MONUMENTS

2009

Sculptor: Tariel Hakobyan

Architect: Hayk Asatryan

World-famous Armenian astronomer and astrophysicist, author of a new cosmological concept, founder and long-time director of the Byurakan Observatory (1946–1988), academician of the Armenian SSR and USSR Academy of Sciences, President of the International Astronomical Union (1961–1964), foreign member of the academies of sciences of a number of countries, National Hero of Armenia (1994) The monument to Victor Hambardzumyan (1908–1996) is located at the end of Abovyan Street, in the Student Park between Abovyan and Teryan Streets, next to the Yerevan Observatory building (1926, architect: Alexander Tamanyan). It was erected in place of the statue of Ghukas Ghukasyan, a Bolshevik revolutionary and founder of the Communist Youth Union of Armenia, which was removed in the 1990s (1934, sculptor: Suren Stepanyan).

The ceremonial opening took place on December 15, 2009, within the framework of the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Viktor Hambardzumyan. The statue is made of bronze and is 3.20 m high. The following lines of the 10th century Armenian great thinker, theologian, poet, philosopher, and saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Grigor Narekatsi, are engraved on the pedestal, which is decorated with a ray shape, symbolizing the galaxy: “INACCESSIBLY DISTANT AND INCESSANTLY CLOSE”.