Scenes in the Holy Lands

Grabbed a coffee from one of Armenia's most popular outdoor coffee spaces. Surrounded by the old Armenian Soviet modernism in the heart of a small former industrial town. Though nearby is one of the most holy places in all of Christianity. A place said to be home of the oldest Cathedral. The coffee, despite the request for a small amount of sugar, was dreadfully sweet and gave off a bit too much of a sugar rush as a result. The sun was already setting at this point, a bit later in the day but relatively warm in this region. More a desert landscape that only really feels the cold in the peak of winter, or during the nights. This is scorpion territory during most of the warmer months.

With the decay that arose during the collapse of the Soviet Union, the area lost its green spaces and attention to detail. The buildings older, the fountains rarely working in much of the spaces. A large shopping centre nearby that has seen better days. The greenest space of all the town being by that Cathedral, where the holy lands request trees and cleaner air, blocked by a large wall and set of buildings for the workers and religious practitioners. Here you'll find older trees. Large maples and oaks. Huge things that go generations back. An odd scene within the town given how empty the rest is. As if the beauty of life genuinely was protected within this space by some higher presence where the sadness of capitalist interests had resulted in nature and beauty being forgotten.

I set the camera and gimbal up, shooting mostly on the Helios with a bit of glow. A golden sunset appearing over the flowers which remained beautiful even going into the middle of November. White roses which had recently flowered, rows upon rows with some benches in the middle. Nearby libraries and schools which had recently been built upon the grounds to accommodate for the area's strong beliefs and interests. You'll find many different people here throughout the year. Locals, international tourists. The words of Russian and Chinese audible nearby. Mixed with the occasional songs sung by the church bells nearby which call to service. The main Cathedral recently re-opened as a result of many years of reconstruction. I think it resulted in far more attention, as the area has never looked so lively.

It's here that the chaos of the outer world can still be heard though. The sounds of propaganda coming from upcoming elections. Loud speakers promoting agendas. Cars featuring such speakers driving through the streets to amplify that obnoxious reach even more. I had flashbacks to my time in Istanbul, witnessing (and hearing) a similar tactic that left a bad taste in the mouth. I thought of the recent drama surrounding this very church and the current government in Armenia. Realising how strange it is that even here, in such supposed holy spaces, it couldn't escape the politics and corruption. I'm not particularly religious myself, but sometimes placing myself within these environments really puts some things into perspective. The attempts of people to find solace in the chaos of the modern world, and the modern world's refusal to accept it.