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Monument: The Historical Experience
At the end of the 1930s, in order to provide Yerevan with clean air, it was decided to plant an artificial forest and a city park in Arabkir. After the Great Patriotic War, it got the name "Akhtanak" Park, or, as people say, "Monument." The name "Monument" gained popularity thanks to the statue of Stalin, which was set up in the park in 1950. This name spread so great that it refers not only to the park, but also the whole neighborhood.
If, having turned left, away from the statue of Mother Armenia, the visitors find themselves in an endless series of attractions: kangaroos, elephants, swans. These architectural extravagances bring back childhood joy. Vahram Nersisyan, the head of the Urakh Zhamants company, opens the photo archive of Monument consisting of 23 albums. For years, these albums have become dull, betraying traces of glue. The author of the photographic archive is the Umrikyan family.
Sipan Simonyan, one of the oldest employees of the park, says that Hakob Umrikyan founded the park in 1951. Working at the House of Culture in the Kanaker-Zeytun community, the exceptional work of Umrikyan brought him the post of director. Under his leadership, the garden gained the status of a favorite place for both Yerevan people and visitors. After the death of Hakob Umrikyan in 1995, the post of director was offered to his son Toros Umrikyan, a champion of table tennis. Toros has always visited his father as a child and learned how innovative methods could be used to improve the park's attractiveness, implementing investment projects and improving the area.
In 1955-1956, the first Rocking Boat carousel was installed in the park. By 1959, the restaurant "Aragil" had opened its doors. "Aragil" gained great popularity in Yerevan very soon, and live music was performed there every day. "Mam jan, mam jan," one of the hits of those years, was always in the playlist of Aragil.
Rafael Israelyan, architect of the restaurant complex, built "Aragil" of white stone. At the last phase of the construction, the management of the restaurant decided to change its name to "Moscow." Architect Israelyan was indignant, and he demanded a meeting with Yakov Zarubyan, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia. Two days later, the façade of the restaurant could be viewed with the name "Aragil" on it again. Such a case is an exception for that period.
Tsolak Azizyan, Honored Artist of the ASSR, mentioned about Israelyan: "He was very happy when the Aragil restaurant was built. Sometimes we spent time there with family, friends, and relatives. He never talked about the building, but admired the view over Yerevan and Mount Ararat. Sometimes, when we sat under the arches, he invited us to look at Ararat from the pavilion on the right side, to admire the mountain."
The grandson of Israelyan, Aram Ganalanyan, shares his memories: "My grandfather graduated from the Academy in Leningrad and decided to settle in Armenia in 1936, contributing greatly to the homeland. His vision for Yerevan was remarkable. If only the sketches of the Cascade or the Hrazdan Gorge had been realized, we would have many unique places. Despite the Soviet years' challenges in preserving Armenian architecture, he managed to do so. One of these is the Aragil restaurant. The Monument is one of the exclusive buildings whose architectural composition and image are of higher value than the exhibition itself," Aram says.
Grandfather Gurgen: The Soul of the Monument
The park had its own beloved "showman," Grandfather Gurgen. He used to join in the competition with the children in such "sports" as rope pulling and making loops from threads. Making the audience into two teams, he would proclaim a winner, applaud, and award the champion with a ticket to the show.
The Blue Sevan of the Monument
The artificial lake "Arevik," which reminds of Sevan, was designed by Honored Architect of the ASSR, architect Hovhannes Hakobyan. The construction of the lake started in 1958 and was completed in 1961. The deepest part reaches 8.5 meters. Initially intended for swimming, lifeguards, for the most part graduates of the institute of physical education, watched the lake.
A long-time worker of the park and a graduate of the Polytechnic University, Hamlet Zakaryan, recalls his student years: "In my student years, for physical education classes we used to come here. The lake was clean, and we had races. Although I didn't swim well, the lake was an integral part of our training."
Samvel Khachatryan, associate professor of the Department of Physical Education at V. Bryusov State University, also recalls the lake. In the 1970s and 1980s, universities had communities with weekly physical education classes throughout the city, including Victory Park. Long races and various tests were a common thing, which had the positive impact on the physical fitness of the students.
Thus, Monument is a symbol of the perseverance and far-sightedness of the people who built and uphold it, giving Yerevan a place of beauty, fun, and historical heritage.
