HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

1896

The building is located at the intersection of Amiryan Street (formerly Nazaryan, Nazarovskaya) and Republic Square, next to the second Government House, opposite the “Armenia Mariott” Hotel.

The history of the gymnasium dates back to the 1830s. Following the establishment of the Armenian Province, on January 14, 1832, the first state educational institution of the region—the Yerevan District School (1832–1868)—was opened. Khachatur Abovyan served as its inspector from 1843 to 1848. On the basis of this school, the Yerevan Male Classical Progymnasium (1868–1881) was formed, and later, on March 3, 1881, the Yerevan Male Classical Gymnasium (1881–1921) was established. Due to the high tuition fees, the institution was accessible only to affluent families. By 1885, the educational institution had been fully organized with one preparatory and eight main classes and produced its first six graduates.

Initially, the gymnasium was located opposite the northern corner of Kolubyakin Garden (now Shahumyan Park), in a complex of one-story buildings belonging to Ye. Kalantaryan. In 1880, the complex was reconstructed according to the design of the provincial architect of Yerevan, the German-born Mikhail von der Nonne, in order to meet educational requirements.

In 1896, the gymnasium moved on a rental basis to Nazaryan Street, into specially constructed gymnasium buildings designed and supervised by Z. Gevorgyan and M. von der Nonne. At that time, the gymnasium had a teaching staff of 25 and more than 250 students. During the following two decades, this number tripled. The need arose for a new building belonging to the gymnasium, which was constructed on Astafyan Street between 1911 and 1915 (later known as the House of Culture, now the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall and the Museum Building, State Index: 1.6.96.2). The completed sections of the building were used for educational purposes from 1914 onward.

In 1923, the Nazaryan Street building was nationalized. In 1921, the annex located inside the courtyard housed incomplete secondary (first-level) Schools No. 1 and No. 5. In December 1920, on the basis of the classical gymnasium, complete secondary (second-level) School No. 2 was established, which since 1925 has borne the name of Kh. Abovyan (later relocated to Isahakyan Street). From 1946 to 1976, the annex housed School No. 58, followed by the Yerevan Research and Design Institute for Automated Urban Management Systems.

In 1921, the street-facing annex housed the Education Department of the Yerevan District Executive Committee and the Central Pedagogical Museum transferred from the gymnasium building. In 1922, the Pedagogical Institute was opened here, but two months later it was moved to the Hripsimyan Gymnasium building and later merged with Yerevan State University. From August 1935, the building housed the Av. Isahakyan Central City Library (now relocated to 4/1 Nalbandyan Street).

The gymnasium library’s collection of 18,000 volumes was transferred in 1921 to the State Public Library (now the National Library), while the materials of the regional studies museum founded during Kh. Abovyan’s tenure at the Yerevan District School were transferred to the State Museum of Armenia.

In the 1940s, in connection with the construction of the second Government House, the right wing of the building was demolished. In 1977, the building was reconstructed. The walls of the vestibule were clad with red tuff stone, the floor was covered with marble, and the interior of the hall was renovated.

The complex originally consisted of two two-story and one single-story buildings grouped around a small courtyard. The first building, intended for administrative, dormitory, and partly educational purposes, was situated along the street’s red line, while its wing enclosed the courtyard from the left side. The second building was constructed for educational purposes and placed deeper within the courtyard. The third was a small auxiliary structure positioned diagonally to enclose the courtyard from the right side. The orientation of the street dictated the northeast–southwest alignment of the main buildings, particularly in the case of the second structure. Near it there was a garden that isolated the classrooms on that side from surrounding noise.