The central square of Yerevan. Population of Yerevan: number, structure, national composition
Located on the left bank of the Ararat Valley, along the Araks River. Population – 1,121,900 people (2011).
Yerevan is the most important transport hub, as well as the political, economic, cultural and scientific center of the country.
Yerevan's architectural monuments and landmarks are concentrated in the city center, an area originally developed and built by architect Alexander Tamanyan in the first half of the 20th century. Since that time, many buildings have appeared and disappeared in the city, but the layout and general architectural appearance have generally been preserved.
The most common building material is pink tuff, which is why Yerevan received the name “Pink City”.
Climate
The climate in Yerevan is temperate continental, arid. Summers are hot and dry, winters are mild and with little snow. Autumn is long and warm; the weather is warm until mid-November. Spring begins in March.
The average air temperature in July is +24…+26 °C, in January -2…-6 °C.
Story
The year of foundation of Yerevan is considered to be the year of foundation of the Urartian city of Erebuni - 782 BC. BC, located on the southern outskirts of modern Yerevan, although there is no evidence indicating the existence of a significant settlement at the site of the city in the period from the 4th century BC. e. to 3rd century AD
The earliest mention of the city in Armenian sources – in the “Book of Letters” – dates back to 607. Further, Yerevan is mentioned in connection with the Arab conquest: in August 650 it was besieged by the Arabs, but to no avail.
The city came under Arab rule in 658. In 660 there was an anti-Arab uprising. The defeat of Tamerlane in 1387 dealt a severe blow to the city. During the reign of the Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu, Yerevan was an important cultural center, although until 1441 its administration remained in the hands of the Armenians.
In the 16th-17th centuries, Yerevan, like the entire region, served as the scene of devastating Iranian-Turkish wars, which had a serious impact on the demography of the region.
During the struggle between the Ottoman Empire and Persia, Yerevan changed hands 14 times.
As a result of the wars, by 1804 the population of Yerevan had decreased to 6 thousand inhabitants, but by 1827 the city's population was already more than 20 thousand.
During the first Russian-Persian War, the Yerevan fortress was unsuccessfully besieged by the Russians twice (in 1804 by Tsitsianov and in 1808 by Gudovich). On October 5, 1827, Yerevan was captured by the troops of Paskevich (who received the title of Count of Erivan for this); the following year, under the terms of the Turkmanchay Peace, the Erivan Khanate became part of the Russian Empire.
Despite the status of the capital of the province, Erivan retained the appearance of a poor provincial-eastern city, with one or two-story adobe houses and narrow crooked streets.
In 1902, the first railway line passed through Erivan, connecting it with Alexandropol (Gyumri) and Tiflis; in 1908, a second line connected it with Julfa and Persia, which contributed to its economic development.
In May 1918, Erivan became the capital of the Republic of Armenia. At the beginning of December 1920, Erivan was occupied by the Red Army; On February 18, 1921, as a result of a nationwide uprising, Soviet power was overthrown, but on April 2, the Red Army re-entered Yerevan, where Soviet power was established for 70 years.
Under Soviet rule, a large-scale reconstruction of Yerevan began, carried out in 1924 according to the project of Alexander Tamanyan, who developed a special national style using elements of traditional church architecture and tuff as a building material.
Since the beginning of 1988, mass rallies of the Karabakh movement, which has grown into the movement for the independence of Armenia, begin in Yerevan on the square near the Opera House.
City transport of Yerevan
Yerevan city public transport - buses, trolleybuses, minibuses And metro.
There used to be trams in Yerevan, but on January 21, 2004 their service was officially closed (due to high costs).
Until 2004, Yerevan had a cable car that connected the Nork plateau with the city center. On March 2, 2004, a carriage collapsed on the cable car; it fell from a great height, resulting in 3 deaths and 5 injuries. Since then the road has stopped working.
Yerevan metro
The Yerevan metro was opened on March 7, 1981. Construction of the metro began in 1972, initially as a metrotram, but during construction it was converted into a metro. Today the metro has 10 stations located on two lines, with a total length of 12.1 km. Eight more stations are expected to be built.
The fare from July 1, 2011 is 100 drams (1 trip).
Yerevan metro map
Last changes: 10/25/2011
Airports of Yerevan
There are two airports in the vicinity of Yerevan:
Zvartnots International Airport- located 12 km west of Yerevan, has a transit zone.
From the Airport to the center of Yerevan you can get by public transport - by bus and minibus 250 drams (about $0.8) travel time - 40 minutes or by taxi from 1,300 to 4,500 drams (from $4.2 to $14.8) travel time - 15 minutes.
Erebuni Airport– a mixed civil and military airport located 7 km south of the center of Yerevan. Currently, the airport is mainly used by the military.
At the same time, the airport is also used by private enterprises performing charter helicopter flights both within the country and to the CIS countries.
Yerevan Station
Yerevan Station is the main railway station of Yerevan, located on David of Sasun Square.
Long distance trains:
Yerevan – Batumi (only in summer)
Yerevan – Tbilisi
Suburban trains
Yerevan – Gyumri
Yerevan – Araks
Yerevan – Armavir
Yerevan – Ararat
Yerevan – Yeraskh
Armenia is connected by international railway traffic only with Georgia (Tbilisi and Batumi).
Architecture and sights of Yerevan
The center of the city's architectural ensemble is Republic Square(1924-1958), the shape of which is formed by 5 buildings: the building of the National Historical Museum of Armenia (in front of it there are singing fountains), the building of the Government of Armenia with the main clock of the country on the tower, the Central building of the RA Post Office, the Marriott Armenia hotel, the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affairs and energy.
Adjoining the square to the north is a newly built pedestrian Northern Avenue, about 1500 m long, connecting it with the territory of the Opera House. Around the theater there are numerous squares and monuments, as well as the famous “Swan Lake”; to the north of it is the second largest square in Yerevan - France Square.
From Republic Square and the Opera House, the largest streets of Yerevan diverge in all directions, leading to all its other districts.
Opera theatre or Armenian Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after. A. Spendiarova - located in the very center of Yerevan, was created in 1933, received its own building in 1940.
– the main historical museum of Armenia. It was founded in 1921 together with the Art Gallery of Armenia, with which it shares a common building of the museum complex. The National History Museum occupies the lower two floors of the complex.
The museum's exposition is divided into several departments: archaeological, ethnographic, numismatics, historical architecture, and the department of modern and contemporary history of Armenia.
The museum displays objects of material culture discovered on the territory of Armenia and dating back to periods ranging from the Stone Age to the end of the 19th century.
National Art Gallery – the main museum of fine arts of Armenia. The gallery was founded in 1921 and is part of the Museum complex, occupying its upper floors from the third to the eighth (the lower two floors of the building are occupied by the National Historical Museum of Armenia).
The State Art Gallery of Armenia is one of the largest museums in the CIS, and the largest in the world in terms of the collection of Armenian fine art.
The collections of the Art Gallery of Armenia contain more than 20 thousand works of art, the collection of the Western European department has more than 350 canvases and drawings.
– one of the historical museums of Yerevan, located on the Arin-Berd hill, next to the remains of the Urartian fortress of Erebuni. The museum was opened in 1968 on the 2700th anniversary of the founding of the city of Erebuni.
The museum contains many exhibits that were discovered as a result of excavations of the Erebuni fortress itself in 1950-1959 and excavations of the neighboring Urartian city of Teishebaini, which took place on the Karmir-Blur hill in 1939-1958.
The most valuable finds, in particular items made of gold and silver, for example a figurine of the god Teisheba, were transported to the Historical Museum of Armenia - the main museum of the country, and only copies of these finds are exhibited in the Erebuni Museum. The most valuable exhibits of the Erebuni Museum proper are considered to be 23 cuneiform tablets from the Urartian period.
The museum territory includes the remains of the fortress walls of Erebuni and a partial reconstruction of some halls of the royal palace, located in the open air behind the main museum building on the top of the Arin-Berd hill.
Cascade Monument– a monumental architectural structure in the form of a system of stairs, fountains, sculptures and flower beds on the slopes of the Kanaker Hills. At the top there is an observation deck, which offers a beautiful view of the city with Mount Ararat in the background.
Tsitsernakaberd (Tsitsernakaberd)– a memorial complex in Yerevan dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Located on the hill of the same name.
The 44-meter stele symbolizes the will to revive the Armenian people. Along the entire stele from the base to the top there is a deep cut or fault, dividing it into two parts. The arrow symbolizes the divided Armenian people, the smaller part of which lives in Armenia, and the larger part lives in the Diaspora.
Next to the stele there is a pedestal - a cone formed by twelve large stone slabs. In the center of the cone, at a depth of 1.5 meters, an eternal flame burns.
There, next to the stele, there is a hundred-meter-high Wall of Mourning with the names of the places (cities and villages) along which the path of the Armenians deported during the genocide passed.
The last completed building of the complex was the Genocide Museum, opened in 1995 at the other end of the park, which is almost entirely underground and consists of two floors with a total area of 2000 m².
The museum displays some of the photographs taken by German photographers, as well as their publications. Not far from the museum there is an alley where foreign government officials plant trees in memory of the victims of the genocide.
– the largest Armenian cathedral in Yerevan. Built (1997-2001) in memory of the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion by Armenia. It is also a repository of relics associated with Gregory the Illuminator. The relics were brought here from Naples, and after the consecration of the temple, Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral.
The cathedral consists of three temples: the Church of St. Tiridates III (150 seats), the Church of the Holy Queen Ashkhen (150 seats) and the cathedral itself with 1,700 seats. The names for the churches were not chosen by chance. King Tiridates III and Queen Ashkhen helped Saint Gregory the Illuminator spread the Christian faith in Armenia.
The total area of the complex is about 3822 sq. m. m, the height from the ground to the top of the cross is 54 meters.
Blue Mosque– the cathedral mosque of Yerevan, built in 1766 by the local Turkic khan of the Erivan Khanate, Huseynali Khan Qajar. The area of the mosque is 7000 square meters. m. In the southeastern part of the mosque there is a 24 m high minaret, there are 28 pavilions, a library in the northern part, the main hall and dome in the southern part, and a courtyard.
During the Soviet years it was converted, first in 1931, into the Yerevan City Museum, then into a planetarium, and is currently one of the cultural centers of the Iranian community in Armenia.
or Institute of Ancient Manuscripts- a research center under the government of the Republic of Armenia, which is one of the largest repositories of manuscripts in the world.
The Matenadaran funds include more than 17 thousand ancient manuscripts and more than 100 thousand ancient archival documents. Along with 13 thousand Armenian manuscripts, more than 2000 manuscripts in Russian, Hebrew, Latin, Arabic, Syriac, Greek, Japanese, Persian and other languages are stored here.
The building where the institute is currently located was built in 1959 according to the design of architect Mark Grigoryan.
- a monument in honor of the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War in Yerevan. Located in Haghtanak Park, overlooking the city center. Built in 1950. The height is 54 m, of which 22 m is the height of the statue.
Initially, a monument to Stalin was installed on the pedestal, dismantled in 1962. The statue “Mother Armenia” (1967) is made in hammered copper and symbolizes the power and greatness of the Motherland. Represents the image of a mother sheathing a sword. There is a shield at the mother’s feet. The sculpture is characterized by the stylized shape of the hands and the strict features of the clothing.
At the base of the monument there is a museum of the Ministry of Defense, which displays exhibits from the Great Patriotic and Karabakh wars: personal belongings, weapons, documents and portraits of heroes. Around the pedestal are displayed samples of weapons of that time.
- on David of Sasun Square in front of the Yerevan station building. David of Sasun is a medieval epic that tells the story of the struggle of heroes from Sasun (a region in historical Armenia, now in Turkey) against Arab invaders.
– approximately 60% of the all-Armenian reserves of cognac spirits of various aging periods are located here. This is the leading enterprise in Armenia for the production of alcoholic beverages.
Also worth a visit in Yerevan water park "Yerevan Water World", Botanical Garden And Zoo.
Sights in the vicinity of Yerevan
(Temple of the Vigilant Forces, Temple of Heavenly Angels) is the greatest temple of early medieval Armenian architecture, located near Yerevan and Vagharshapat.
Built in the 7th century under Catholicos Nerses III the Builder, who planned to move his residence from Dvin to Vagharshapat. The consecration ceremony of the colossal temple was attended by the Byzantine emperor Constant II, who wished to build the same one in Constantinople.
In the 10th century, the temple collapsed during an earthquake due to the weakness of the support nodes of the second tier.
The ruins of Zvartnots were discovered by excavations in 1901-1907. To date, the first tier has been almost completely reconstructed.
In 2000, the ruins of the temple and the archaeological area around it were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
– the ruins of the ancient fortress city of the state of Urartu, the last stronghold of Urartian statehood during the decline of Urartu. They are located on the Karmir-Blur hill on the outskirts of modern Yerevan.
Teishebaini was founded in the 7th century BC. e. Tsar Rusa II.
At the southern foot of the Karmir-Blur hill, on the site of an Urartian vineyard, a small building of the Teishebaini Museum was built, which is currently closed, and almost all of its funds were transferred to the Erebuni Museum (with the exception of large stone fragments of the Teishebaini water conduits).
Video of Yerevan
The idea of building the square came to the city’s chief architect, Alexander Tamanyan, back in 1924, but its implementation was delayed until 1958. Initially, the shape of the square was conceived as oval, but in the end it was replaced by a combination of an oval and a trapezoid.
Today there are 5 buildings on the square, which are its formative elements: the National Historical Museum of Armenia, the Government of Armenia (the main clock of the country is located on the tower of this building), the Central Post Office building, the Marriott Armenia Hotel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Energy.
These buildings are made in the same style and from the same materials: the lower part is made of white and pink basalt, and the upper part is made of tuff.
In front of the Museum building there are “singing” fountains, in which the color, jet pressure and lighting intensity change to the music. Nearby begins the boulevard, on which 2,750 drinking fountains were installed in 1968, symbolizing the 2,750-year age of the capital of Armenia.
The first mentions of attempts to calculate the population of Yerevan date back to the 1st century BC. According to the census, which was carried out under the leadership of Tigran the Great, about five million people lived on the territory of Armenia. At that time, about five thousand citizens were registered in Yerevan.
Historical reference
At the beginning of the 19th century, when Armenia was part of the Russian Empire, the country had a population of less than 200,000 people. According to the All-Russian census conducted in 1897, there were about 10,000 inhabitants in the lands of Yerevan and its surrounding areas.
USSR era
The first full-scale census, which covered the entire territory of the former Armenian province, took place in 1926. The accounting process was led by O. A. Kvitkin and V. G. Mikhailovsky. It was revealed that at that time 881,290 people lived in Yerevan and other settlements of the republic of the USSR.
The next census procedure was initiated in 1937. But the information published as part of this event is considered to be falsified and unreliable. The next attempt was made two years later. The scientists used a new methodology, which took into account not only the actually present population, but also residents permanently residing in Yerevan.
The count was not completed. The process was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Brief and fragmentary information obtained during this period was published. If you believe the statistics, the population of Yerevan has exceeded 500,000. The number of residents of the republic has reached 1,282,338.
Post-war time
The next census was carried out after the end of hostilities. It took place at the beginning of 1959. This campaign was supposed to reveal the demographic damage that World War II brought to Armenia. Its data were taken as a basis for planning and forecasting the social indicators of the republic.
During this period, the current population was 1,763,048, and the permanent population reached 1,765,297 people. The next census of Yerevan and Armenia, which took place in 1970, used a sample survey method. New items have been added to the questionnaire. They affected knowledge of native and foreign languages. As part of this campaign, it was revealed that 2,491,873 people live in the republic. The next census took place nine years later. The techniques used during this process were radically different from those previously used.
All data was recorded on electromagnetic tape, which was used in electronic computers. According to statistics, in 1979 the number of residents of Armenia exceeded 3,030,747 people. The population of Yerevan has also increased rapidly. The last census of Armenia under the status of a republic of the USSR was carried out in 1989. It was intended to clarify the demographic situation, which has undergone significant changes.
Cataclysms
In 1988, a huge number of people in the country suffered during a devastating earthquake. Tens of thousands of lives were claimed by the fighting in the Karabakh conflict. The results were published in 1990, but at that time they had already lost their relevance. The population of Yerevan has increased, but in other regions of Armenia a reverse trend has emerged. Almost 200,000 people were evacuated outside the republic.
Capital
For centuries, Yerevan has been the main city of the country. Its history dates back thousands of years. The metropolis is compared to Rome, Damascus and ancient Carthage. On the map, Yerevan is located in the northeastern part of the state. It occupies the territory of the Ararat Valley and is located in the Yerevan pit. Madrid is located at its latitude, as well as Washington and Beijing.
Currently, the official residence of the President of Armenia is based in the city. In the center of the capital, the buildings of the National Assembly, ministries, government departments and educational institutions rise. On the map, Yerevan looks compact, but in the capital there is a place not only for federal services, but also for the offices of international corporations and local enterprises.
The rich architectural heritage is the calling card of the metropolis. It clearly demonstrates the traditions of medieval architecture and the features of Armenian culture. Its center is a tangle of narrow streets, which, running in different directions, come together at the main city square. Century after century, it hosts fair festivities and Sunday auctions.
The population of Yerevan in 1920 amounted to several tens of thousands. In 2001 it exceeded one million people. Today it is an important economic center, the largest city in the country. There are twelve municipal communities on its territory. A third of all residents of the republic are registered in them.
- Kanaker-Zeytun;
- Ajapnyak;
- Shengavit;
- Avan;
- Nubarashen;
- Arabkir;
- Nork-Marash;
- Davidashen;
- Nor Nork;
- Erebuni;
- Malatnya-Sebastia;
- Kentron.
Settlement
In 2001, 502,981 males and 588,254 females lived in the city of Yerevan. In Ajapnyak, 104,488 inhabitants were recorded. In Avan this parameter was 49,191. In Arabkir there were 130,613 inhabitants, and in Davidashen - only 39,566. The number of people permanently present on the territory of Erebuni was 117,412. The population of Kentron is slightly smaller, it is equal to 131,823 people. Malatnya-Sebastia is the most sought-after municipal district of the city of Yerevan. It is home to 140,888 people.
In Nor Nork, 139,037 inhabitants were recorded. In Nork-Marash this figure was 11,699, and in Nubarashen - only 8,920. Shengavit was chosen by 138,922 people, and Kanaker-Zeytun by 78,676 residents. In all communities of the metropolis, the number of women exceeds the number of men. The municipal district of Kentron is the historical center of the capital. The total area of Yerevan is 223 km². The height of its middle part is 1,300 meters above sea level.
Demographic situation
If we consider the gender profile of the population of a metropolis, the number of male and female infants under the age of four is the same. In the group of children over five but under nine, boys dominate. The picture is similar in the teenagers category. The preponderance in the population structure of Yerevan in favor of women is noted in the segment of city residents over twenty years of age.
In other age groups, this trend continues. The difference becomes most obvious in the segment of pensioners over sixty years of age. The difference between men and women aged eighty to ninety reaches almost one hundred percent. In 2004, the number of children under four years old was almost 61,000. In the group from five to nine, 76,618 people were recorded. There are 95,694 teenagers in the 10-14 year old segment. There are about ten thousand people over eighty years of age left. Of these, three thousand are men, and the rest are women.
The national composition of the population of Yerevan is mainly Armenians. According to 2011 data, their share exceeded 98%. Almost all of them are parishioners of the Christian church. The number of bachelors who have never entered into a marriage union in Yerevan is 247,000. The number of married people is 511,209 people. There are 78,000 registered widowers, 34,000 divorcees.
There are 143,000 females living in the city who have never had children. Approximately 61,000 are raising one child, 147,686 are caring for two. 84,000 women gave birth to three babies. About 25,000 women have four children. There are 1,674 children per thousand women. The population density of Yerevan is gradually increasing, but not due to an increase in the birth rate. Migration flows are having an impact.
If you believe the statistics, modern metropolitan women who are under forty years old do not give birth to a fourth child. Having many children is typical for women who belong to the age group 50+. They account for the maximum birth rate, which exceeds 2,400 people per thousand inhabitants. For forty-year-old women, this parameter is 2,100.
Nationality
If you believe documents dating back to 1873, then the area of Yerevan during this period did not exceed 15 km². There were about 12,000 people in the city. Of these, 6,000 were Armenians, 150 were Russians, 5,850 were Azerbaijanis. Twenty-five years later in capital of Armenia 29,000 citizens lived. Sixty Kurds and Yezidis appeared in the city. The share of Russians has increased. In 1897 they made up 23% of the total number of townspeople.
In 1926, the population of Yerevan exceeded 67,000. The number of Azerbaijanis living decreased to 5,200 people, which in percentage terms was only 7.8%. There are also much fewer Russians, their share has dropped to 2%. In 1939, the number of townspeople almost tripled and reached 200,396. Armenians continued to dominate. Their number exceeded 174,000 people.
Registered Russians who arrived in the city to boost Yerevan's industry after the war numbered 15,000. The number of Kurds reached 180. In 1959, 509,340 inhabitants lived in the capital of the republic. There were 473,742 Armenians, 22,572 Russians, 2,835 Kurds, 3,413 Azerbaijanis. In 1979, the percentage of the Armenian population in the city continued to increase and reached almost 96%. The total number of inhabitants was 1,017,289. The number of representatives of the Ukrainian, Greek and Jewish diasporas increased. It reached 9,481, and in percentage terms 0.9%.
In 2001, the population of Yerevan exceeded 1,103,400 people. Armenians made up 99% of the population. The number of Russians decreased to 6,684. There were fewer Kurds and Azerbaijanis. In 2011, the number of residents of the capital of Armenia reached 1,121,900. The dominant religion in Yerevan is Christianity. The believers are parishioners of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The nationality of children in Armenia is determined by their parents.
On the territory of Yerevan, the remains of pagan temples erected in the 5th century BC have been preserved. The Russian Orthodox Church is represented by three cathedrals built in the 17th and 19th centuries. There are also Protestant and Catholic religious buildings. There are Jews and isolated representatives of other faiths. There is a synagogue, Muslims gather under the arches of mosques. There are two of them in Yerevan.
Education
A huge number of educational institutions of primary, secondary and higher levels are concentrated in the capital of the republic. Professional education can be obtained at the faculties of the National Agrarian University, at the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema, at the Mkhitar Heratsi Medical University. The Yerevan Art Academy operates, and the Yerevan State Conservatory named after Komitas recruits.
Economy of Yerevan
The Armenian government is actively developing the tourism industry, the epicenter of which is the capital. In recent years, a lot of new hotels have appeared in the city, monuments have been erected, parks and squares have been modernized, and public spaces have been organized. Travel agency staff develop excursion routes. Particular attention is paid to eco-tourism, ski holidays and mountaineering.
In 2013, there were about eighty hotel complexes operating in Yerevan. The city features hotels from the international chains Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Kempinski, Metropol, Ramada, Golden Tulip, and Best Western.
Industrial enterprises operate in the vicinity of the city. The city is home to the leading plant in Armenia, specializing in the production of alcoholic beverages. We are talking about the Yerevan Brandy Factory. Not far from residential areas rise the Nairit chemical workshops. They produce synthetic rubber. The ArmenAl aluminum plant is in operation. The thermal power plant is responsible for supplying the metropolis with electricity. Its power is 550,000 kilowatts. There are also hydroelectric power stations.
In addition to private grocery stores, there are supermarkets of large Armenian chains “Yerevan City”, “Sas”, “Best”, “Vas” in Yerevan. There are official representative offices of Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung. The only stock exchange in the country is located in Yerevan. It was established in 2001.
Transport accessibility of the capital is ensured by air traffic. The international airport is fifteen minutes away by car from the city. Seven years ago it was modernized. Now Zvartnots accepts all types of aircraft. It serves about three million passengers a year. New terminals serve foreign destinations. Another airport in Yerevan is Erebuni. It accepts local carriers and military aircraft.
The station is responsible for the railway communication, on the platforms of which local commuter trains and long-distance trains arrive, the route of which ends in Batumi and Tbilisi.
Migration flows
Yerevan is most often visited by residents of remote corners of Armenia. According to official data, about three hundred Russians visit the capital every year. Over the past decades, the national composition of the metropolis has undergone significant changes. More than 1,500 Georgians left the city. About five hundred people left for Iran. 2,400 residents crossed the borders of the Russian Federation.
Three hundred people left for Ukraine, 241 for the United States of America. About 1,100 people left Yerevan, settling in European countries. Statistics say that of all registered residents of Yerevan, 281 people were born in Germany, 643 in Turkey, 232 in Turkmenistan, 1,700 in Iran, 1,000 in Greece, 223 in Kazakhstan. About 5,000 Yerevan residents were born in Russia, 1,100 in Syria, 687 in Ukraine, 303 in Uzbekistan.
Since the standard of living in Yerevan is much higher than in the provinces, people from rural areas of Armenia flock to the city. They are the main factor influencing the demographic situation in the capital. They come from Armavir, Ararat, Lori, Shirak, Tavush.
Individual ownership
The number of households in the capital exceeds 1,100,000 units. This suggests that almost every city resident owns a share in a private house. Usually four people live in the building. The number of such estates in Yerevan is 65,000. Options are common when a cottage is shared by a family of three or five relatives. There are almost 40,000 such households.
There are no more than 31,000 estates in which only one owner is registered. The number of cottages with two owners is about 37,000. There are 28,000 houses with six residents, 13,500 with seven. Eight people are registered in 5,500 objects, nine in 3,000, ten in mansions, the number of which is more than 3,500. Most often, individual housing is chosen by married couples and widows. Young people prefer apartments in modern multi-storey complexes that are being built on the outskirts of Yerevan.
Living conditions
The lion's share of residential buildings in the capital is built from brick. There are stone structures. The number of wooden estates does not exceed 1,200 units. 8,300 houses were built from combined materials. Of the 300,000 properties, 90% of properties are connected to water supply. 10,000 cottages have access to the pump, which is located outside the building. Individual storage tanks and reservoirs with clean drinking water have been installed in 600 estates.
Approximately 200,000 homes are connected to the sewer system. There are 11,000 residential properties with outdoor amenities. Bathtubs are installed in 8,000 houses. Four thousand individual properties are equipped with outdoor showers. Almost all cottages are connected to the power supply system. The number of landline telephone points is 219,000.
Approximately 60,000 households are heated. Almost 16,000 objects are connected to the gas pipeline. Five hundred estates are heated with coal. Fireplaces and stoves operate in 63,000 buildings.
Earnings
Almost every fifth adult man leaves Yerevan to look for work. Industrial enterprises built during the Soviet era are just beginning to gain momentum. Therefore, there are few opportunities for decent income in the capital. Moreover, prices in the city are much higher than in remote parts of the country. One kilogram of rice costs about 60 rubles, bread - 20, a dozen eggs - 65, a liter of milk - 25.
Renting a one-room apartment located in the suburbs will cost 12,000 rubles per month. For more spacious housing you need to pay 24,000. Apartments in the very center are valued at 30,000 rubles. Utility costs are 3,000.
Men retire at 63 years old, and women at 59 years old. To receive a state pension, you must work for at least twenty-five years. If a resident of Armenia has spent fifteen years in hazardous work, he has a unique opportunity to apply for a pension at 55 years of age. Guaranteed by the system social security republic, the monthly payment in 2017 is five thousand rubles. Caring for elderly relatives falls on the shoulders of the young working population of Armenia.
Without exaggeration, every city on Earth has its own unspoken symbols. It just so happens that Yerevan has several of them, but, undoubtedly, one of the main ones is Republic Square. Some of my brightest childhood memories are connected precisely with this Square, or more precisely, with festive fireworks, which at the same time delight with their colorfulness and frighten with their terrifying roar.
Today, for me, the main square of Yerevan, which, by the way, has more than once been included in the ranking of the most beautiful squares in the CIS and the world, is a constant delight, but from the unique architecture, which is fully revealed in the light of the evening lights, with the sounds of bohemian music Singing fountains, and from the youth full of life and plans strolling here in the evenings.
Along with the Opera and the Cascade, Republic Square is one of those places where it is always crowded: roller-skating children, young people in love, families, elderly couples - all this “framed” by the beautiful music of Aznavour or Babajanyan makes you freeze and catch every moment and every emotion .
How to get to Republic Square
If, having arrived in the capital of Armenia, you are not staying in the city center, then you can get to Republic Square by metro or other public transport. The Republic Square metro station, which I talked about in my article, is literally a two-minute walk from the main square of Yerevan. In addition, buses No. 1, 2, 22, 32, 33, 44, 54, 58 and many others reach the square from different parts of the city, as well as minibuses No. 12, 26, 62 and others.
On the map you can see the location and shape of the square. Here I circled the nearest transport stops and metro station with red circles, the nearest cafes and restaurants with blue circles, and hotels with orange circles.
Yerevan Tamanyan
Yerevan the way we see it today is largely the merit of the outstanding Soviet architect, academician Alexander Tamanyan. It is he who is the author of the master plan of modern Yerevan and it is thanks to him that Yerevan has turned from a small town into one of the most beautiful capitals in the world!
The unique and inimitable appearance of the city was given by the mixture of neoclassicism, of which Tamanyan was an adherent, and the national style, including various ornaments and decorative stone carvings.
In addition to Republic Square, Alexander Tamanyan also became the author of the Opera and Ballet building and the Government House in Yerevan, as well as a number of works in Russia, including the house of Prince Shcherbatov in Moscow and the reconstruction of the Armenian Church on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg.
Republic Square in Yerevan
The magnificent appearance of the Square, in addition to the architecture itself, is largely dictated by the use of natural tuff rock. It is tuff, especially the pink color, that is the main building stone in Yerevan, which gives buildings an amazing texture and color tints, and thanks to which Yerevan is often called the “pink city.” The basement of the buildings is built of basalt, and the cladding uses white and pink felsite tuff, giving the square an elegant and recognizable look.
The complex paintings and carvings on the facades, arches and columns of the buildings, which are made in a characteristic national style with unique ancient Armenian motifs, attract attention. I sometimes like to stop near these buildings and look at the intertwined ornaments, each time finding something new in them that I had not noticed before.
Construction of Republic Square, which in Soviet times bore the name of Lenin, began in 1924, and some work lasted until 1958. The monument to Lenin on the square was dismantled after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Initially, the area was supposed to be exclusively oval, however, taking into account some of the features of the surrounding areas, it was decided to use a more complex combination of oval and trapezoid. The unique architectural ensemble of the main square of the capital of Armenia includes five buildings. The House of Ministries and the House of Government are located symmetrically on the western and eastern sides. On the front wall of the latter there is a large clock - the city chimes, a constant meeting place for many citizens and guests of the capital.
The remaining three are occupied by the Central Post Office of Armenia, the Marriott Armenia Hotel, and the centrally located building of the History Museum of Armenia, opposite which is another decoration of the square - the famous Singing Fountains, illuminated at night with bright lighting effects.
In addition, the square also has an oval platform, which is decorated with magnificent mosaic paintings. By the way, a New Year tree is installed on it.
Singing Fountains
Singing fountains are an invariable component and highlight of Republic Square. They were completely updated in 2007, becoming even more beautiful and vibrant. The light show of the fountains begins at 9 pm, and the musical program alternates between classics, jazz, rock and pop, to the rhythms of which the water flows change the shape and height of the water jets.
As they say, you can endlessly watch how water flows. I can endlessly look at the lovely figures wiggling to the sounds of my favorite melodies.
By the way, keep in mind that the fountains do not work in winter: instead, you will see LED New Year's lamps and futuristic figurines.
What's nearby
Republic Square is the heart of the capital. Naturally, the main attractions, shops, cafes and restaurants are located in close proximity to it:
- Thus, a small boulevard and a square adjoin the square, connecting it with the Street of Italy. This boulevard is notable for the fact that in 1968 an ensemble of 2,750 small fountains was installed here, having a symbolic meaning - the age of Yerevan at that year.
- If you look opposite, from the side where the City Clock is located, we will see the metro station “Republic Square” (you can find out more about it and other stations of the Yerevan metro), after a short walk from which you can walk to the famous Vernissage souvenir market.
- As I already noted, one of the main buildings on the square is the Museum of History of Armenia, which houses almost half a million exhibits telling about the history and cultural heritage of Armenia, from prehistoric times to the present day. The National Art Gallery of Armenia is located in the same building, where in 56 halls of Armenian, European, Russian and Oriental art you can see the works of such geniuses as Aivazovsky, Saryan, Minasyan, Repin, Chagall, Kandinsky, Rubens, Donatello and others.
- If you stand facing the Museum building and the Singing Fountains, then on the left side you will see the famous “7 springs” with delicious drinking water, as well as Abovyan Street, which still retains the spirit of the old city. I love to leisurely stroll along it, looking at the ancient buildings, each of which is a real work of art, and the amazing doors - silent witnesses of centuries-old history, beckoning to see at least out of the corner of my eye what is hiding behind them.
- Walking a little along Abovyan Street, on the left side you will see the completely pedestrian Northern Avenue, where fashion boutiques and many stylish cafes are located. For me, this intersection is like a “time machine” connecting Abovyan Street, steeped in centuries-old history, with modern fashionable buildings.
In addition, in the immediate vicinity of the square there are many famous restaurants, such as Caucasian Prisoner, Dolmama and Salon, many souvenir shops and shops, as well as a number of hotels, including the National, Paris Hotel, Hyatt Place and the above-mentioned Marriott.
Archaeological excavations at Republic Square
Few people know that in 2003 the Armenian government approved the improvement of Republic Square, which, by the will of fate, brought a number of new discoveries. So, during excavation work, builders discovered stone walls, parts of tiles made of red and black tuff, water pipes and the remains of clay jugs. The unexpected discovery prompted the start of archaeological excavations and research, during which sections of basements dating back to the 17th century were also discovered.
It is interesting that the research allowed us to conclude that these areas are the basements of those buildings that found a place in the panoramic drawings depicting Yerevan by French travelers Jean Chardin and Baptiste Tavernier, and indicating that Yerevan, already in the 17th century was an important trade and economic center in the region.
Unfortunately, due to the fact that the area needed to be brought into proper shape in a short time, the excavations were frozen, and these finds were covered with a thick layer of sand for possible subsequent work and research.
Honestly, I really hope that in the near future an opportunity will be found to resume research, I’m very interested in what other secrets and discoveries the found “dungeon” conceals.
Mass at Republic Square in Yerevan
Traditionally, the main square of Yerevan was and is the largest open area for holding all kinds of events. Festive concerts, marathons, fireworks displays, New Year's performances and much more are organized and hosted here.
One of the most striking events in the square was last year's concert of the world famous rock band System of a Down under the auspices of Wake Up the Souls on the eve of April 24, a day of mourning considered the date of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, which arose a century ago. The concert attracted more than 50 thousand fans who did not run away even despite the pouring rain.
However, this year an event took place in Yerevan that will become part of history and will be remembered for a long time by residents and guests of the capital. As part of the three-day visit of the Pope to Armenia under the motto “Visit to the first Christian country,” a solemn ceremony was held on June 25 at Republic Square, where anyone could attend. As part of the ceremony, His Holiness Pope Francis and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II offered an ecumenical prayer, which was continued by a concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Choir of Armenia.
The solemn ceremony brought together tens of thousands of believers, among whom were those who specially arrived in Armenia to see the Pope. The Mass became the most open event of these three days, during which the Pontiff also visited the Mother See of Etchmiadzin, the Khor Virap monastery, the city of Gyumri, where he also celebrated the Holy Mass, and visited Tsitsernakaberd - the Genocide Victims Memorial, where he laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and held blessing ceremony.
Afterword
As you already understand, it is simply impossible to visit Yerevan and pass by its main square. And you will no longer have any chance to remain indifferent! I strongly recommend visiting Yerevan Square both during the day and in the evening: it’s like two completely different places with different energy and strong emotions.
Of course, the square will certainly be more impressive and captivating under the lights, but it is during the day that you can fully enjoy the beautiful architecture and ornaments of the surrounding buildings.
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