Deutsche Presse-Agentur
August 17, 2004, Tuesday

FEATURE: History takes centre stage at 2004 Olympics

Athens

More than 116 centuries after a Roman emperor abolished the Olympics
because of its pagan roots, ancient Olympia will once again take
centre stage with the shot put competition on Wednesday.

The same day the Panathinaiko stadium in Athens will see the medal
round in the women’s archery competition – the first Olympic final
there since the start of the modern era Games in 1896.

Nestled in a valley covered in pine trees and laurel, the venue at
Olympia will play host to around 80 shot putters from at least 47
countries. Up to 15,000 spectators will watch them, sitting on the
grassy slopes around the stadium, rather than seats, as they did in
ancient times.

The plan to hold the men’s and women’s competition at the ancient
stadium will mark the first time since the Games began in 776 BC that
female athletes will be allowed to compete there. It will also be the
first time women spectators are allowed in.

In ancient times, any woman caught watching the event, where men
competed in the nude, were punished by death.

Spectators lucky enough to attend will pass through an impressive
arch to their places around the arena of the remarkably preserved
stadium, which dates to the 4th century BC.

In its heyday, the stadium had a capacity of 40,000.

Although the shot put was not part of the ancient games, organisers
decided to hold the event at the ancient stadium because it requires
little space and can be completed in a single day before dusk.

“I believe it will be a fantastic spectacle. Just imagining that the
first Olympics were staged there is an amazing feeling,” said German
shot putter Astrid Kumbernuss.

“We will be very careful not to break anything,” she added of the
stadium, which is now a World Heritage Site.

In their infancy, the games took place in just one day, expanding
later to a five-day Olympic festival. In line with its ancient
significance, organisers have decided to keep the event simple with
no corporate banners and the bare minimum of electrical equipment.

The stadium is located next to the ancient temple of Zeus, whose
massive marble columns, crumbled in an earthquake, can still be seen
as a testament to its former glory. The temple once featured a huge
statue of the prominent Greek god, listed as one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world.

The Games were abolished in 393 AD by Roman Emperor Theodosius, who
had adopted Christianity and considered the Olympics a pagan ritual.
His decree ended an uninterrupted 1,169-year Olympic tradition.

The women’s shot put winner – likely Irina Korshanenko or Svetlana
Krivljova of Russia – will be the first Olympic champion in Olympia
since Varasdates, Prince of Armenia, in 369 AD.

When the modern Olympics were revived in 1896 at the Panathinako
stadium or “Kalimarmaro” in central Athens, more than 17,000
spectators were on hand to witness the first Olympic victory by
American James Connolley in the triple jump.

On Wednesday, the famous stadium which is hosting an Olympic
competition for the first time in 108 years will award the first
medals in the archery event.

The marble stadium, also the finish of the marathon races later in
the 2004 Games, underwent a costly modernisation of its marble
structure as Greece welcomed the Games back home. dpa cp jb ms

A 121.6% REAL GROWTH OF GDP PROVIDED IN NKR IN FIRST HALF YEAR

STEPANAKERT, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). A 121.6% real growth of GDP was
provided in the NKR in January-June of this year. According to the NKR
National Statistical Service, the volume of industrial output made
7,608 mln drams (about 14.63 mln dollars), which is more by 15.5% in
comparison with the first half of 2003. The volume of the gross
agricultural output made 5,754.3 mln drams, or more by 52.2%. Capital
construction of 3,356.9 mln drams (a 10.7% growth) was carried out in
the NKR during the period under review. Foreign commodity circulation
made 51,772 thousand dollars (139.5%), including the exports –
17,808.5 thousand dollars (136.3%) and the imports – 33,963.6 thousand
dollars (141.3%). In the first half of 2004 the average mothly nominal
salary of one employee made 38,157 drams, which is more by 17.8% in
comparison with the same period of last year.

MOUNTAIN-CLIMBERS OF “SPITAK” RESCUE CENTER ARE GOING TO CONQUER SEVEN
TOPS OF TRANSCAUCASIA TILL OCTOBER 2004

YEREVAN, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). Members of the “Spitak” rescue
center are going to conquer tops of seven mountains of Transcaucasia
(Kazbek, Elbrus, Sipan, Nemrut, Demavend, Aragats and Hustup) till
October 2004 in connection with the 175th anniversary of Khachatur
Abovian’s and Fridrikh Parrot’s climbing mountain Ararat.
Mountain-climber Karen Amamchian, a member of the “Spitak” center,
told NT’s correspondent that the center needs financial support for
the implementation of the indicated program.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARCHEOLOGISTS FIND IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE OF PRESENCE OF PALEOANTHROPUS

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14. ARMINFO. An Armenian-French archeological
expedition has found new traces of the primitive man, paleoanthropus,
that inhabited the coasts of paleolakes in the Aparan hollow of the
Aragatsotn region of Armenia.

Talking to ARMINFO, the Head of the expedition, researcher at the
Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, RA National Academy of
Sciences, Boris Gasparyan pointed out that the Armenian-French
expedition worked in July-August 2004 in the vicinity of the Aparan
hollow and of the canyon of the Kasakh River. The expedition members
found about 4,000 items of obsidian and other stones, many bones of
mammals, birds, as well as fish and cockle-shells.

ARMENIAN CHURCH OF ST.PETER CELEBRATES ARMENIAN HOLDS FESTIVAL OF
TRADITION AND CULTURE

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16. ARMINFO. It was a festival of tradition and
culture in Watervliet (state New-York) Sunday. St. Peter’s Armenian
Church held its annual Armenian Festival. The church has been a staple
of the community for more than 100 years and enjoys sharing their
food, music and heritage with the Capital Region. Bob Meeson, Parish
Council Chairman, said, “We all come together to enjoy Armenian food,
dance and music, and for a good cause — it helps us keep our church
growing and alive.” A Penny Social Auction was also held to raise
funds. Local merchants and members of the parish donated items that
were auctioned off to those in attendance. The proceeds are going
toward building a new addition to the church

NET PROFIT OF ARMENIA’s BANKING SYSTEM TO TOTAL 9.4BLN AMD BY 2005

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16. ARMINFO. The net profit of Armenia’s banking
system is expected to make up 9.4bln. AMD by 2005, and 11.1bln. AMD by
2007. Bankers forecast that almost all profit expected by 2005 will be
directed to increasing the capital. Only three banks intend to pay
dividends totaling 290.3mln. AMD before July 1, 2005.From that time,
three other banks are to perform this operation, and their dividends
are to amount to 2.4bln. AMD.

If the forecast profit and carrying amounts are ensured by 2005, the
ROA of Armenia’s banking system will make up 2.8% and the ROE 24.2%.

According to bankers, changes in the income-expense structure of the
country’s banking system will be caused by further reduction of
interest rates, increase in the share of assets, improvement of the
credit portfolio and introduction of modern technologies as a result
of a necessity for new banking services.

According to bankers, in the incomes structure, interest incomes will
increase from 26.4bln. AMD to 33.7bln. AMD and noninterest incomes
from 13.8bln. AMD to 17.2bln. AMD January 1, 2005 to January 1,
2007. In the expenses structure, interest expenses are expected to
increase from 8.9bln. AMD to 10.8bln. AMD and noninterest expenses
from 18.1bln. AMD to 22.3bln. AMD. As a result, incomes are expected
to total 51.4bln. AMD and expenses 40bln. AMD by 2005, and
64.3bln. AMD and 49.2bln. AMD respectively by 2007. As a result, the
balance profit is expected to increase from 11.4bln. AMD to
15.1bln. AMD.

According to the RA Central Bank, the net profit of Armenia’s banking
system totaled 4.3bln. AMD in the first half of 2004. By June 1, 2004,
the total capital had been 55.7bln. AMD, assets 310.9bln. AMD. In the
first half of 2004, total incomes were 25.6bln. AMD, and total
expenses 20.2bln. AMD. As a result, balance profit totaled
5.3bln. AMD.

DWELLERS OF MINAZ APPEAL TO COURT AGAINST BP COMPANY

AKHALKALAKI, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). Dwellers of the village of Minaz
(Minadze) of the Akhaltskha region appealed to the court against the
British Petrolium (BP) company in connection with the construction of
the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan oil pipeline, which is carried out by this
company. According to the “A-Info” Agency, the reason for the
complaint of the dwellers of Minaz is that their houses greatly
suffered from shocks taking place as a result of the traffic of heavy
machinery used for the construction of the oil pipeline: some houses
are already considered as accident-prone and are under threat of
destruction.

Dwellers of the village demanded that BP should compensate for the
damage, the latter refused to compensate. According to the BP company,
corresponding testing was carried out in the village for checking the
level of shocks taking place as a result of the traffic of their
transport means, and the level of chocks was determined. The company
is sure that the traffic can’t influence the constructions of the
village. BP representatives think that the trumbledown state of the
houses of Minaz is connected with the landslides of the local land.

CASES OF ILLEGAL BUILDING BECOME MORE FREQUENT IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). Unauthorized building and illegal
seizure of land is still widely spread in Yerevan and Yerevan Mayor’s
Office is anxious about this fenomenon. Grigor Melkumian, the Chief
Adviser of Yerevan Mayor, said this at the August 16 press
conference. Meanwhile it was mentioned that the struggle against
unauthorized building has become rather active compared with the
previous years. According to him, 1,974 signals about urban
construction and land use spheres were received at Yerevan Mayor’s
office in January-July of 2004 (in the first half-year of 2003 their
number made 919).

On the basis of them 867 facts were grounded as illegal building and
land seizure (compared with 72 cases of the previous year) and 325
buildings were destroyed and dismantled (compared with 32 buildings
destroyed and dismantled last year). 107 cases of administrative
violations were discussed in the committee in the above-mentioned
period. According to G.Melkumuian, lately unauthorized buildings have
been discovered in Acharian 17 and Artsakh 59b addresses and in the
territory adjoining Shirak street. And unauthorized attics built by
residents were discovered on the roof of the building situated in
Abovian 23.

The Chief Adviser of Yerevan Mayor mentioned that the illegal
buildings and constructions that correspond to the norms of urban
construction are found as a state property by the court and are ruled
by the Mayor’s Office. According to G.Melkumian, such structures may
be put on direct sale or auction after getting a state
registration. Meanwhile, it’s possible that these structures may be
obtained by their former owners.

The Adviser of Yerevan Mayor didn’t exclude that some responsible
officials who are aware of illegal construction may not inform or give
a signal about this in time. 2 employees of Yerevan Mayor’s Office
were dismissed and 3 called to disciplinary account for this very
reason.

G.Melkumian also informed that 17 additional posts were allocated for
the Urban Construction and Land Control Department of Mayor’s
Office. Competitions for occupying them will be held in the middle of
September. A new division of modern technologies and information will
be opened in the department.
From: Baghdasarian

ORGANIZATION CARRYING OUT CONSTRUCTION IN REFUGEES’ DISTRICT IN GYUMRI
FINED

YEREVAN, August 16 (Noyan Tapan). Though the capital construction that
is carried out with the funds of 2004 state budget is implemented due
to the schedule, there are some problems.

According to the Press Service of RA Ministry of Urban Construction,
in connection with this on August 16, Aram Haroutiunian, RA Minister
of Urban Construction, held a consultation with heads of regional
subdivisions of the State Inspection of Urban Construction attached to
Ministry and gave them concrete instructions. In particular, the
organization carrying out construction for refugees in Gyumri was
fined because of some shortcomings.

The construction is carried out with the assistance of the Norwegian
Council of Refugees. Additional time was given to the organization for
elimination of the shortcomings. A.Haroutiunian instructed the heads
of the regional subdivisions of the Inspection to carry out constant
control for each entity that is built and repaired and periodically to
represent information about them.

The Moscow Times
Wednesday, August 18, 2004. Page 4.

VDNKh Fountain Is Losing Its Luster

By Yana Valueva
Special to The Moscow Times

Vladimir Filonov / MT

The first signs of major decay in the 400-square-meter fountain appeared
when water leaks reached over 150 cubic meters a day.

Urgent repairs are needed to prevent the Fountain of People’s Friendship —
the giant, golden Soviet-era attraction at the center of the All-Russia
Exhibition Center, or VVTs — from crumbling to pieces, VVTs’s technical
director said.

The steel and iron-reinforced concrete fountain, which turned 50 on Aug. 1,
now appears eaten away with rust.

Alexander Yegorov, VVTs’s technical director, said a complete overhaul at an
estimated cost of 450 million rubles ($15 million) is urgently needed.

The first signs of major decay in the 400-square-meter fountain appeared
four years ago, when water leaks reached over 150 cubic meters per day,
Yegorov said.

The fountain’s eight pumps, which were designed to project 1,000 liters of
water per second from 800 jets to heights of 22 meters, do not work
properly, and some of the giant gold-plated sculptures depicting women
holding sheaves of wheat are starting to tilt, he said.

Yegorov said city authorities last allotted money for repairs — 1 million
rubles — in 2000. Apart from this modest help, VVTs, which is 70 percent
owned by the federal government and 30 percent by the city government, has
financed all repairs and annual renovations from its own funds.

VVTs, a sprawling shopping and entertainment center with numerous pavilions
and attractions scattered around its grounds, is better known to most Moscow
residents by its former name, VDNKh, or the Exhibition of the People’s
Economic Achievements. VDNKh was a popular destination in Soviet times, with
dozens of stalls displaying ornate shrines to Soviet industry as well as
many luxury goods only available to the bureaucratic elite.

Alexei Zhirov, a spokesman for VVTs, said the Fountain of People’s
Friendship has been on the list of federally protected monuments since 1992.
But despite its protected status, repeated appeals to the Culture Ministry
for cash to carry out restoration work have been unsuccessful.

Leonarda Orembo, deputy head of City Hall’s department for preserving
architectural monuments, said she is fully aware that the fountain needs an
overhaul.

“It’s an ownership problem,” Orembo said. “The city is ready to allocate
money for the repairs, but it needs guarantees.”

The fountain, which has at its center an enormous wheat sheaf in a red
granite bowl, is surrounded by sculptured figures of young women in the
national costumes of the 16 former republics of the Soviet Union, including
Finnish Karelia.

Vladimir Filonov / MT

Sculptures are made of bronze and overlaid with gold.

The sculptures are made of bronze overlaid with thin gold plating, and the
central sheaf is made of gold-plated copper.

About 10 million people visit at the fountain and the VVTs’s other
attractions every year, Yegorov said.

Several smaller fountains in front of VVTs’s pavilions, however, have been
switched off for years.

Hopes for restoration of the fountains could receive a boost from Moscow’s
bid to host the World Expo in 2015. Mayor Yury Luzhkov has set up a special
commission to examine restorations and new construction at VVTs as part of
the city’s bid.

Plans for VVTs include a new 40,000-square-meter pavilion and the
restoration of pavilions of the former Soviet republics located around the
Fountain of People’s Friendship. Pavilions for Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia
and Ukraine have already been restored and reopened.

But whether the Fountain of People’s Friendship will be restored as part of
the World Expo bid is unclear.