HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

1928-1940

State index: 1․6․66

Architect Alexander Tamanyan

The main building of the library is located at the 72th Teryan Street. It was initially designed as a research institute building in 1928. The author of the project is Alexander Tamanyan, founder of the new Armenian architecture, academician of architecture, National Architect of the USSR. The building was built in the students’ district, where, according to the Yerevan’s master plan (1924), it was planned to build universities in that several areas. Its lateral façade is oriented to the Students’ Park (formerly Ghukas Ghukasyan, now Viktor Hambardzumyan Park).

During the 1946-1990 the building was called after Alexander Myasnikyan’s name. In 1990 it was renamed as the National Library. Construction began in 1930 due to the means of the Melkonyan fund and continued until 1933. In the 1933-1937 the construction was sponsored by the Committee of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (‘HayPetShin’). In November of 1940 it was ready for exploitation. It was envisaged for 700,000 units of books. Until 1958 the repository of the Armenian manuscripts (Matenadaran) functioned in this building. It is a capacious building with a П-shaped plan. The main, three-story façade is oriented towards the Teryan Street and is highlighted by a semicircular space designed with 3/4 Ionick semi-columns going out from the general flatness of the building. The entire façade is crowned by a classic cornice. The costal protections have 2 floors. In the inner structure was used an arched motif with stairs, that was prevailing in the early stage of Tamanyan’s art that was also used to design external architectural elements of buildings for forming entrances (for example, the courtyard façade of V. Kochubey’s mansion in Tsarskoe Selo, 1911-1912).

Constructed by Artik’s tuff with a midis composition. The basement is made by rough basalt. The floors are made by iron concretes.

The architecture of the building continues Tamanyan’s creative period of Russian neoclassicism. Typical Tamanyan style signs, for example, the compositions with the sprouted semicircular shapes of rotundas (the main entrance of the library), etc.

According to Tamanyan’s project, it wasn’t envisaged an enlargement for the library archive, therefore, in 1979 a second building was built next to the main building (architects: Gevorg Tamanyan, Aelita Navasardyan), and in 1989, a nine-story library (architects: Aelita Navasardyan, Petros Abajanyan). The building was thoroughly renovated during 2008-2011.

The National Library was founded during the first Republic of Armenia. On July 4th,1919, the law on “The State-Public Library of the Republic of Armenia” was adopted, by which the Matenadaran-library came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Education and Arts of the Republic of Armenia. It was re-established as a state public library inside the Yerevan House of Culture (former male gymnasium) building by the decree accepted on November 7, 1922, and operated there until the construction of the new building.

“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality