HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

1926

State Index: 1.6.93

Architect: Alexander Tamanyan

It is located in the Hrazdan Gorge, on the left bank of the river. It is the first building of energy in Soviet Armenia and one of the first energy constructions in the USSR. It was built according to the project plan of Alexander Tamanyan, the founder of new Armenian architecture, academician, national architect of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). The construction launched in 1923. It was founded on March 9 in 1923 in the Hrazdan Gorge, under solemn conditions, the opening ceremony was attended by a number of state and party figures of the USSR who arrived in Yerevan: Georgi Chicherin, Yan Rudzutak, Anastas Mikoyan, Semyon Budyonni and others.

The works were directed by the famous engineer Hovhannes Melik-Pashayan (Melik-Pashaev) who was invited from Tbilisi. The HPP building was intended for the installation of four turbines. The turbines were supplied by the German company “Fritz Beimeyer.” The turbines were supplied with water by the Shahumyan Canal (this is how the Mamri Urartian Canal was renamed in 1923). For this purpose, renovation works of the aqueduct were carried out: some sections were restored and deepened, water barriers were built. YerHPP was built in 1923-1925. The power of the plant was 5,600 horsepower (4,650 kW), which exceeded the power of all hydropower plants still operating in the city at the moment. The ceremonial operating of the HPP took place on May16 in 1926. Sergo Orjonikidze, the first secretary of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, was also present at the ceremony, which was recorded on the commemorative table installed on the wall of the building.

In 1926, Al. Tamanyan was awarded with the title of National Architect of the USSR for his immense contribution in construction of aforementioned building particularly, and development of energetic system in republic, generally. In the beginning of the 1940s, while maintaining the architectural solution, the building of YerHPP was expanded. Starting from 1962, it was removed from the country's energy system and provided for other important institutions. In the same year, the new building of the Yerevan HPP was built not far from the previous HPP.

In 1967 the hydropower research institute was opened in the old building of the HPP. Yerevan's first HPP was built from roughly-hewed basalt, following the traditions of national architecture. The building with its laconic architectural forms, the color of the building material and roughly-hewed style, has been in harmony with the landscape of the canyon. The structure is the first attempt of Tamanyan’s style to use Armenian national architectural motifs and give them a modern expression․

“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality