With Pride and a Little Bit Sadness the People of Spitak Celebrate the Day of Their City

• 07.15.2017, 12:41
•  Armenia

July 15 is a holiday for the people of Spitak. It is already 15 years that the Day of Spitak is being celebrated, full of many bright memories, at the same time of sadness.

The choice of the day is not accidential. July 15 is the birthday of the former mayor of Spitak, former Deputy of the RA National Assembly Suren Avetisyan – a person, who devoted his years to the reconstruction and development of his native city Spitak, which was almost completely destroyed during 1988 earthquake.

ʺWhatever you say is not enough. He was a unique person, he was for us, he was ours…ʺ This is how the people of Spitak with a little bit excitement speak about their former mayor, who in 1996 with 98% of votes was elected the mayor of the city. These were votes that the people casted without hesitation and without skepticism, because they trusted, knew the city's devotee.

During the years that Suren was the mayor of Spitak (1996-1999) 30-40% of today's city construction was completed. With the architectural projects of Jim Torosyan, houses, schools, a music school, and St. Harutyun church were built in Spitak. The House of Culture was build and solemnly opened, the city park was fully rebuilt. Suren started but did not manage to complete the construction of the central square and many other projects...

ʺWe should build our houses with our handsʺ: this is how Suren Builder, as the people of Spitak called him, was thinking. Hometown under the ruins, people filled with despair and sorrow. All this upset Suren greatly. And he decided: he should get rid of the ruins, return the smile on the faces of the people, fill the streets of the city with children’s laughter ... He did that…

You returned smile and hope to the people of Spitak. Your will and undertakings did not cause any suspicions, – as it is written in the book My work will remain in memories... about Suren Avetisyan, this was said by then the RA President Robert Kocharyan during one of his visits to Spitak.

Many remember Suren with warmth and reverence both as a friend and state official devoted to his city and the homeland.

In his work he was neat and punctual, he was carefully controlling the work. He did not go away unless there was any result. He did not fulfill his goals with noise. He was a state official full of will and determination, Vladimir Movsisyan said this in the book about Suren.

Mikhail Bagdasarov, who made investments in Spitak, when Suren Avetisyan was the mayor of the city, remembered him as a person, whose words were very quickly becoming actions. He was an exceptional phenomenon in our days. He knew how to make people believe him… Our coming generations will remember him for long.  

In 1999, when Suren Avetisyan put his candidacy for RA National Assembly elections, the people of Spitak were concerned over the fact, they were afraid of losing their mayor. Suren knew about this, over which in one of his interviews to Yerevan Evening he said: With my parliamentary mandate and activities I am sure that first of all I will be useful to my people.

Surly, MP Suren Avetisyan would have wider opportunities to develop his beloved city, if…

P.S. Suren Avetisyan died on October 26, 1999 at the age of 36.