HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

1953; 1970

Fountain pool: 1953

architects: Mark Grigoryan, Eduard Sarapyan

Color-sound fountains: 1970, author: radio technician Abraham Abrahamyan

Armenian SSR State Prize: 1978

The large fountain pool in the main Republic Square (formerly Lenin Square) of Yerevan was built in 1953 in front of the State History Museum of Armenia, commissioned by Grigor Harutyunyan, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia, and designed by architects Mark Grigoryan and Eduard Sarapyan.

The color-sound fountains were built by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Yerevan City Council (chairman: Grigor Hasratyan), as part of the events dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia. The author is radio technician, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Abraham Abrahamyan, who moved from Kharkov to Yerevan in 1969 and, alongside his scientific and pedagogical work, was also involved in the artistic lighting issues of the capital's monuments. The professional team working under his leadership (engineers Yuri Ghazaryan, Robert Mirzoyan, Albert Kazhoyan, and others) developed a project for “singing-dancing” fountains combining color, music, and water, using the latest scientific achievements in the fields of radio electronics, automation, and lighting technology. The concept was based on music, which determined the colors of the fountains, the intensity of sound, and the height of water jets.

The “singing” fountains were the first and unprecedented phenomenon in the USSR. And it's not by chance that there was great interest in them throughout the country. The team received orders from various cities of the USSR, after which fountains were built in Moscow, Batumi, Sochi, Kharkov, and elsewhere. By the decision of the Yerevan City Council, Abrahamyan's creative team built the second “singing” fountains in Suren Spandaryan (now Garegin Nzhdeh) Square (until 1975).

In 1976, the operating model of the “singing” fountains of Yerevan was presented at the exhibition in Buenos Aires and received high appreciation. In 1978, Abrahamyan's team received the Armenian SSR State Prize in the field of science and technology.

After construction, the “singing” fountains have been reconstructed and modernized several times. In 2007, the fountains were reconstructed by the French company “Aquatic Show International”. During the 2011 reconstruction (on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia's independence), the same company expanded the functional capabilities of the fountains. 6 movable and 24 water jet pumps, 1 mist-creating system, and 2 water screens were installed. The musical program was also changed.

During the Soviet years, the fountains operated from April until November 29, the day of the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia. Now they operate from April to early November. Thanks to the “singing” fountains, the square has always been and remains today one of the favorite leisure places for Yerevan residents and tourists, where beautiful and diverse music accompanied by colorful lights and water can be enjoyed until late at night.

“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality