The Divergent Sides of Armenia

A reflection on Armenia

It's interesting as one drives through Yerevan to see the contrasts. It is a merging of beauty and at the same time disrepair. The appreciation of art can be seen everywhere - intricate stone carvings hang on the side of buildings, large statutes stand every few blocks honoring the history and people of the nation, and the architecture of the most important buildings is gorgeous.





However, very visible among this beauty are half-built buildings and crumbling homes. According to our guide, many of these projects will take decades to complete, if they are indeed every done. Most of these half-built projects harken back to the Soviet days, before Armenia gained freedom - but faced economic hardship. (You can tell the Soviet buildings - they are nondescript concrete block apartments buildings that are already falling apart 40 years later ...)





Nowadays, the problem that many countries such as Armenia face is one of not having the financing to finish projects if funding falls through or the economy goes downwards. Unfortunately, with upwards of 45% unemployment, things are not going to be getting on track any time soon.





One can only imagine what the city might look like one day when the collapsed roofs are repaired and the empty shells of buildings are completed.