On the agenda of the October 23 meeting of the Yerevan City Council was the proposal to rename Leningrad Street in the Ajapnyak and Malatia-Sebastia districts after benefactor Kirk Kerkorian. The proposal was presented at the council session by Ani Khachatryan, head of the “Republic” faction.

Khachatryan noted that the issue of renaming Leningrad Street has been on the agenda for at least 10 years.

“The ‘Yelk’ faction also presented a renaming proposal in 2017, supported by over 10,000 citizens who requested the street be named after Leonid Azgaldyan. However, since the Republican authorities at that time focused on the agenda and named a small street in Saralanj after Azgaldyan, the proposal to rename Leningrad Street after him was never realized,” she said.

The initiative was also put to a vote on the “Active Citizen” platform and received public approval.

Manuk Sukiasyan, head of the “Mother Armenia” faction, stated that the decision has a political component and announced that his faction would abstain from voting.

Armen Galjyan, head of the “Civil Contract” faction, said that the “Mother Armenia” faction could not have voted in favor regardless of the name chosen, adding, “Had you voted in favor, probably 24 hours later your offices and all territorial structures would have been dissolved, and your newly established party would have self-dissolved.”

Artak Galstyan of the “Public Voice” faction declared support for the initiative and emphasized that the issue should not be politicized.

The proposal was approved with 37 votes in favor, 2 against, and 18 abstentions.