that material really until now because of lack of time
Comment by Connie — 10/29/2006 @ 10:34 am
So , exactly how many of these signs are around now? I was in Yerevan in summer and remembered thinknig, there are no internal signs in yerevan ie. 3rd mas, davtashen, centre, roundabout, etc. no signs on cross roads.. bizarre….
so is this any different?
and i cannot believe komitas has just been left like that, that is madness
Comment by Harmick — 10/29/2006 @ 4:56 pm
Wow - Connie! Really good photos on you site! I’ll try to check back to see when you have more of them.
Regarding your point about Armenian+Russian signs: the problem with them is, they are outdated and inconsistent.
By saying outdated, I mean, a lot of street/place names have changed in Yerevan, and the Armenian+Russian signs haven’t been updated since the Soviet times. Moreover, I don’t remember ever seeing any Armenian+Russian sign pointing to the general direction of the Russian, French or US Embassy, or Matenadaran or the Yerevan Center. …and I don’t remember having any memory problems, although… how would I remember if I did?
By saying inconsistent, I mean - you can never take the Armenian+Russian signs for granted. You might find them on some streets, or no. …some people are lucky though!
As to the new Armenian-English signs posted around in Yerevan, I can trace some logic in the way they are placed (albeit - very little logic if we come to think of it
).
As to the change of orientation - that is very well noted, but needs more speculation, whether it does really mean a change of orientation, or is a result of simple business calculation: there aren’t many Russian speaking tourists/guests of Yerevan, and those that know Russian, usually know English letters much better, then most of the English speakers would know the Cyrillic letters.
Comment by Observer — 10/29/2006 @ 5:09 pm
By the way - I’ve already spotted 3 different spellings for Erebuni on these signs: Erebuni, Erebooni and Erebouni!!!
Increadible creativity!!!
Comment by Observer — 11/1/2006 @ 12:09 pm