HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
KHACHATUR ABOVYAN’S PATERNAL HOUSE
End of the XVIII century
State index: 1.12.15.1
Builder: Mr. Apov
The house is located on Kanaker 2nd Street, at number 4, within the complex of Khachatur Abovyan’s House-Museum. It was the family home of Abovyan, constructed in the 18th century by Mr. Apov, the grandfather of the renowned Armenian enlightener, and founder of modern Armenian literature and pedagogy. Several generations of the Abovyan family lived here, and it was in this house that Khachatur Abovyan was born in 1805.
The
house was reconstructed and converted into a house-museum in 1938. Following a
decision by the Council of People’s Commissars of the Armenian Soviet Socialist
Republic (ASSR) on April 25, 1939, the museum began operating in November 1939.
The house is a single-story building with a rectangular plan oriented
north-south. It features three main sections: a living room, a bakehouse, and a
cellar, along with a balcony on the southern side. The roof is flat and
supported by wooden beams, while the walls are constructed from roughly hewn
stone.
Restoration work was carried out in 1948, 1953, and 1964. During these renovations, the interior walls were plastered, the foundations of the roof and walls were reinforced, and the balcony was repaired. The original entrance was closed and a new entrance was created on the western facade, as shown in historical photographs.
The renovation process involved notable figures such as archaeologist and historian Morus Hasratyan, ethnographers Derenik Vardumyan and Vard Bdoyan, architect Liparit Sadoyan, litterateur Ruben Zaryan, scholar of Abovyan's work Pion Hakobyan, and Victoria Abovyan, Khachatur Abovyan’s granddaughter.
In
1978, a new museum building designed by architect Liparit Sadoyan was
constructed, enclosing the original house. The house was fully renovated again
in 2005.
The Abovyan family home has been a welcoming place for people of various nationalities, religions, and professions. Among its visitors have been scientists, writers, and statesmen such as Friedrich Parrot, Hermann Abich, August von Haxthausen, Mikayel Nalbandyan, Stepanos Nazaryan, Raphael Patkanyan, Komitas, Nikoghayos Mar, Leo, Hovhannes Tumanyan, Askanaz Mravyan, and Aghasi Khanjyan.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality
