…multi dintre armenii care au reusit sa scape de la Genocid prin `915 -`920 au ajuns aici in Romania, era mai aproape…au cautat de lucru la armenii care erau deja stabiliti aici. De regula isi gaseau de lucru ca „baieti de pravalie” la magazinele acestor armeni. Tata, de exemplu, a lucrat la un armean care avea un astfel de magazin dar, era greu, traia rau, nu avea conditii…ducea viata grea acolo asa ca, s-a hotarat sa plece si sa se apuce de negustorie. Impreuna cu alti doi prieteni armeni au luat marfa pe datorie si au deschis un magazin care dupa o perioada l-au vandut cu marfa cu tot si au scos ceva profit.
ENGLISH VERSION BELOW
Au repetat aceasta operatiune de vreo 2-3 ori si au reusit sa stranga o suma mai insemnata de bani astfel incat fiecare sa-si poata deschide pravalia lui. Era o practica frecventa in vremea aceea, se vindeau diverse pravalii cu tot cu marfa. Mai era atunci o moda sa-i spunem, patronul ajuta baietii de pravalie sa-si cumpere sau sa-si faca o pravalie a lor, sa-si faca o familie etc, era ca un tata pentru ei. Asa era si tata, tinea la acesti baieti pe care ii avea in pravalie, ii ajuta cum putea. Probabil isi amintea cat de greu i-a fost lui cand a venit in Romania, a plecat de la zero, doar cu hainele de pe el dar, a fost foarte muncitor, ajunsese foarte respectat printre armeni, spuneau despre el ca e in stare sa scoata bani din piatra seaca. Tata lucra foarte mult toata saptamana, de la prima ora a diminetii, pana seara tarziu iar, duminica era ziua cand se odihnea mai mult si avea un fel de ritual. Cand se trezea, ii placea sa bea o cafea buna, cu caimac si, un paharel mic de coniac fin, alaturi de o farfurioara cu dulceata de trandafiri, de smochine, de cirese albe, de coaja de portocala, sau de prune umplute cu sambure de caise sau nuca.
Cand au confiscat comunistii casele in `50, multi proprietari au devenit chiriasi in propriile case, pe noi ne-au dat afara din casa si a trebuit sa ne mutam in fostele magazii ale magazinului nostru, pe le-am amenajat in camere.
In vremea aceea magazinele nu aveau un profil foarte clar definit, imi amintesc de o pravalie a unui armean pe nume Nefian, care vindea arme si icoane. Magazinul tatei avea firma “Cafea Peru” era magazin de coloniale iar, principalul produs era cafeaua, facea comanda de cafea in strainatate. Atunci, daca faceai comanda de cafea sau alte marfuri in cantitate mare, producatorul punea in saci de cafea si mici cadouri, asa gaseai mici obiecte de fildes, statuete…odata tata a gasit intr-o lada cu ciocolata Sushard un serviciu de ceai din portelan fin iar, alta data o pendula mica de perete. Asa era atunci, stiau sa faca comert… Acum, daca primesti ceva dupa semnarea unui contract, se considera mita…Cand a fost nationalizarea, tatalui meu i-au confiscat 160 de saci de cafea a cate 60 de kg fiecare in valoare de 700 de mii de lei la vremea aceea…n-am mai recuperat nimic…
Bucurestiul nu era asa dezvoltat atunci, de la Podul Constanta era camp gol si ciobani cu oi, imi amintesc cand eram mici, facusem tuse convulsiva grava si mama ne-a dus acolo la un cioban si ne-a dat lapte de margarita sa ne calmeze tusea.
Erau multi armeni in Bucuresti in acele timpuri, imi amintesc de doi frati Agopian care au avut magazin de mercerie si maruntisuri pe Popa Tatu la nr.4. Mai era Djabourov un negustor renumit care avea magazin de covoare pe Calea Victoriei langa renumitul magazin de pantofi Mihailescu, unde se gaseau cei mai scumpi pantofi din Bucuresti. Ca vorbim de cizmari, pe Popa Tatu era un cizmar roman renumit Nelu Frarcea care ajuns la timpul lui Ceausescu pe Victoriei langa Macul Rosu, avea acolo atelier de incaltaminte pe comanda. Era atelier de lux, avea lucratori foarte priceputi si nu puteai sa comanzi mai putin de doua perechi de pantofi. Iti faceau calapod de lemn special pentru tine si, pe vremea aceea cand leafa unui casier de magazin era de 300 de lei, perechea de pantofi la acest atelier costa 600 de lei. Negustorii cotizau atunci la asigurarile sociale prin Sfatul Negustoresc, faceau parte si armeni patroni, era ca o asociatie.
A mai fost o familie Sahaghian care avea magazin pe Calea Grivitei aproape de Gara, langa cinematograful Marna. Erau multi armeni care aveau fabrici de rahat (Locum).
Au fost si armeni foarte bogati, Hariutiun Fringhian de exemplu, supranumit Regele Zaharului…avea casa peste drum de biserica Kretulescu, o casa mare cu fantana arteziana mare in curte. Fantana a donat-o statului roman, s-ar putea sa existe si azi, era si o placa memoriala unde scria numele lui si anul, nu stiu daca s-a mai pastrat…
Mai era Mendoian pe Academiei nr.3, eu l-am angajat, era un mare domn, foarte fin, foarte generos si galant. El a lucrat intai impreuna cu Gaitak Ohanesian si apoi a ramas doar el iar, dupa ce a plecat Mendoian, magazinul a fost preluat de un lucrator al lui.
Povestite de Armenica Sahaghian – fiica lui Eghia Sahaghian – comerciant de cafea si delicatese
Armenica Sahaghiean – fiica proprietarului – in fata pravaliei “Cafea Peru” – in spate se poate observa un colt din vitrina pravaliei cu produse de mercerie a fratilor Agopian de pe Popa Tatu.
ENGLISH VERSION
COFFEE PERU
…many of the Armenians who managed to escape from the Genocide in `915 -`920 arrived here in Romania, it was closer…they looked for work among the Armenians who were already settled here. As a rule, they found work as “pravalie boys” in the shops of these Armenians. My father, for example, worked for an Armenian who had such a store, but it was difficult, he lived badly, he had no conditions… he led a hard life there, so he decided to leave and start a business. Together with two other Armenian friends, they took the goods on credit and opened a store, which after a while they sold it with all the goods and made some profit. They repeated this operation about 2-3 times and managed to collect a significant amount of money so that everyone could open their closet. It was a common practice at that time, various items were sold along with merchandise. At that time it was still a fashion to say, the boss helps the boys of the pravalia to buy or make their own pravalia, to start a family, etc., he was like a father to them. That’s how my father was, he cared about these boys he had in the village, he helped them as much as he could. He probably remembered how difficult it was for him when he came to Romania, he left from scratch, with only the clothes on him, but he was very hardworking, he had become very respected among Armenians, they said about him that he was able to withdraw money from dry stone. Father worked very hard all week, from early in the morning until late at night, and Sunday was the day when he rested more and had a kind of ritual. When he woke up, he liked to drink a good coffee, with cream and, a small glass of fine brandy, along with a plate of rose, fig, white cherry, orange peel, or pitted plum jam apricot or walnut.
When the communists confiscated the houses in the 1950s, many owners became tenants in their own houses, they kicked us out of the house and we had to move into the former warehouses of our store, which we arranged into rooms. At that time, the shops did not have a very clearly defined profile, I remember a shop owned by an Armenian named Nefian, who sold weapons and icons. My father’s store had the company “Cafea Peru”, it was a colonial shop and, the main product was coffee, he ordered coffee abroad. Then, if you ordered coffee or other goods in large quantities, the manufacturer would put small gifts in the coffee bags, so you would find small objects of ivory, statuettes…once my father found a porcelain tea service in a box with Sushard chocolates fine again, another time a small pendulum on the wall. That’s how it was then, they knew how to trade… Now, if you receive something after signing a contract, it’s considered a bribe… When the nationalization happened, my father was confiscated 160 bags of coffee of 60 kg each worth 700 thousands of lei at that time…I never recovered anything… Bucharest was not so developed then, from the Constanta Bridge there was an empty field and shepherds with sheep, I remember when we were little, we had a severe convulsive cough and my mother took us there to a shepherd and gave us margarita milk to calm us down cough.
There were many Armenians in Bucharest in those days, I remember two Agopian brothers who had a haberdashery and small shop on Popa Tatu at no. 4. Djabourov was also a famous merchant who had a carpet shop on Calea Victoriei next to the famous Mihailescu shoe store, where the most expensive shoes in Bucharest were found. Speaking of cobblers, on Popa Tatu there was a famous Romanian cobbler Nelu Frarcea who arrived at the time of Ceausescu on Victoriei near Macul Rosu, he had a custom shoe workshop there. It was a luxury workshop, it had very skilled workers and you could not order less than two pairs of shoes. They made a wooden shoebox especially for you and, at that time when a store cashier’s fee was 300 lei, a pair of shoes at this workshop cost 600 lei. At that time, merchants paid social security contributions through the Merchant Council, Armenian patrons were also part of it, it was like an association. There was also a Sahaghian family that had a shop on Calea Grivitei near the Station, next to the Marna cinema. There were many Armenians who had shit factories (Locum). There were also very rich Armenians, Hariutiun Fringhian for example, nicknamed the Sugar King… he had a house across the street from the Kretulescu church, a big house with a big artesian fountain in the yard. The fountain was donated to the Romanian state, it might still exist today, there was also a memorial plaque with his name and the year, I don’t know if it has been preserved… There was also Mendoian on Academy no. 3, I hired him, he was a great gentleman, very nice, very generous and gallant. He first worked together with Gaitak Ohanesian and then he was left alone and, after Mendoian left, the shop was taken over by one of his workers.
Narrated by Armenica Sahaghian – daughter of Eghia Sahaghian – coffee and delicatessen trader
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