Soviet Modernism in Yerevan
Guide to the modernist architecture of the soviet period in Yerevan, Armenia.
In the mid-60s, the construction of high-rise houses began in Armenia, a natural phenomenon associated with a new level of development of construction equipment and the need to increase the density of the city’s growth. As a result, many buildings of that period defined the architecture of modern Yerevan.
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1. Research Institute of Architecture and Construction
Address: 3 Avetis Aharonyan St
Year of construction: 1962
Architect: Martin Mikayelyan
This building is an example of the application of classical forms of modernism — today, it is in a semi-abandoned state.
2. Cable Car Station
Address: 1/3 Charents St
Year of construction: 1962
At one time, the cable car connected the central plateau with the district of Nork-Marash, but now it is in an abandoned state.
3. Residential Building
Address: 7 Mesrop Mashtots Ave
Year of construction: 1964
Architect: Armen Zaryan
One of the first modernist residential buildings in Yerevan.
4. Center of Cardiology
Address: 5 Paruyr Sevak St
Year of construction: 1964–1968
Architects: Jim Torosyan
This is a unique example of hospital architecture of the late Soviet period, where the entire hospital complex is concentrated in one volume. The elegant rectangular plate of the center strives for maximum purity and sterility of forms. The whole volume is emphasized by uniform vertical stripes of light felsic tuff, and the oblique balconies on the facade are lined with dark basalt. The area in front of the building is overgrown with bushes and trees.
5. Sundukyan State Academic Theatre
Address: 6 Grigor Lusavorich St
Year of construction: 1966
Architect: Razmik Alaverdyan, sculptor: Ara Harutyunyan
Only part of the building is accessible from the street side. The main entrance, unfortunately, is hidden from the public.
6. Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex
Address: 8 Tsitsernakaberd Hwy
Year of construction: 1967
Architects: Sashur Kalashyan and Arthur Tarkhanyan, sculptors: Van Khachatur, Ara Harutyunyan, and Arto Tchakmakchian
The memorial is dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. In the center, there is a truncated cone of 12 basalt slabs; on the side, there is a 44-meter stele in the shape of a spire divided into two parts.
7. Moscow Cinema Theater Open-Air Hall
Address: 18 Abovyan St
Year of construction: 1968
Architects: Spartak Kndeghtsyan and Telman Gevorgyan
This building is considered a masterpiece of Armenian modernism. The cinema’s peculiarity was its environmental character (the building is located behind the main part of the Moscow cinema building, in the courtyard), which is only sometimes inherent in modernist compositions. Now the hall is closed, in a semi-abandoned state, overgrown with outbuildings, and can be considered lost.
8. Chess House
Address: 50a Khanjyan St
Year of construction: 1970
Architect: Zhanna Meshcheryakova, sculptor: David Yerevantsi
The foundation stone of the building was laid by the two-time world champion Tigran Petrosyan himself.
9. Hrazdan Stadium
Address: 4 Hrazdan Gorge
Year of construction: 1971
Architects: Koryun Hakobyan and Gurgen Musheghyan
The stadium, built in the gorge of the Hrazdan River, is the largest and only two-tier stadium in Armenia. In the 1970s, it was the home arena of the «Ararat» football club. Since 2015, after its new owner’s bankruptcy, it has been in a mothballed state.
10. Cascade Complex
Address: 10 Tamanyan St
Year of construction: from 1971 to the present time
Architects: Jim Torosyan, Aslan Mkhitaryan, and Sargis Gurzadyan
The upper part of the Yerevan Cascade remains unfinished.
11. Republican Cadastre
Address: 35/1 Komitas Ave
Year of construction: 1970s
Architect: Armen Aghalyan
The building is an elongated rectangular volume placed across the avenue, supposedly assembled from openwork panels and put on a conditional stylobate where the entrance is located. The gray building is softened by orange inserts, which add bright accents to its ascetic appearance.
12. Government House № 3
Address: 4/1 Nalbandyan St
Year of construction: 1970s
The building is adjacent to the entrance to the «Republic Square» metro station, which features a flower-shaped concrete fountain.
13. Residential Building «Orbita»
Address: 15 Amiryan St
Year of construction: 1973
Architects: Levon Balayan and Martin Tovmasyan
The asymmetrical building of panels lined with brown tuff and white balconies on four sides make it more expressive. The building is placed on a stylobate, the corners of which were solved by a popular technique for this period — concave open corners. In Soviet times, there was an «Orbita» department store, according to which the building is called.
14. Rossiya Cinema
Address: 16 Tigran Mets Ave
Year of construction: 1974
Architects: Hrachik Poghosyan, Artur Tarkhanyan, and Spartak Khachikyan
In the 1980s, it was the largest cinema in Armenia and consisted of three halls with 1600, 1000, and 280 seats housed in two curved wings. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cinema fell into disrepair, and the building was given over to a shopping center.
15. International Telephone Exchange
Address: 24/1 Azatutyan Ave
Year of construction: 1976
Architects: Armen Aghalyan and Grigori Grigoryan
16. 9th Building of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia
Address: 105 Teryan St
Year of construction: 1976
Architect: Artashes Mamijanyan
17. Komitas Chamber Music Hall
Address: 1 Isahakyan St
Year of construction: 1977
Architects: Stepan Kyurkchyan
18. Residential Building on Israyelyan Street
Address: 37 Israyelyan St
Year of construction: 1979
Architect: Ashot Aleksanyan
The house is a fragmented rectangular volume with a striped texture of orange tuff and light felsite around the perimeter of the buildings.
19. Residential Buildings of «Armgosproekt»
Address: 70 Charents St
Year of construction: 1970s
Architects: Arthur Tarkhanyan
In 16-story frame-panel houses, a new principle of using stone on the entire plane of the multi-story facade has been applied.
20. Marshal Baghramyan Metro Station
Address: 21/1 Marshal Baghramyan Ave
Year of opening: 7th March 1981
Architects: Spartak Knteghtsyan and Albert Zurabyan
From Baghramyan Avenue, you can only see its massive visor, made of composite sections, floating above the ground.
21. Yeritasardakan Metro Station
Address: 3/1 Isahakyan St
Year of opening: 7th March 1981
Architects: Spartak Kntekhtsyan and Albert Zurabyan
22. The Lobby of the «Republic Square» Metro Station
Address: 46 Nalbandyan St
Year of construction: 1981
Architects: Jim Torosyan and Mkrtich Minassian
23. Aram Khachaturian Museum
Address: 3 Zarobyan St
Year of construction: 1982
Architects: Eduard Altunyan
The modernist facade is built on top of the mansion where the composer’s elder brother Vaginak once lived with his family, where Aram Khachaturian often stayed.
24. Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex
Address: 1 Leningradyan St
Year of construction: 1983
Architects: Artur Tarkhanyan, Hrachik Poghosyan, Spartak Khachikyan, and Gurgen Musheghian, sculptor: Ferdinand Arakelyan
The complex began to be designed in 1976, but due to a fire after the opening, reconstruction followed, completed by the end of 1987. The facade of the building is decorated with a massive high relief of orange volcanic tuff.
On the approach to the complex from Leningradyan Street, a monumental composition of open terraces with fountains is deployed.
25. The Fence on Paronyan Street
Address: Paronyan St
Year of construction: the early 1980s
Architects: Eduard Tangyan
The concrete fence has become the hallmark of architect Eduard Tangyan. It stretches ~ 300 meters, starting from the intersection of Proshyan and Paronyan streets. The police are on duty along the fence, and photos are prohibited.
26. Modern Art Museum
Address: 7a Mesrop Mashtots Ave
Year of construction: 1985
Architects: Jim Torosyan and Gevorg Aramyan
The composition of five blind cylindrical shapes, known as «Barrels», located along Saryan Street, was initially built for the Museum of Modern Art, but now there are other galleries in the buildings.
27. Scientific-Research Center
Address: 6/1 Abelian St
Year of construction: 1985
Architects: Stepan Kurkchyan
28. Institute of Information and Automation Problems
Address: 1 Paruyr Sevak St
Year of construction: 1980s
29. Institute of Experimental Biology
Address: 7 Paruyr Sevak St
Year of construction: 1980s
The building is abandoned in an unfinished state.
30. Northern Bus Station
Address: M4 Highway
Year of construction: 1980s
Architects: Armen Agalyan and Vardan Avetisyan
31. Haypost
Address: 22 Martiros Saryan St
32. Residential Building on Pushkin Street
Address: 43 Puskin St
33. Residential Building on Paronyan Street
Address: 4 Paronyan St
In the architecture of multi-story residential buildings of this period, loggias were widely used, which are necessary for the conditions of the warm climate of Armenia and create the appearance of a southern dwelling.
34. Building Similar to a Factory
Address: 30 Movses Khorenatsi St
35. Office Building in the Alley
Address: 8 Vardanants Blind Alley
The unsightly building gives itself away as a modernist bas-relief on the facade.
36. Yerevan Police Department
Address: 51 Khanjyan St
37. Armenian State Song Theatre
Address: 13/1 Khanjyan St
38. Institute of Stone and Silicates
Address: 40a Acharyan St
Year of construction: the late 1980s
Architects: Levon Nushikyan, Zori Tonikyan, and Valeri Tonikyan
The building is in disrepair and waiting for renovation because the institute was moved to another location.
39. «Citadel» Business Center
Address: 105/1 Teryan St
Year of construction: 1981–1990s
Architects: Armen Agalyan
Late-Soviet modernism with the influence of postmodernism.
40. Zvartnots Airport
Address: Zvartnots International Airport
Year of construction: 1980
Architects: Arthur Tarkhanyan, Spartak Khachikyan, and Levon Cherkezyan
Zvartnots Airport Terminal 1 is located 15 km from Yerevan. The old building is closed. Since the beginning of the 2000s, a new terminal has served passengers.
Sources:
Architectuul (Yerevan)
A Top 10 Guide to Armenia’s Best Brutalist & Modernist Buildings
Eastern Bloc architecture: communist culture and socialist sports
Tigran Harutyunyan, Yerevan Architectural Guide — DOM Publishers: Berlin, 2017
You might be interested in taking a look at Constructivism in Yerevan.