JNews.am - by Journalists for the Future

Share

Ice Age in Yerevan: Figure Skating becoming Fashionable, Frozen Traditions Turning Into Life

Ani Sargsyan, 16, has a favorite season. It is winter. She is waiting for it not only for the New Year holidays but also for figure skating. And she doesn't imagine her life without it. Four days per week she goes for skating to Karapi Lich (“Swan Lake”) near the Opera House. "It is something different for me; every time I feel freedom while skating. Skating is flying for me. I can't give up," says Ani. She says first time she went figure skating school with her parents when she was four. And when she heard that a rink has been opened in Karapi Lich she decided to attend there because the ice in the figure skating school was not so good. “The skating rink of Karapi Lich is really the only way for me to be in the form. I like everything there: it is an open air area where people watch how we skate and we do our best like an actor on the stage,” says Ani. In Armenia the traditions of figure skating were formed more than 30 years ago, when the first figure skating school was opened in 1972. It was very popular in the Soviet Armenia, being also a rink for the Armenian hockey players. During Soviet times it had about 600 students annually. Over the last several years it has about 200 skaters. However for almost several months the school hasn't been working because of useless rink. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the school and the rink have never been reconstructed. Recently coaches of the figure skating school organized a protest, because they have heard that the City Hall intended to close the school. "When we heard about, we were just shocked. The skating school is unique in Armenia and very important. We have good skaters and great potential to take the best places during international sport events. That's why we decided to protest against that decision," says Ashkhen Baghdasaryan, coach of the figure school. According to her recently two young figure skaters - brothers Sargis and Slavik Hayrapetyan, 17 and 13, took second and fourth places, respectively, at the championships of Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic countries in the men’s single section. After a meeting with Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan, who says they plan only to reconstruct the school, the school staff calmed down. "It's a very unique school, we understand its necessity and can't just close it,” says Yuri Mamikonyan, the head of the sport department of the Yerevan City Hall. “And while it is reconstructed, the skaters can use the other two rinks of the city,” he adds. The skating rink near the Opera House was opened in 2004 by the Yerevan City Hall on Karapi Lich artificial lake, working only during the winter months. After the opening of the rink, Karapi Lich became a lovely place for many citizens and tourists visiting Yerevan in winter. Here the skaters with their own skates pay 500 dram (about $1.5) per hour for skating. Those who have not skates can rent them paying additional 500 dram. The rink of the Sport Complex after Karen Demirchyan – with 1800 square meter surface called “Ice Queen” - was opened in 2008. According to the complex administration the rink is open all the year round for hundreds of hockey and figure skating professionals and amateurs. An hour skating on this rink costs 1500 AMD (US$4). Soon it will be used also for shootings of a new Armenia TV project “Stars on Ice”. Harutyun, 17, a future hockey player, who prefers a big surface for skating, has come to “Ice Queen” rink. He says that the sense of rhythm is very important on the rink and here he feels the breath of ice. He likes skating under music. "I like this place: it is large and very beautiful. Here one seems to be in a cold part of the world. The atmosphere is amazing. Imagine a frozen world where electro house music plays making not to skate but dance,” says Harutyun with a warm smile on his frozen face.

Source: JNews.am

Comments

• Nune (2010-01-18 10:37:49)

  Btw, funny pic:))

• Suren (2010-01-18 10:08:45)

  Hurrah! My congratulations to you and your classmates. Hope you will have a nice time in Tbilisi. Good Luck!

• Nune (2010-01-18 07:30:58)

  Yesssssssss, my first article in english i\'m so happy:D i like writing in english, so i\'m gonna continue;D

Name:
Text:
Code: