SQUARES AND PARKS
Architects: Rafael Israelyan, Levon Babayan
The
park is located in the southeastern part of the city, on the edge of the
Sasuntsi Davit (formerly Mayakovsky) street. Here is the artificial lake, which
was built in VIII century BC by Argishti I (786-764 BC), the ruler of the
Kingdom of Van (Urartu), the founder of Erebuni-Yerevan, in order to provide
the city with water and irrigate the surrounding lands.
The lake was rebuilt in the XVI century, during the reign of Tokhmakh Khan, the ruler of Yerevan, and was named after him. On the costs of the lake were the ruins of Tokmakh Khan’s tower.
During
the Soviet period, a beautiful park designed by architects Rafayel Isrealyan
and Levon Babayan was created around the lake, which was opened in 1941.
In the 1950s the park was fenced according to the project of architect Gevorg Tamanyan, and in 1976-1977 a bandstand was built (architect: Gevorg Musheghyan). In honor of the youth wing of the Communist Party of Armenia, the lake was named Young Communist League, in the post-Soviet period - Lake Vardavar, and the park was named Young Communist League’s (YCL) and Vardavar Park, respectively.
According
to the Soviet urban plan, the park was based on the axis of the street, where
the main alley connects with the park. Symmetrical
alleys going to the right and left from the latter, that get connected in a
circular outline, give the compositional
solution of the park. Various pavilions were installed, relaxation corners were
created.
In
2010-2011 within the framework of the friendship and cooperation project
concluded between the municipalities of Yerevan and Lyon, France, the park was
thoroughly renovated and modernized. The solemn opening ceremony, which was
attended by the mayor of Lyon, Gerard Collomb, and the mayor of Yerevan, Karen
Karapetyan, took place in July, 2011. The park was named after Lyon and became
a symbol of friendship between the two sister cities. However, even today, the
Yerevanians use a variation of the name known as Tokhmakh.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality
