…in copilaria mea am cunoscut un armean Chircu Agopian care avea o pravalie pe Calea Grivitei langa restaurantul Vulcan la nr.206 cred ca era atunci, acum numerele nu mai corespund ca s-au facut blocuri. Pravalia era in zona podului Basarab, vindea acolo cafea, naut, coloniale, dulciuri, zahar Kandel… Era foarte cunoscut, era singurul din Bucuresti care avea motocicleta cu atas la vremea aceea. Avea si frati, pe unul il chema Jiru si era profesor la Politehnica. Din cate stiu au plecat toti in Iran.
ENGLISH VERSION BELOW
Pravalia lui era destul de mare si, imi amintesc ca toata marfa era expusa pe partea dreapta a incaperii si tot aici era si tejgheaua lui Chircu si niste tipsii enorme in care prajea cafea si naut. Tot pe tejghea…nu am sa uit asta niciodata, ma fascina de cate ori intram in pravalie… avea un fel de scrumiera mare din sticla verde, de forma patrata care deasupra avea o scobitura rotunda, in ea punea Chircu restul de bani care trebuie sa-i inapoieze clientului. Mai era ceva deosebit, o lustra cu un abatjour deosebit, cu niste irizatii multicolore, era superba, iti atragea atentie cum intrai in pravalie. Am fost si invitata odata in casa la familia lui Chircu, locuiau deasupra pravaliei, imi amintesc ca in toata casa erau covoare frumoase orientale si pe unul din pereti aveau doua icoane neobisnuit de mari.
Aud uneori despre armeni cum ca ar fi zgarciti, eu nu sunt de acord cu acest lucru, cand cumparai de la Chircu, nu plecai fara sa-ti dea si ceva cadou, bonus cum se zice mai modern, el asa era, avea un suflet mare, era placerea lui sa vada ca pleaca clientul bucuros.
Maria Mihaila – vizitatoare la Festivalul Strada Armeneasca – 2013
ENGLISH VERSION
…in my childhood I knew an Armenian Chircu Agopian who had a shop on Calea Grivitei next to the Vulcan restaurant at no. 206 I think it was then, now the numbers no longer correspond because blocks have been built. Pravalia was in the Basarab bridge area, he sold there coffee, chickpeas, colonials, sweets, Kandel sugar… He was very well known, he was the only one in Bucharest who had a motorcycle with a hitch at that time. He also had brothers, one was called Jiru and he was a professor at the Polytechnic. As far as I know, they all went to Iran. His wardrobe was quite large and, I remember that all the goods were displayed on the right side of the room and here was also Chircu’s counter and some enormous pots in which he roasted coffee and chickpeas. Also on the counter… I will never forget this, it fascinated me every time we entered the ravine… it had a kind of large ashtray made of green glass, square in shape with a round hole on top, in it Chircu put the rest of the money that had to be – return to the customer. There was something else special, a chandelier with a special lampshade, with some multicolored iridescence, it was gorgeous, it drew your attention as you entered the ravine. I was also invited once to the house of Chircu’s family, they lived above the ravine, I remember that there were beautiful oriental carpets throughout the house and on one of the walls there were two unusually large icons. I sometimes hear about Armenians as being stingy, I don’t agree with this, when you bought from Chircu, you didn’t leave without giving you something as a gift, bonus as they say more modern, he was like that, he had a soul great, it was his pleasure to see the client leave happy.
Maria Mihaila – visitor at the Strada Armeneasca Festival – 2013
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