MONUMENTS

1995

Beloved by Yerevan residents, Karabala (trans.: black child), Stepan Harutyunyan, was born in Kanaker at the beginning of the last century (probably in 1900), into a wealthy family that owned flower gardens in the area of ​​the current "Yeritasardakan" metro station in Yerevan. After the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia, the family was deprived of property. Stepan married a woman named Ashkhen, had a son. Due to circumstances, he was arrested and ended up in the same prison cell as Yeghishe Charents. The woman, without waiting for Stepan's release, sold the house, married a second time and forbade her son from seeing his father.

Karabala loved to give flowers to women and girls passing by Astafyan (now Abovyan) Street, conveying to them the love and kindness he held in his soul. He was enchanted by the famous actress Arus Voskanyan, who passed by that street on her way to work at the Sundukyan Theater, and every day he would give her a red rose.

Deprived of his home and family, Karabala spent his days near the Central Department Store, which had become his home, and the neighboring " Caucasus" restaurant, living in the store's warehouse. Forced to leave the warehouse for several days due to the store's inspections, he caught a cold outside and died in the hospital, alone and abandoned. The place of his grave is still unknown.

Poems dedicated to Karabala were written by Hovhannes Shiraz, Yeghishe Charents, and Hamo Sahyan. In 1995, his statue was installed at the beginning of Abovyan Street. Karabala is depicted in old age, with a basket of flowers hanging from his left arm, and a rose extended forward with his right. The statue is made of bronze, 2 m high.

The statue was initially erected on Abovyan Street, near the entrance to the "Children's World" (formerly Central) department store. Later, due to the construction of Northern Avenue, it was moved several times (Teryan Street, Northern Avenue, near the "Moskvichka" store). It is now located a little further down from its original location, under the wall of the same department store.