HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

1896

State index: 1.6.201

 Architect: Mikhail von der Nonne, Z. Gevorgyan

The building is located at the intersection of Amiryan Street (formerly Nazaryan, Nazarovskaya) and Republic Square, next to the second government house, opposite the “Armenia” hotel.

The history of the gymnasium dates back to the 1830s, following the establishment of the Armenian region on January 14, 1832. The Yerevan District School (1832-1868), the first state educational institution in the region, was opened at that time. Khachatur Abovyan served as the school’s inspector from 1843 to 1848.

On the foundation of this school, the Yerevan Male Classical Progymnasium was established (1868-1881). This institution evolved into the Yerevan Male Classical Gymnasium on March 3, 1881, and operated until 1921. Due to high tuition fees, the gymnasium was accessible primarily to the wealthy.

By 1885, the educational institution was fully established, comprising one preparatory class and eight main classes, and it produced its first six graduates. The gymnasium was known for its strict discipline and functioned as a secondary, partially boarding school. In addition to the standard curriculum, it offered instruction in Greek and Latin, and required uniforms for students, teaching, and administrative staff.

In its early years, the gymnasium occupied a complex of one-story buildings previously owned by E. Kalantaryan, located opposite the northern corner of Kolubyakin Garden (now Shahumyan Square). In 1880, Mikhail von der Nonne, the provincial architect of Yerevan and of German descent, reconstructed these buildings to meet educational needs. However, this arrangement soon proved inadequate for the rapidly growing educational demands.

By 1882, the gymnasium relocated its boarding house, and in 1884, the director's apartment was moved to rented buildings. Additionally, the meteorological station intended for the gymnasium was situated in the building of the teachers’ seminary (located on Astafyan Street, now Abovyan Street). At one point, there was even consideration of relocating the gymnasium to Alexandropol. Ultimately, a decision was made to undertake a new reconstruction, which was carried out according to a special project in 1886.

In 1896, the gymnasium leased new premises on Nazaryan Street, where it moved into buildings constructed according to plans developed under the leadership of Z. Gevorgyan and M. von der Nonne. At that time, the gymnasium employed a teaching staff of 25 and had over 250 students. Over the next two decades, the student population tripled, leading to a renewed space crisis.

In 1903, instead of housing the first seismic station of Yerevan in the gymnasium, the station was installed in the basement of the Hripsime Women's Gymnasium building on the same street. The gymnasium needed a new building to accommodate its growing needs. Construction of the new facility began on Astafyan Street in 1911 and continued until 1915. The new building later became known as the House of Culture and is now the “Arno Babajanyan” Concert Hall and Museum Building (state index: 1.6.96.2). The school began using the completed sections of the new building for educational purposes in 1914.

In 1923, the state nationalized the building on Nazaryan Street. The building, constructed further back from the street, housed incomplete secondary schools No. 1 and 5 starting in 1921. In December 1920, based on the classical gymnasium, the school established a full secondary school, No. 2, which was renamed Kh. Abovyan School in 1925 and later relocated to Isahakyan Street. From 1946 to 1976, the building was used by School No. 58, after which it became the Yerevan Research and Design Institute of Automated City Management Systems.

In 1921, the building facing the street was occupied by the education department of the Yerevan District Executive Committee and the Central Pedagogical Museum, which had been transferred from the gymnasium building.

In 1922, the Pedagogical Institute was established here but moved to the Hripsime Gymnasium building after just two months, and subsequently became part of Yerevan State University. From August 1935, the building housed the Av. Isahakyan City Central Library, which has since relocated to 4/1 Nalbandyan Street.

In 1921, the school transferred its collection of 18,000 books from the male gymnasium library to the state public library (now the National Library). Additionally, the materials from the local history museum, which had been established by the school during Kh. Abovyan's tenure at the Yerevan District School, were donated to the State Museum of Armenia.

In the 1940s, as part of the construction of the second government house, the school demolished the right wing of the building. In 1977, the building underwent significant reconstruction. This included facing the vestibule walls with red tuff, covering the floors with marble, and enhancing the interior decor of the hall.

The complex comprised two two-story buildings and one one-story building, arranged around a small courtyard. The first building, located along the street's red line, was designated for administrative, dormitory, and partially educational use. Its wing extends to enclose the courtyard on the left side. The second building, situated deeper within the courtyard, was intended solely for educational purposes. The third structure is a small auxiliary building that encloses the courtyard at an angle on the right side.

The orientation of the main buildings, particularly the second one, is influenced by the street’s alignment, positioning them northeast and southwest. Adjacent to the second building, a garden separates the classrooms from the surrounding noise.

 “Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality