The History of Armenian Architecture 5 - The last chapter

Much of Soviet architecture is still standing today, more than 30 years after the U.S.S.R. collapsed, particularly in Yerevan, the dynamic capital.

What is particularly alluring about Armenia's Soviet architecture is its local feel, incorporating elements such as the classical Armenian style and the volcanic stone known as Tuff, which gives Yerevan its nickname, "the Pink City."

Abandoned Soviet Heritage

The history and spirit of the Soviet Union can be felt in each of these remote locations. For example, there are several abandoned Soviet camps in Vanadzor, including Astghik, Yeghnik, Artek, and Tsitsernak.

Here are some landmarks that were once significant but are regrettably no longer in use.

ErAZ or Yerevanskiy Avtomobilny Zavod

It was an Armenian automaker in Yerevan, Armenia, best known for manufacturing the RAF-977K van (also known as the ErAZ-762) from 1966 to 1996.

On December 31, 1964, the Council of Ministers of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic announced plans to establish the ErAZ factory. The original staff received their training at UAZ in Russia and the Riga Autobus Factory in Latvia. In 1995, ErAZ was privatized, and in 2002, it filed for bankruptcy.

Cliffside Hotel, Jermuk

The mountain town of Jermuk in the Vyutsdzor province of southern Armenia was one of the most popular Soviet vacation spots in Armenia, during the period of the seventies and eighties.

Many sanatoriums and buildings of the period of the Fifties and sixties in the city still stand, despite the wave of new construction, albeit in various states of repair.

These still-in-use sanatoriums include the austere Jermaine Ashkharh Sanatorium (1975), the imposing Gladzor Sanatorium, and the classically-styled Olympia Sanatorium (1958), as well as deserted locations like a waterfront, a sports and Cultural Center, and the hotel built on a cliff.

The iron fountain of Gyumri

It was built by Arthur Tarkhanyan in 1982, near the Polytechnic University of Gyumri. Although a significant part of the city was destroyed by the earthquake of 1988, the fountain still stands.

The Orgov Radio-Optical Telescope's control room

It is also known as ROT54 or the Armenian Orgov Herouni Mirror Radio Telescope. is located at the RRI Aragats scientific center in the Armenian city of Orgov.

It has a diameter of 54 meters (177 ft). It is hemispherical, fixed to the ground, equipped with a secondary mirror that can be moved, and has a 5 m (16 ft) diameter. Built during the Soviet era, it was in use only from 1987 to 1990.

The Soviet-era Culture Palace

It is a Kanaz Aluminum Smelting Factory property. There are two theaters there as well as a cinema, a ballet studio, and classrooms.

The famous dance troupe" Kanaz" received its training before touring the world and even performing in Havana.

Today, exhibitions are sometimes held in the theater located on the ground floor.