WONDERING AROUND YEREVAN: ABOVYAN STREET

There are some streets in Yerevan that are inseperable parts of the city. Abovyan Street, one of the oldest and most appealing streets in the city, is one of them. The street was called Krepostnaya (Serf Street), then Astafeskaya and since 1920, it has borne the name of Khachatur Abovyan. It stretches for a kilometer and half across the center of the city. Today, the street has a rather colorful appearance: 19th century buildings coexist alongside modern structures made of glass and concrete. It is the first street that was designed and built in the 19th century according to the city's general plan. The first horse-drawn tram wagon, a part of the Erivan city horse railroad that belonged to an entrepreneur named Mirzoyan since 1906, made its way along Abovyan Street.

You should start walking along Abovyan Street from Republic Square, where the street begins, based on the chronological order of addresses. On the right, next to the National Gallery, you'll see the quant Babajanyan Concert Hall. This building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century by the great entrepreneur and patron, Alexander Mantashov. In the late 1910s, the first parliament of independent Armenia sat here.Nowadays you can listen to a concert here instead of parliamentary debates.

Then you can have lunch across the street at Pizza di Roma. All along the street, in almost every building, you are sure to find numerous restaurants and cafés. Next to the pizzeria, you'll see SIL Plaza, in a beautiful, carefully restored two-story building,. If you are lucky, you may come across an old car here, whose owner has turned it into a clock workshop on wheels.

At the intersection with Pushkin Street,you will find agift shop called Salt Sack (Agheqsak), which is a must for those who appreciate original souvenirs. The shop is more like an apartment in an old Armenian house, all decorated with ceramics, embroidery, handicrafts,jewelry, clothes and even wine and foods. If you are about to leave and you need to buy real Armenian souvenirs, this is just the right place for you. Though Abovyan Street has an abundance of souvenir shops and you can certainly find something interesting in each one, this one is the best.

And just across the street is one of the most famous restaurants in the city, Dolmama. Its interior design does not only resemble an old apartment, it actually is one. Here you can taste perfectly prepared Armenian dishes, according to recipes that the chef keeps secret. The restaurant specialty is dolma, made of grape leaves and vegetables stuffed with meat.

A little further, at 3 Abovyan Street, you'll see an interesting building made of black tuff with a peculiar façade and a big stained glass window. This is the Armenian Society of Cultural Connection. The project was initiated by architect Boris Mehrabyan in 1915 as a mansion and clinic.

Moscow Cinema is also a part of the city's history. Built in 1935, it was Armenia's first cinema with two halls. Sadly, it was built in the place of an ancient church, which was destroyed to construct the cinema. Still, Moscow Cinema is a cult place in Yerevan which is loved by practically everyone.

A small semicircular square, called Aznavour Square, is next to the cinema, and opposite it you can see arguably the most original hotel in the city, the Golden Tulip (architect Nikolai Buniatyan), which was built in the late 1920s with the adjacent Exhibition Hall of the Artists' Association (designed by Rafo Israelyan). It used to be called the Yerevan Hotel. In the middle of the square, there is a fountain with the 12 signs of the zodiac.

Sculptures made of scrap metal and car parts also contribute to the unique atmosphere of the square. A bull with head bent and horns pointing out threateningly, and an enormous spider are among the beloved works of art by sculptor Ara Alekyan. An incredibly natural looking sheep made using the same technique decorates the hallof Moscow Cinema's second floor. As you can imagine, these sculptures are incredibly popular with children.

Opposite Aznavour Square lies the Stanislavsky Russian Drama Theatre. Each debut at this theatre becomes a major event in the cultural life of the Armenian capital.

Abovyan Street turns into a boulevard between Tumanyan Street and Sayat Nova Avenue. On these broad sidewalks, you'll see fountains, pavilions, benches, decorative steles, vases, and sculptures, such as the two comic characters sitting on a clay frame, Shor and Shorshor.

Behind them, there is a café called Artbridge, which is sure to satisfy your stomach, and tickle yourintellectual fancy. It has a small bookstore and gift shop adjacent to the café. Unique pieces created by Armenian artists are exhibited and sold here. There are three teahouses along this small stretch of Abovyan Street, each with its unique character. They serve a wide range of teas, from classic varieties to rare teas hailing from China and Japan. We are strongly recommend that you try the traditional Armenian pomegranate tea, as there is very little chance you will be served this tea in Beijing or London.

In the "tea district", there is also a unique Museum of Children's Art in the National Aesthetic Center. It has been around for more than 35 years, grooming young Armenian artists aesthetically, artistically and, culturally. Today, 5,000 children ages four and up develop their creative thinking habits here. The museum has more than 150,000 works of art by children from more than 120 countries.

The 14-story building of the Ani Hotel rises opposite the Center. The building is made of a combination of light yellow and black stones and the shorter side of the building is ornamented with black and white masonry which gives a very original look to his part of the street.

Going up the street a little further, you will see Le Café de Paris, which is a really unique place. In this sidewalk café, you can enjoy specialty coffees. These special blends are very popular among young Yerevan residents, and you can buy them in a small shop nearby. This is a great place to experience the mood of this major Yerevan street and feel its rhythm, a little slow in the mornings, cheerful in the afternoons and bustling in the evenings.

After crossing the Circular Boulevard, Abovyan Street turns into a broad avenue. Here, you'll see a monument of Avetik Isahakyan (sculptor Sargis Baghdasaryan, 1965). The great Armenian poet who was called Varpet (Master) thoughtfully looks at the passersby and at those who have appointments at this popular meeting spot.

A hospital and university campus are situated above the intersection with Koryun Street. This complex begins with the Medical University building, founded in 1930. The only part of old Yerevan that has survived here is the old faculty building, Now, it is housed in one of the departments of Yerevan State University. The Yerevan Agricultural University is situated a little higher up on the other side of the street.

The street ends at a square, where city highways lead to the northern districts of Zeitun, Nork, Avan and Old Nork. A monument of Khachatur Abov yan (sculptor Souren Stepanyan, architect Gevorg Tamanyan, 1952) stands in the middle of the square. Half a century ago, the monument was tuated in front of Moscow Cinema, but it was later moved.

A two-story building overlooking the square houses the Museum of Folk Art and the First City Hospital is on the right. No wonder the square and the adjacent territory are popularly called plani glukh ("the head/top of the plan"). According to its old general plan. Yerevan ends here, so of this place used to be the city limit, the "head e plan". Over time, Yerevan has sprawled in many directions and even oured many small villages. The old general plan is mentioned only museums and textbooks, but the name plani gluh still remains in the local vocabulary.

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