"I don't understand all the uproar about the Hrazdan gorge. Nothing serious has been built there. A few establishments can't damage the environment," said Narek Sarkissian, chief architect of Yerevan, in response to our inquiry about the construction work underway in the Hrazdan gorge. So far, municipal officials have not provided any information about the number and legality of public catering establishments operating in the Hrazdan gorge. Instead, the chief architect has tried to persuade us that in bringing up the issue of the illegality of these installations, environmentalists have a different agenda. According to Narek Sarkissian, the Hrazdan gorge has been polluted since as far back as the end of World War II, when many industrial enterprises were built. This is where we should seek the answers to the problem raised, the chief architect suggested. He also promised to determine the final status of the Hrazdan gorge after the new plan of development for Yerevan is adopted. In deciding the fate of the gorge, planners will make use of architect Fridon Aslanian's 15-year-old project, adapting it to the needs of today's market. According to this project, a funicular railway, sport centers and outdoor cafés were to be built, along with a metro station near Kievian Bridge. Also, Yerevan's main sewer system was to pass through the gorge, solving the water and sewage problems of all the establishments there.

Even a cemetery was planned for the gorge. Of course, this was according to Aslanian's project, and for Narek Sarkissian, it is altogether unacceptable. The chief architect claims that during his time in office, the gorge has not been damaged and there has been no illegal construction, fully aware that this statement contradicts his superior, Mayor Robert Nazarian.

Remember that recently Mayor Nazarian said in a TV appearance, "During my term as mayor, no piece of land in the Hrazdan gorge has been allocated to anyone, and all construction is illegal." Narek Sarkissian has no choice but to contradict the mayor, since he is the one behind the illegality. The allocation of land for all the construction that has caused such an uproar was made when Albert Bazeyan was mayor in 1999; Narek Sarkissian was the city's chief architect at that time.

"In the issue of the construction of those buildings, the chief architect plays a much greater role than the mayor-he is responsible for the legality of any construction on every meter of land," said former mayor Albert Bazeyan when we met him, adding that he himself could not have made any illegal allocation of land. "A citizen applies to the Mayor's Office for an allocation of land or permission to enlarge an existing plot. Only after the applicant received a positive response from all the offices concerned would I sign the decision. It's not the mayor who is responsible for the legality of the construction work, but the chief architect. If anyone has evidence that the law was broken, that something was done wrong, let them take it to court." Bazeyan said.

The first land allocations in the gorge

 Vahagn Khachatrian, Mayor of Yerevan (1992-1996): "During my term in office, there were no land allocations. The gorge today isn't a recreation area, it has turned into a row of restaurant complexes, which dump sewage into the river and pollute it more. The situation is horrifying."

Vartan Harutunian, Head of the Municipal Department of Land, Property and Assets (1996-1997): "I worked under Mayor Vano Siradeghian. In those days there was no land allocation at all. We were given the task of planting greenery."

Gurgen Musheghian, Chief Architect of Yerevan (1982-1989, 1996): "In my time, there was no land allocation or construction work. In those days, there were two catering concessions in the gorge-Parvana, and the café at Hrazdan Stadium. There need to be some catering concessions in the recreation zone, but they shouldn't have been allowed to be built so close to the river."

The practice of allocating land began during the term of Mayor Suren Abrahamian (1998-1999): 'During my term there were two allocations of land-- 300 square meters and 500 square meters. However, no building permits were granted by the chief architect, Hamlet Khachatrian. I charged him with the task of not spoiling places of architectural significance, not alienating the people of Yerevan from the gorge. Today they approach the gorge with a consumer mentality. In my tenure we felt pressure as well, but it's not in the mayor's job description to please everybody."

Hamlet Khachatrian, Chief Architect of Yerevan (1997-2000): "In my time there were two allocations of land, of 300 and 500 square meters, for the construction of two outdoor cafes, across from one another. But only one of the owners of the plots did construction.

On the plot Khachatrian mentioned, the Monte Cristo restaurant castle-complex was built. Naturally, it took up more than 500 square meters. The plot was enlarged under Mayor Albert Bazeyan, and grew to 1850 square meters. Also under Bazeyan and Narek Sarkissian, land allocations were made for all the eye-catching establishments between the Haghtanak and Kievian Bridges-the very establishments that mayor Nazarian considers illegal. Sarkissian approaches the question from another point of view, which is that when Nazarian turned down the requests of the owners of those establishments to enlarge their property, they decided to solve the problem another way. The owners of both the Geghama and Motel complexes took the matter to court, where their construction was deemed legal. Both these establishments had enlarged their territory without the necessary permission, and only afterwards appealed to the court. The Center-Marash District Court recognized the property rights of the plaintiffs, and obliged the municipal government to add to the original 500 square meters belonging to the Geghama restaurant complex an additional 680 meters, land on which the Geghama management had already done construction work without permission.

The management of the Motel hotel complex took the same route. In court, the unfinished construction of a ship in the vicinity of the Motel was also deemed legal. Mayor Robert Nazarian's outrage about the illegality of all this construction raises some suspicion, because those establishments were deemed legal only by the lower court. The mayor allowed the verdicts to stand by not taking the issue to the court of appeals within 15 days.

Who own these famous establishments?

The municipal government continues to carefully conceal the identity of the owners of the eye-catching establishments in the Hrazdan Gorge. The Association of Investigative Journalists has received no official information so far from the corresponding departments, despite numerous inquiries. On April 17 of this year, the association appealed to Mayor Nazarian: "We request information on how many establishments are operating in the gorge within Yerevan city limits, and how many of them are illegal or in the process of legalization. Have any permits been issued for the construction of new establishments? If so, how many, and where?" According to existing law, the corresponding department of the municipal government is required to respond to an inquiry within one month. Instead of a response, our letter was forwarded to the Hrazdan Gorge CJSC. This newly established structure, which in reality has no authority to enforce anything, told us in writing, "We inform you that Hrazdan Gorge CJSC has provided no information to the Department of Architecture and Construction of the Municipal Government regarding the questions raised concerning the Hrazdan gorge."

Unlike official sources, the news circulating among the people tends to correspond to reality. According to the word on the street, the owner of the Monte Cristo restaurant complex is Levon Haroutunian, head of the Municipal Department of Trade and Consumer Services: "Yes, the place is mine. I personally haven't heard the mayor's statement that all the establishments are illegal. I believe that such establishments are permitted in the gorge. Every year we move forward, step by step." 
Haroutunian presented all the documents related to his construction.

He assured us that during construction, no tree was cut down, special pits for sewage and garbage were dug, and that the only water that flows into the river is from the fountain, which is many times cleaner than the river.

Chief Architect Narek Sarkissian makes no secret of his attitude toward Monte Cristo. As we discovered further, he created privileged conditions for the building of Monte Cristo and gave complete freedom for the construction work, and today he invites all his guests to the restaurant. Former chief Architect Hamlet Khachatrian takes a different view of Monte Cristo: "No people in the world build a castle down inside a gorge, but our Monte Cristo, nobody knows why, appeared at the bottom of the gorge."

Another one of the eye-catching and popular establishments is the Geghama restaurant complex. Almost all of the high-level military are frequent visitors. In addition to the restaurant, the complex has a beer hall. According to the word on the street, it belongs to the department chief of the military police, Razmik Khanzradian. In a telephone conversation, Mr. Khazandrian did not deny his link to the restaurant, but said the owner is not he, but his brother, Khachik Khanzradian.

In the vicinity of Geghama is the Motel complex. On the issue of enlarging their territory, Geghama and the Motel took the same route. But the Motel's services are a bit different. This is the only hotel in the gorge. The identity of its guests is kept secret. A guest enters the Motel by car, and immediately goes to the second floor. He is isolated from the surrounding environment, and no matter how much he wants to, does not feel like he is in the green zone. The owner of the ship squeezed into the gorge near the Motel is, according to fairly reliable sources, well-known businessman Araik Hairapetian (Araik of Lavanda).

Hairapetian informed us that recently it has become a general custom to attribute all the property of his relatives to him. "The Motel and the ship belong to my sister's son, Tigran Haroutunian," he said.

The situation in the gorge does not particularly disturb the Ministry of Ecology. Deputy Minister Artashes Kizirian expressed his concern in a recent press conference: "I don't think that those establishments should be demolished. I don't think we can find anyone who could raise a hand to demolish them."

All these structures continue to expand today. Life in the Hrazdan gorge is simmering, especially after midnight. It would be naïve to think that because of a statement by the mayor or anyone else-- the president of the republic, for instance-- anyone would dare to demolish these establishments, and restore the gorge's former appearance. What's more, the demolition team are all regular customers.