The Owners of the ‘Opera’ Cafés

In 2019, the Yerevan Municipality launched an initiative to dismantle the cafés surrounding the  National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre after A. Spendiaryan, aiming to restore the area for public use. The move was presented as a step toward revitalizing green spaces and reclaiming public areas, addressing long-standing concerns over privatization and misuse of urban land.

However, nearly five years later, the promised changes remain largely unfulfilled. The Opera’s adjacent territory has not been returned to the public, and the planned greening and redevelopment projects have yet to materialize. Instead of a restored public space, the area continues to be occupied, raising questions about transparency and accountability in urban land management.

More alarmingly, an investigation into the rental fees for these commercial spaces reveals figures that are strikingly low compared to standard market rates. This raises serious concerns about the fairness of leasing agreements and the potential loss of public revenue.

A closer look at the existing rental contracts provides insight into who benefits from these public spaces and at what cost. Below, detailed images illustrate the individuals or businesses renting the Opera’s cafés and the rental amounts they pay.

This investigation was carried out as part of the “Youth Against Corruption” program, implemented by the For Equal Rights Educational Center NGO under the “Integrity in Armenia” project, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Author: Suzy Davtyan
Mentor & Editor: Gevorg Tosunyan

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