Yerevan club Poligraf announces permanent closure amid legal battles with authorities
The progressive venue has had "long-term legal battles" with Armenian police, which violently raided the club in April 2023
Yerevan, Armenia club Poligraf will be closing down following ongoing legal issues with local authorities.
The venue's team announced its impending closure with "mixed emotions" on Monday in a statement on Instagram. "Following the January program cancellation, we have taken a step back to assess the industry's ecosystem, and it no longer aligns with our core beliefs", the Poligraf team wrote. "This decision is influenced by various challenges, notably long-term legal battles with the Yerevan authorities and the corruption involved."
Those conflicts with local authorities include a violent, "illegal" police raid this past April during which police reportedly entered the venue without legal cause and physically assaulted and strip-searched staff and attendees who were taken into custody. At the time, club management posted on social media: "The forces that seek to suppress our way of life threaten our existence. We are being framed for merely being ourselves. They seek to silence our voices, stifle our creativity, and impose their narrow-minded worldview on us. We cannot allow this to happen." Poligraf reopened one week later with the Defend Dance campaign and petition.
Before permanently closing its doors, Poligraf will host one more weekend of parties. On 26th and 27th January, the venue will say goodbye with Lychee, mariam, Daria Logacheva, Doubledav, Pam Omi, Skente, FORTHESKREETZ, haramik, Aeriial, arpi and more.
In the closing announcement, the Poligraf crew reflected on what they've accomplished since opening in 2019. "Over the years, Poligraf has stood as a symbol of unity, artistic expression, and diversity in the challenging climate of post-Soviet and post-war Armenia", they wrote. "It has served as a haven for those seeking connection and a safe space to celebrate our collective experiences."
"Despite these challenges, we have been heartened by the outpouring of love and support from the community, especially in the past year", they added. "The community's passion for a free Armenia has been the driving force behind our efforts, and we are grateful for the memories we've created together."
In its five-year run, Poligraf served as home to residents York Hamza, Is, Mixtinct, Yhii, hessIless and T_st, and hosted festivals like Urvakan. In September last year, the venue's team launched a campaign to raise funds and awareness in aid of refugees fleeing conflict in the Nagorno-Karabak region.
Read Poligraf's statement in full.
