Unzipped: 'Communist ambitions in Armenia' (BBC)

Sunday 10 August 2008

'Communist ambitions in Armenia' (BBC)

You have to watch this! :)

A small town in Armenia is argued to be the last stronghold of Communism in the former Soviet Union.

The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie reports from Lernamerdz.

*Thanks to S.H. for the link!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: There's also an article by Marianna Grigoryan accompanied by a photo story by myself on EurasiaNet from 2006:

"Long Live Communism!," "Long Live Socialism!," "Long Live the Great October Revolution!" In the Armenian village of Lernamerdz, about 40 kilometers from Yerevan, communism and its triumphant proclamations are not a dim recollection. They are a way of life.

In Soviet times, there were reportedly only seven communists in Lernamerdz, a hamlet of over 500 residents. But the situation changed after Armenia gained independence in 1991, and began to dismantle monuments to communist leaders, villagers say.

Amidst the economic hardships and political uncertainties of independence, Lernamerdz Communist Party Secretary Samvel Mirzoyan says, the village began to see socialism as their sole support.

"They say the country has become independent, but from what?" commented villager Azat Barseghyan. "Once we were dependent on Russia, and lived well… [T]oday we depend on the whole world and are struggling to survive."

Armenia: Socialism in One Village; 10 August 2008 at 15:07
artmika said...: Oh, I loved it :) thanks for the link.; 10 August 2008 at 15:15
Anonymous said...: //This building has not being repaired since the fall of the Soviet Union.//

That was the funniest part!; 10 August 2008 at 21:55

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