TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL TOWN
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
22 Jan 05
Did the work style of the City Hall department for architecture and
building change after the election to the municipalities? According to
the head of the department Nver Mikaelian, the order of providing land
on a competitive basis is a progressive step. Among the responsibilities
of the department, besides responding to the applications of the
people of Stepanakert, N. Mikaelian pointed out the repair of facades
of buildings of the town.
THE TOWN WILL HAVE A NEW RESIDENTIAL AREA
On the outskirts of Stepanakert near the village Khanatsakh a new
residential area will be established with 740 detached houses.
According to the City Hall department for architecture and building,
preparation works are going on for allotting lands. Presently, the
road is built. In allotting lands preference will be given to certain
groups of people, such as families of disabled or killed persons. The
order of allotting lands has not been decided yet. It will become
clear after the preparation works. `As the chief architect I consider
important the looks and beauty of the town, and all our efforts are
directed at this aim,’ said Nver Mikaelian.
STEPANAKERT WILL HAVE ITS EMBLEM
The head of the department for architecture and building Nver
Mikaelian said, the town has never had an emblem and now they want to
fill in this gap. For this aim the City Hall holds a competition for
the design of the coat of arms of Stepanakert. The projects are
submitted up to February 22 and then the special commission will make
a choice. The head of the department said the participants must study
the history of the town and only then decide to take part in the
contest. According to him, no works have been submitted yet but
several painters and sculptors are interested in it. A competition
cannot be without prizes. The first prize is 100 thousand drams, the
second 50 thousand dramsand the third prize is 25 thousand drams.
LION AN UNFLINCHING SYMBOL
Nothing is eternal in this world, like different statues once erected
with great enthusiasm. Aged inhabitants of Stepanakert must remember
that in the 1950-60s a statue with the image of a lion was put at the
northern gate of the town, which perhaps symbolized power. They also
say that there was another animal near the feet of the lion, but we do
not know and do not want to suppose what it symbolized. The question
is that recently the City Hall has discussed the question of having a
statue of a lion at one of the gates of the town. The department for
architecture and building informed that the leadership of the City
Hall approved the idea and mentioned that unlike the `lion’ created in
the Soviet times which was not a monumental statue, the new statue
will be a work of art created with good taste to be in tune with the
spirit of the people of Artsakh. This time the statue will indeed
become a symbol of power. According to the headof the department for
architecture and building Nver Mikaelian, as in all developed towns it
is desirable to have a splendid statue marking one of the gates of
Stepanakert, which is considered the most important one today.
N. Mikaelian said, 17 works have already been submitted for
competition and very soon the monument will be erected at one of the
gates of the town.
LAURA GRIGORIAN.
22-01-2005
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress