Yerevan Might Become a Huge Graveyard: Aravot

Every month, on average 500–600 Yerevan residents die, reports local daily paper Aravot (“Morning”) today, addressing the issue of the Armenian capital’s cemeteries.

Considering there are only 21 cemeteries in Yerevan, more than half of which are closed, by a simple calculation, it becomes clear that in 8–9 years, at this rate, there will be no more room to bury the dead. In an attempt to find plots for 7,000–7,500 people annually, Yerevan will soon become a huge graveyard.

It has become so, that residents of the Yerevan districts of Kanaker-Zeitun, Nork-Marash, Davitashen and Avan have to bury their dead in the districts of Shengavit, Ajapnyak or Erebuni, because only those cemeteries are open. However, those areas have expanded their burial land so much that it has violated all the established criteria.

Cemeteries, by law, must be at least 300 meters away from residential areas; however, the cemetery in Shahumyan has already practically entered residents’ homes, breaking all laws on sanitation.

Haghtanak (“Victory”) cemetery, located in the Yerevan district of Malatia-Sebastia, has become so “overpopulated” with the number of deceased buried there that the plots have reached the street, much further than the territory allocated to the cemetery.

“We all know that a big mafia is in effect in cemeteries today and who pays the most, buys the largest possible plot; however, in these conditions, when there is no longer vacant land for a new cemetery and there is no room in the old [cemeteries], as much as possible and through government intervention, the procedure of granting plots must be strictly enforced and the size of cemeteries adjusted,” writes Aravot.

The second solution to the problem, that is, the construction of a crematorium (as none currently exists in Armenia), is a fairly expensive option: according to estimates by Armenia’s Ministry of Urban Development, the government is looking at spending upwards of 300 million drams (over $830,000 US) — which is probably why the government is not raising the issue: because of the increased cost and not because of protests from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, reports Aravot.

Note: stock photo is of an Armenian cemetery but not one in Yerevan.