To the gentleman who said that candles bring in only a few kopeks: between 10-15 million candles are sold annually and at 60 AMD each that brings in nearly $900,000-1.8 million $$$$ Kopeks?

Bonman

My dear friend Vardanatzi Miserable that religion/church if survives because only wealthy people support, rather than FAITH of people.... well I see that some people already decided for myself what I should have in my own, native city; while other hippocrates suggesting me about my own house...

Shame on you Vahe! Armenian church is not a business and never has been a business. The few kopecks that comes from the sell of candles can hardly support our church. It is few big donations from wealthy Armenians that support, finance and keep it alive. Armenian clergies are one of the poorest clergy in the world and the wealth of the church comes from donations made from the hearts and pockets of Armenians and not from candle sales which helps the church only in partial way. As to you Vahe, the church does not need your kopecks and your donations, church can do without you, spent your money in building an Anahid statue in your own house.

....“Historical justice will only be restored as a result, because the huge edifice that was destroyed under the Soviet regime must be restored one day,” Ter Vahram told ArmeniaNow.... Ter-Vahram, why not restore historical justice and rebuild a masterpiece a statue of Goddes Anahit in that place, masterfully destroyed by George Illuminator and Co? It is not a profitable business proposal, is not it?

Dear Yerevantsi! now that you mentioned rebuilding the Poghos-Petros church I do not see it a bad idea. Let us take down the whole building of Cine Moscow with its open and closed theaters and rebuild the old Armenian church in its place, maybe in this way the curse on Yerevan will be lifted off, a curse that came in 1933 when the church was destroyed in favor of cine Moscow. There are some 5 churches you say in the Ketron of Yerevan but they are NOT enough, there should be about 500 so that people don't have to walk too much for their daily prayer and lighting of candle, a church every 100 meters would be fine, or one at every corner of a street.

We have many churches right in the center of Yerevan, and one is near the Abovyan-Sayat Nova streets' crossing. We do not need one more church very close to that, besides thera are other churches in the centre - Grigor Lusavorich, Srb Zoravor, Srb Sargis in the Centre of Yerevan. Do we really need to ruin another building to build one more church? If we are so eager to reconstruct the Poghos-Petros church, its better to do that in other places of Yerevan and thus they can build the exact copy of that wonderful church. In the place of Cinema Moscow open-air hall, it is impossible to build the exact copy, and it does not make any sense to ruin something to build anything else!!!

Bravo Sera! not to forget that most of Armenians have the custom to go to a small church near their home before going to work and they light a candle saying a short prayer. When they come back from work they again go to their church nearby and light a candle saying a short prayer of thanks to Jesus for giving them a good safe prosperous day. The point is that Yerevan needs many more churches, small and big ones, for the needs of Yerevantis for this purpose, of daily prayer. This was the case since our conversation to Christianity when our land become full of churches. Communists came in Russia in 1920, and after consolidation their power for 13 years, they clamped on 1933 on everything. Before 1933 there was a rather freedom and tolerance and individual farms in the Soviet Union, and freedom of movement and expression and of owning farms and domestic animals like cows, but after that they forbade anyone to travel out of his village or town without a permit and had to tell why he is moving or traveling, they took over the churches and destroyed them or converted them to other uses, they took over individual farms and animals from their rightful owners and established collectivism, they sent millions to gulag camps to Siberia for death or slave work, claiming them to be state enemies of communism. This all came starting from 1933. Communism ended in 1990 and it has been now 20 years but people in Armenia still have the fear and terror of Communism in them.

Odd comments here. Why can't you build Churches AND schools, just like all the other peoples do. If you want bread, build a bakery and don't cry here that you don't get bread from the Church. Armenian Church singing is the most beautiful in the world, you should be proud of it and not be wasting your time here writing nonsense. Cheers!

The church in Armenia is being run like a business. This is tainted money we are talking about here and hands are passing cash and favors under the table. The church has a cathedral in Yerevan the size of a freekin football field. And now they want to use this tiny speace to build another one??? Anything for a buck!!! I'd really be surprised if the church converted this space into something practical like a center for the mentally disabled, a shelter for street kids, etc. But NOOOOO. Rather build another church where candles can be sold at 60 dram a pop....all for the glory of the one on high... Sadly, in Armenia,,,Church=Spirituality isn't a working formula.

actually Mr. Mher the government is not "handing the land over," It is RETURNING the stolen property, only in part, to its rightful owner. If somebody stole your house you live in now and after some decades that same stolen house has been returned by a judge to your grown children and grandchildren as being the rightful owner of the stolen property from you....are you getting it?

Nothing should be built there!!! I just don't get it. You have this fine little outdoor concert space so the government decides to hand the land over to Etchmiadzin for favors or silence in the future.. What the hell happened to separation of Church and State?? Maybe the government should allocate the land to those families evicted to build the monstrosity called Northern Avenue. That would be justice for you.

I do not agree with the negative outlook of this reporter at all. In that space there should be build a replica of Armenian Aghtamar church or a replica of the now destroyed Armenian Cathedral of the Armenian city Ani, making Armenians look inside and not beyond the present borders.

Build schools not churches, we have enough of them! We've been building churches throughout our history and now look at who owns them. Churches will never protect us from our enemies. Now days churches are built so that poor Armenians can ask God for a piece of bread to feed their children, God isn't going to help those people. Thats the government's job! The Armenian church is becoming dangerously politicized. It seems as if every oligarch either already has his own church or is in the process of building one.