Armenian residents complain of falling income due to epidemic

The coronavirus epidemic in Armenia led to drop of incomes, layoffs and closures of enterprises, residents of the republic have reported.

The epidemic has significantly affected the family budget, Tigran Arakelyan, a repairman, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "Due to financial difficulties, I've faced problems in everyday life; my debts on loans and utility services have went up," he said.

The family of Astkhik Baroyan, a financier, has also faced financial problems due to the epidemic. "After the introduction of quarantine, our family stayed at home for two months. My boss didn't like it, and he decided to punish me by lowering my position and cutting my salary; he also paid me nothing for my forced absenteeism. My husband lost his job because the company he worked in was closed," Ms Baroyan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Zaruhi Muradyan, a painter and the founder of the Sarkis Muradyan Gallery, has noted that she had to close the gallery on March 14, even before the introduction of the emergency regime. "It is unknown when we can return to normal life. We had an exhibition that instead of the planned 20 days lasted for five days. The exhibits stayed there for two months, but in the end we had to remove them. Also, holding two upcoming exhibitions is in question," she told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 11, 2020 at 10:27 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.