MONUMENTS

1990

State index: 1.7.1

The Yerablur Military Pantheon is situated atop the highest hill among the Yerablur hills, at an elevation of 951 meters, in the western part of Yerevan, to the right of the Yerevan-Etchmiadzin highway. Established in 1990, it was created to honor and bury soldiers who died in the Artsakh Liberation War. The status of the cemetery was officially approved on May 26, 1992, by an order of the Armenian government. The layout and architectural design were developed by the architectural group of Aslan Mkhitaryan’s studio, with construction and development carried out by the “Hayaviashin” company.

The pantheon covers an area of 19.22 hectares. The entrance from Sebastia Street is marked by a triumphal arch. The site is well-maintained, with graves arranged in orderly rows and paved passageways. The entrance features spring-monuments. The graves are characterized by rectangular tombstones set on low pedestals, which include the names, dates of birth and death of the deceased, and vertical tiles with their images.

The building material used in the Yerablur Military Pantheon primarily consists of smooth basalt, with some granite present. The western side of the site is designated for the command staff, while the central part contains the graves of victims from volunteer units. The eastern section is reserved for the graves of military servicemen.

The pantheon serves as the final resting place for freedom fighters who died during the Artsakh Liberation War of 1994, as well as those who fell after the ceasefire, including soldiers who perished in the 2016 Four-Day War, the 2020 Forty-Four Day War, and subsequent conflicts. It also honors fighters from the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia. Notable figures interred here include General Andranik (repatriated from Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris in February 2000), Mother Sose, and Aghbyur Serob’s wife and comrade-in-arms Sose Vardanyan (repatriated from Egypt in 1998). Other distinguished burials include national heroes of Armenia such as Vazgen Sargsyan, Jivan Abrahamyan, Monte Melkonyan, and Vahagn Asatryan.

The pantheon features several significant elements:

• A monument dedicated to the 39 fighters of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia.
• A memorial stone for the missing freedom fighters.
• The Holy Vardanants Martyrs Church, built through the initiative of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin I and Vazgen Sargsyan, with construction funded by American patrons H. and V. Oskanyan. The church was consecrated in 1998.
• The Museum of Martyred Freedom Fighters, which remains unfinished.

The complex is safeguarded by the cemetery's military guard service.

“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality