Armenia is independent now. But still heavy with Russianness.

The art in my room, in my hotel in Pushkin Street. 99% of the tourists here are Russian or Iranian. All school children learn Armenian and Russian and then either German, French or English. Which is 3 separate, very different alphabets. Also, chess is compulsory ;).

Heavy, clompy architecture. Incomprehensible statues of poets and architects every 50 meters

.

‘Display’ missiles etc, soviet era apartment blocks and factories, children climbing on old tanks, nuclear power stations, ‘demilitarized’ border crossing with watch towers and lots of military, ironically. Armenia/Russia facing off against Turkey/NATO. It feels strange to be on the other side of NATO.

Armenia is an ally of Russia and Iran. The USA has their second biggest embassy here after Tehran. ;).

This is the land of the Lada (and the Volga). A lot of cars and buses use gas. This is a 1960’s school bus with gas tanks on the roof. Gas is super cheap and comes from Russia. Oil is from Iran. And Armenia produces nuclear power which they sell to Georgia. The roads are SHIT. Mostly because of the climate. 35-45 during summer and 20 feet of snow in winter. Its hard to maintain roads in those conditions.

Yerevan is clean, orderly and ultra-planned. Youth Boulevard. Sports Quarter. Opera District. Its as pretty as a post Soviet, artificial city can be.