armenia guide
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Armenia section of USSR guidebook. Now that the Soviet Union has dissolved, Armenia is not in any of the "big" guidebooks. I am not sure which one this comes from, and 1992 is pretty old, but a lot of the information is still quite useful.

ARMENIA (1992)

The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic lies on the southern slope of the Armenian Mountains, along the northeastern part of the range, framed by the peaks of the Lesser Caucasus. Its area is 11,502 square miles and its population just over 3 million. It is bordered by Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the East, Turkey and Iran to the south.

This is one of the most picturesque and majestic parts of the Caucasus. Its average elevation is 1,370 meters (4,500 feet); even the deepest valleys are 450 meters (1,500 feet) to 730 meters (2,400 feet) above sea level. It is a region of great geological instability, as the devastating earthquake of December 1988 demonstrated; several towns and villages were almost totally destroyed.

YEREVAN

Yerevan is one of the oldest and most attractive cities in the U.S.S.R. Its situation, its natural features and its colorful buildings all contribute to its beauty. Lying on the Armenian plateau at an elevation of 915 meters (3,000 feet), Yerevan is blessed with a remarkably pure atmosphere. It has hot summer days but cool evenings. In winter it can be very cold and sometimes there is snow, though mild winters are not infrequent. The city is surrounded by mountains; to the south the snow-covered peak of Ararat, on its left the somewhat lower Lesser Ararat (Masis) and to the northwest The four peaks of Mount Aragats. On the north it is bordered by the bleak rocks of the Kanaker Plateau, on the east by the greenery of the villas of the Nork Plateau, on the west by the deep ravine of the Razdan (Zanga) River with its riverside Promenades and the vineyards of Mount Dalmin.

Modern Yerevan is a colorful city, its buildings constructed of basalt, marble, onyx, and volcanic rock in many styles, yet forming a fairly harmonious whole. Though some of them may look over decorated, they avoid the monotony of the box-like concrete-and-glass structures elsewhere.

Lenin Square is the center of the city. The dominating building here is the Government Palace, housing the Council of Ministers and the Supreme Soviet of Armenia. Opposite, on the northern side of the square, stand the offices of several ministries. Between the two pink palaces on the northeastern side of the square, is the House of Armenian Culture, with a huge, arcaded loggia and a large basin with fountains in front of it. This is the home of the Historical Museum and the Armenian National Gallery. The Historical Museum covers the evolution of art on Armenian soil from prehistoric times. On the first floor are works by modern craftsmen and traditional costumes. Also in Lenin Square, on the corner of Amiryan Street, are the Armenian Hotel and the Yerevan branch office of Intourist.

Leaving Hotel Armenia, turn left along Amiryan Street and you will reach Prospect Street in a few minutes. Turning left you pass the minaret and mosque built in 1776. This houses the municipal museum illustrating the 2,000-year-long history of the city. Opposite is the Market Hall with its massive wrought iron railings; it has a striking interior and a very colorful atmosphere. On the other side of the road, before the Market, is the Museum of Modern Art. Under imaginative and unorthodox direction, its frequently changing exhibits are well worth a visit.

Turning right from Amiryan Street and walking uptown along Prospect Street, you will reach the Armenian Opera House, standing in a park which is a favorite with Armenians. They are often to be seen here engaged in what look like violent arguments, but are usually just friendly discussion. The finest street in the city, Barekamutyan, begins at the park. It runs into a broad square, to the left of which Kiev Street starts. This leads to the Great Hrazdan Bridge, which crosses the river to Armakuniats Boulevard. Turning from the boulevard into the street of the 26 Commisars, you can reach Agtangegos Square. The Hotel Sevan stands here; the square is linked by a promenade with Republic Square.

At the north end of Prospect Street a stairway leads to the Matenadaran, the famous Armenian archive-a large collection of manuscripts, complete and fragmentary, in many languages as well as miniatures and some fine rare bindings. Most of the collection originated in the church library of Echmiadzin. A memorial to Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet stands outside.

THE BANKS OF THE HRAZDAN

The fast-flowing Hrazdan (Zanga) River forms a deep ravine near Yerevan. The rivers flow has been regulated, and pleasant walks have been built along its banks. The shortest way to approach it is through Spandaryan Street to the Bridge of Victory. The other somewhat more interesting route, is through Kiev Street to the Great Hrazdan Bridge. After crossing the bridge, take a footpath to the quay. Walking upstream you will reach Abovyan Park, a pleasant recreation area with an open-air theatre. The Pioneer's Railway, Hayrenik, will take you to a beach which has a swimming pool. The river itself has a strong current, so no swimming is recommended.

Walking downstream, you will reach the aqueduct. Nearby, on the rocky left bank, there are some remains of a fortress, stormed by Russian troops in October 1827. On the right bank are the stadium and Shahumyan Park. Near the aqueduct there is a three-span bridge and on the left bank a large building without doors or windows-the wine cellar of the Ararat Trust. The entrance is round at the back. Opposite, on the far end of the Bridge of Victory, a steep stairway leads to a pink, elaborately decorated building-the brandy stills of Yerevan. Visitors are welcome (by previous arrangement only).

Overlooking the river and Tsitsernakaberd Park in the northwest of the city is the massive genocide monument to the million Armenians slaughtered by the Turks in 1915.

RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS AND ANCIENT FORTRESSES

The Nork Plateau in Yerevan is a nice recreation area. There is an old observatory nearby on Abovyan street as well as a University. From Abovyan square you can take Kanakeri Road to the Kanaker plateau, it has a nice view of the capitol city. Also from Abovyan Square, you can take Norki Road. This will lead you Vartavara Park, there is an Urartian Fortress here called Arin-Berd. It has been excavated and stone tablets were found describing the founding of the city of Argisti Ervuni, this is now the Armenian Capital of Yerevan, which is often called Erebuni.

Southwest of Yerevan, is the Karmir-Blur, an Urartu fortress built in the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Excavations have uncovered the remains of the Urartu city of Teysehaini.

ARMENIAN LANDSCAPES AND CITIES

Yerevan is a great base for exploring some of Armenia's most typical towns and villages. Nearest and most important is Echmiadzin, some 20 KM (12 miles) west of Yerevan) The road is lined with poplars. About 15 KM down the road it is worth stopping to see the seventh century stone church dedicated to Hripsime.

At the 18-km. milestone follow the signpost to the left down a lane leading to the ruined seventh-century Cathedral at Zvartnots. Zvartnots, in its day the largest round church in the world, was sacked by Arab invaders in the 10th century. It is said they wanted no building higher than their own mosque. The ruins contain an unusual sundial and a relief of the architect, Master Ovannes. There is a museum attached.

Echmiadzin, founded as Vargarsapat in A.D. 117 and once the capital of Armenia, is today a busy market town, center of an agricultural area famous for its fruit, wine, and cotton. It is also the religious capital of Armenia, seat of the Catholicos (or Patriarch) and a place of pilgrimage for Christian Armenians from all over the world. When St. Gregory the Illuminator converted King Trdat III to Christianity at the end of the second century, making Armenia the first officially Christian country, he had a vision in which he saw Christ descending from from heaven and beating the ground with a golden hammer. On that spot the Cathedral of Echmiadzin (meaning, literally, the "only-begotten descended") was built in 301. It has been the center of the independent Armenian church for the last 1,700 years.

The present cathedral was rebuilt in the sixth-seventh centuries and has been added to and embellished ever since. The new marble floor and altar are a recent gift from the Gulbenkian family. Reliquaries (including the lance said to have pierced the side of Christ-one of several in existence) can be seen in the Cathedral Museum. In the courtyard is a fine example of one of the early carved prayer stones to be seen all over Armenia. The nearby Theological Seminary accepts some 13 young men each year for training to the priesthood. Worth seeing also is the seventh-century Gayane Convent.

From Echmiadzin, it is worthwhile making a trip to Lake Aygerlich, 16 km. (10 mi.) away, accessible by both bus and car. It is a small lake, surrounded by mountains, in a very beautiful setting. There is excellent fishing, and otters are bred in the reeds framing the shores.

To the southeast of Yerevan, some 18 km. (11mi.) distant lie the ruins of Dvin, another former Armenian capital, best reached by car along the Artasat highway.

GARNI AND ITS ENVIRONS

Two important Armenian monuments, the Garni temple and the Gegard cave monastery, are only 35 kn. (22 mi.) from Yerevan by car. The route goes through Avan, Dzhrvezh and Vokhchaberd, twisting through romantic landscapes, along the ridge of the Gegami Range, and descending through a pass into the Garni Valley. In the sheer rock walls of the pass there are caves, today almost inaccessible, though once a regular refuge from the invaders.

The Temple of Garni stands on a cliff, near the village, in the steep valley of the Azat river. Its walls are of huge basalt blocks. Once it was the summer palace of King Trdat I, who built it in the first century A.D. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1679, the monument has been excellently restored by Armenian architects in recent years.

The Gegard (Holy Lance) Monastery is only 8 km. (5 mi.) from Garni. After a few loops the road reaches a ravine where the Karmirget River flows far below. A gate-like opening in the rocks is followed by a sudden descent; then the valley narrows and emerges into the Gegard Basin. Its perpendicular walls are honeycombed with caves. The church, built beside the river at the foot of the rock, dates from 1215. It provides access to another building with a roof formed by stalactites. The convent is in a cave adjoining this building; the only way in is through a narrow opening in the roof. It was carved out of the rock by a single craftsman who spent his entire life decorating and enlarging the cave chamber and its smaller alcove, which was used for burials.

ASHTARAK, BYURAKAN, AND AMBERD

Ashtarak is a district center 19KM (12 mi) northwest of Yerevan, on the southern slope of Mount Aragats. The whole district has been inhabited since time immemorial and there is hardly a village without some interesting feature. The area from Semiram (named after a Babylonian Queen) to Kos is full of stone monuments and chamber tombs.

Talis is famous for the cuneiform tablets found there. There are ancient burial places and fortifications in Parbi, Orgov, Mugni, Osakan, and Egvard. Parbi has one of the oldest Christian Basilicas in the world (fourth century). In the village of Ahtse a fourth-century underground crypt with bas-reliefs has been preserved; it is supposed to be the burial place of the Arshakid rulers. On the road from Yerevan to Ashtarak and the Kasan River is spanned by a fifth century bridge, and on a rock rising above it are the ruins of the fifth-century Tsiranavor Church.

From Ashtarak the highway continues west; after 6 miles, it begins to twist and turn, leading finally to Byurakan, where there is an important astrophysics observatory. From here you can set out on a pleasant hike. The ascending road reaches the village of Antarur and its fine old oak forest (2 miles). The path descending to the west takes you to the valley in which the Arkhansen and Amberd rivers meets. On the heights you can see the restored Amberd Church and Fortress, built in the age of the Bagratid Dynasty, with a complex system of underground corridors. On the left bank of the Arkhansen, huge, fish-shaped carved stones, the so-called visapos, can be seen. These are several hundred thousand years old, probably the relics of a pre-historic water cult."

ARZNI AND ENVIRONS

Arzni, known for its mineral spring and medicinal baths, lies in the valley of the Hrazdan River, some 21 km (13mi) north of Yerevan, linked by a regular bus service to the capital. Its sanatorium was built in 1925, but its sulfur springs were known long before then. The baths are set in a huge park of pine and chestnut trees. The promenade leads to an impressive waterfall. Toward the north another road takes you to the Egvard highway; a side road leads to the Arzni reservoir, which is also a boating lake.

Tsakhadzor is one of the most picturesque valleys in Armenia, some 1,565 meters (5,130 feet) above sea level. From Yerevan you take a train to Hrazdan and then continue by bus. The Valley of Flowers is the home of several Pioneers' camps, a "city of children." It is possible to put up a tent near the forest springs, but the nights are cold and you need blankets or a sleeping bag.

From the valley you can make a half day excursion to Mount Tegenis, starting from the northwestern edge of the youth camp, where the Kecharis, an 11th-century memorial stands. The path descends to the Tandzhabyor spring, from which a forest trail leads to a valley opening on the left. Here the ascent begins through woods and mountain meadows. From the summit (2,580 meters, 8,463 feet) there is a splendid panorama of much of Armenia. In winter this is a favorite skiing area, with thick powdery snow, little or no wind and only moderate cold.

LAKE SEVAN

Some 60 km (37 mi) from Yerevan, at an elevation of 1829 meters (6000 feet), you will find one of the largest mountain lakes in the world-Lake Sevan. Fed by some 30 rivers and streams, it has only one outlet, the Hrazdan River. The lake has a shoreline of more than 193 km. (120 miles) The Artanas Peninsula narrows the lake at one point to less than 8 km (5 miles), dividing it into the Grand and the Little Sevan (the latter is much deeper). It can be reached from Yerevan by train or car. Sevan is a quickly developing town on the western lakeshore.

The Sevan Peninsula is 6 km. (4 mi) from the town; its ninth-century monastery provides some beautiful views. Boating and sailing are best restricted to the morning and late afternoon hours because around noon there is usually a strong wind, often rising to a storm. The water is very cold, so bathing is only for the keen swimmer. In Sevan there is an interesting natural history exhibition in the Institute of Marine Biology.

Not far from Sevan, outside the village of Lohasen, prehistoric cave dwellings have been found, and some once-submerged hills have turned out to be Urartu settlements dating from the ninth century BC. The cuneiform tablets identify King Argisti and the city of Istikuni. Archeologists found an almost complete four-wheeled carriage, bronze vessels, axes, jewels, and inlaid daggers, evidence of a highly developed Bronze Age culture.

Some 32 km (20 mi) from Sevan there is an ancient cave dwelling at Cape Noratus. Four miles from the cave is the town of Kamo (Nor-Ayazet), founded in the eighth century BC and now a center of the fish industry.

Lake Sevan can also be reached from Tblisi and Baku. On this route, the first Armenian town is Idzhevzn, famous for its potters and carpet makers. From Idzevan the road leads through the wooded valley of Akstafachay to Dilizhan, one of the most pleasant and popular health resorts in the USSR. It is surrounded by dense pine forests, fast mountain streams, and waterfalls. From here Lake Sevan is only a few kilometers.