Yerevan City Hall criticized for decorating city center with a 3D image

Yerevan City Hall presented yet another surprise to the residents of the capital: 3D street-art, featuring bears playing in a valley, appeared in Freedom Square. Special waterproof and heat-resistant paints were used to extend the lifespan of the image as far as possible.

Some people have already taken pictures with the bears, while others have publicly expressed their discontent. Some residents of the capital are displeased that the bears in the picture resemble the famous Russian chocolate glazed candies (Mishka Kosolapy/Clumsy Bear), and in no way harmonizes with Yerevan’s image.

“It should be written down in the Constitution that Yerevan’s Mayor be deprived of the right to initiate anything. Mayor Margaryan would better demonstrate his taste in his own garden. Why is he doing that in the city?” said Arsen Karapetyan, an architect.

Aram Isabekyan, rector of the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts, said that he didn’t quite understand why the bears had been put in the square near the Opera House: “It could have been some other image, for example Mona Lisa. Why did they choose bears? Personally I associate them with Russia.”

Vahram Martirosyan, a script writer, essayist and publicist, also stated that the picture very much resembled the Russian candies: “This picture is clearly associated with the Soviet-time candies with three bears on their cover. They were usually brought from Moscow because they were in short supply. What was the purpose of it? Was it to stir up associations? To remind us of the blessed Soviet past? But what was great about it? Deficiency?”

Here are some Facebook posts with regard to the aforesaid:

“What in the world are those ‘bears in the valley’ outside the Opera House? It’s not the yard of the Russian confectionery plant, is it?”

“Who else thinks that an extremely ugly image has been put outside the Opera House?”

“Just when you think that the lack of taste, backwardness and stupidity of the authorities, their mania to spoil everything, has boundaries.”

“Beg your pardon, but I should use the word ‘country-bumpkin’, not to be confused with people from the rural areas. Do those bears have anything to do either with freedom or classic arts [the bears image appeared in Freedom Square, where the Opera House is located]? Well, if you don’t have a knack for aesthetics, why not ask for advice? Or are you hinting that our freedom will be governed by a Russian bear?”

“For some reason it seems to me that Spendiaryan and Tumanyan monuments will soon come to life and escape from Freedom Square. It seems as if the paintings by some underground artists from the metro on the Third Section [a Soviet-time industrial district] have been brought here.”