Article by Visit Yerevan

THE HOUSE-MUSEUM OF ARA SARGSYAN AND HAKOB KOJOYAN

Architect: Varazdat Arevshatyan

The building is located in Pushkin Street 70.​ It was built in 1935 by initiative of the First Secretary of the Armenian Communist Party Aghasi Khanjyan. The architect of the building is Varazdat Arevshatyan.

National artist of the USSR, sculptor Ara Sargsyan lived and worked on the first floor of the structure. The mezzanine was his studio. National artist of the USSR, painter Hakob Kojoyan lived and created on the second floor of the same building.

In 1973, at the request of the heirs of renowned artists, the building was donated to the state. Consequently, the museum was established in the same year by the decision of the Council of Ministers of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic on May 25, 1970. It serves as a branch of the National Gallery of Armenia.

The structure is a two-story edifice with a rectangular plan, extending along the longitudinal axis. The main facade faces south and includes a mezzanine, originally Ara Sargsyan’s studio. Following renovations, a portion of the first floor now serves as the museum’s large exhibition hall. Part of the basement is utilized as a storage room for museum collections. On the first floor, administrative offices are located to the right of the corridor, while exhibition halls are situated to the left. The sculptor’s personal belongings are housed in a dedicated room.

The second floor mirrors the layout of the first, with the distinction that Hakob Kojoyan’s personal items are displayed in special niches, and the exhibition hall spans a single floor. The facades feature rectangular openings of varying sizes. The northern facade is isolated, while the western facade includes balconies. A porch graces the southern facade.

The courtyard hosts various sculptures, including medieval khachkars (state index: 1.6.172.1), “Mother Armenia,” “Sahak Parthev and Mesrop Mashtots,” and “Artavazd II,” all created by Ara Sargsyan. Bas-reliefs such as “Sheporaharner (Trumpeters),” “Shinararutyun (Construction)” and “Mkhitar Heratsi” are affixed to the stone wall.

Between 1972 and 1973, the building’s main facade was clad in red tuff, while the other facades were plastered and painted tuff. The yard was also landscaped, and the fence was repaired. Further restoration took place in 1981.

In 1981, a memorial monument dedicated to Hakob Kojoyan and Ara Sargsyan was erected on the sidewalk at the entrance to the house-museum. Designed by architect Romeo Julhakyan and sculptor Eduard Aghayan (state index: 1.6.173.2), the monument features a dual-sided structure with twin arched niches of complex design, set on an upright plinth. One niche contains the bust of H. Kojoyan and the other holds the bust of A. Sargsyan. These bronze busts are notable for their lifelike portraits. The total height of the monument is 2.9 meters, and it is constructed from cut basalt.

“Scientific Research Center of Historical and Cultural of Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality