THEATRES
State index: 1.6.78
Аrchitects: Razmik Alaverdyan, Suren Burkhajian, Gurgen Mnatsakanyan,
Designer: Ruben Badalyan
Sculptor: Ara Harutyunyan
It is located in the English park, at Grigor Lusavoruch Street, 6. It was opened on January 25 in 1922 in Yerevan, as the first state theatre with the premier performance of Gabriel Sundukyan’s (a classic of Armenian literature, playwright and novelist) play “Pepo” (director: Levon Kalantar). It has been named after Sundukyan since 1937. In 1960 it received an academic status. In 1938, a theater building (architect: Nikolay Baev) was built on the territory of the park, which burned down at the beginning of the 1960s. The current building was built in 1966 according to Razmik Alaverdyan’s project.
The building was the last work of the renowned architect, designed at the Institute of “Hayardnakhagits” (project institute of modern enterprises and civil facilities). Ruben Badalyan, a designer, honored engineer of the USSR, and young architects Suren Burkhajyan and Gurgen Mnatsakanyan were also involved in the process. In 1970, it was awarded the ASSR state award. The hall, designed for 1250 audience spots, occupies a central place in the composition. The oblong wall of the vestibule of the second floor is decorated with the “Armenia” panneau created by Martiros Saryan’s sketches, which was made with oil paint on wood (1965, artist: Honored Artist of the USSR Henrik Siravyan).
The entrance is decorated with sculptures representing the history of the creation and renascence of the national theatre (red tuff of Hoktemberyan [Armavir], 1966, sculptor: National Artist of the USSR, Academician of the Academy of Fine Arts of the Russian Federation Ara Harutyunyan). A winter garden has been created inside, which provides the building with a respiration of modern architecture. The three 12-meter pillars of the garden, covered with thematic ceramic tiles (author: ceramist, painter Hmayak Bdeyan), reflect the history of the Armenian theater, peaceful and creative work of the people.
The bust of Gabriel Sundukyan (1972, sculptor Ara Harutyunyan) and the decorative sculpture “Hushkaparik” (onocentaur, 1976, sculptor Ara Harutyunyan) are installed in front of the theater building.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality
