HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

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RESIDENTIAL HOUSE OF ARAKEL AFRIKYAN


Early 20th century


State index: 1.6.195

Architect: Vasily Mirzoyan


The two-story mansion of the Afrikyans is located on Pushkin Street, between Teryan, Koghbatsi, and Pushkin streets, at 38 Pushkin Street. The building has a Г-shaped plan and consists of two parts.

The main building measures 24.3 meters in length along the street and 15.5 meters in width, including a balcony that is 3.0 meters wide. The building features a rectangular plan with an interior space divided into two rows. Load-bearing walls create the longitudinal division, while partitions are used for the transverse division.


One row of rooms faces the southwest, overlooking the street and three cantilevered balconies on the second floor. The other row of rooms faces the inner courtyard, which also includes a hall with dimensions of 64.5 square meters and 50.1 square meters; one of the smaller rooms is 23.1 square meters, with a height of 5.0 meters. The side wing of the building intersects the main volume almost at a right angle and is angled towards the courtyard. Some rooms have dual orientations towards the southeast and northwest (street).


Inside, preserved frescoes adorn the ceilings. In the first hallway, there is a rosette with geometric and floral patterns, while the second hallway features images of cupids set against a background of sky and flowers. One room on the second floor also contains colorful paintings. The building includes wall stoves lined with smooth tiles.


The structure’s load-bearing walls are made of medium-masonry stone. The facade facing the street is finished with Yerevan-processed black tuff. The ceilings are flat and wooden, while the roof is sloped and metal.

Between 1918 and 1920, during the First Republic of Armenia, the building was home to Movses Silikyan, the commander-in-chief of the Battle of Sardarapat in May 1918. A memorial plaque on the building commemorates this period. From this balcony, residents of Yerevan received periodic updates on the situation in Sardarapat during the battle.


After the establishment of Soviet rule, the building at 38 Pushkin Street was nationalized and subsequently housed the County Committee and Yerevan Demonstration School No. 1. Later, it served as office space for various institutions. In 2017, it became the location of the National Cinema Center of Armenia.

 

 “Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality


38 Pushkin Str.