# Mimino statue, Dilijan > The Mimino statue is a bronze group of the three heroes of a much-loved 1977 Soviet comedy, gathered round a drinking fountain on Dilijan’s central roundabout. It is **free and always open**; 10–15 minutes is plenty. It went up in 2011 because Rubik, the truck driver in the film, comes from Dilijan. Minibuses from Yerevan drop you right here. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-mimino-statue - City: [Dilijan](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan), Armenia - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 15 min - Opening hours: Open 24/7 — it stands on a public street - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — it's a street sculpture - Time needed: 10–15 min for photos and a drink from the fountain - Where: West side of the central roundabout, Kalinin St - Who's who: Rubik (Frunzik Mkrtchyan), Valiko “Mimino” (Vakhtang Kikabidze), Volokhov (Yevgeny Leonov) - Minibus from Yerevan: Northern Bus Station, ≈ 1.5–2 h; unofficially ≈ 1,000 dram cash - Payment: Cash dram for minibuses and small shops; Visa and Mastercard in hotels and restaurants - Coordinates: 40.74036, 44.86545 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **2011** — the statue was unveiled, in July, with guests from Georgia and Russia (source: LB.ua, 7 July 2011; Armenian Wikipedia; OpenStreetMap) - **3 characters** — Rubik Khachikyan, Valiko Mizandari and Ivan Volokhov from Georgiy Daneliya’s film (source: LB.ua; Armenian Wikipedia; Wikidata Q20512399) - **Free** — and open at any hour — it stands on the town roundabout (source: OpenStreetMap; Armenia.travel) - **Dilijan** — is the hometown of Rubik, the truck driver, in the film’s plot (source: Russian Wikipedia “Mimino”; LB.ua; Armenian Wikipedia) - **Drinking fountain** — at the centre of the group, in the Armenian tradition (source: LB.ua; OpenStreetMap; Institute of Current World Affairs) - **1977** — Mimino, directed by Georgiy Daneliya, was released (source: English and Russian Wikipedia “Mimino”) - **USSR State Prize** — 1978 — awarded to Daneliya, Kikabidze and Mkrtchyan for the film (source: English and Russian Wikipedia “Mimino”) - **Vladimir region** — Armenian community and donors from this Russian region paid for it (source: LB.ua; Armenian Wikipedia) - **≈ 250 m** — to the Dilijan local history museum on Myasnikyan St (source: YesGo measurement on OpenStreetMap) - **≈ 100 km** — from Yerevan by road via Lake Sevan (source: Armenia.travel; Wikivoyage) ## What is the Mimino statue? It is a bronze tribute to **Mimino**, Georgiy Daneliya’s 1977 comedy that almost everyone who grew up in the Soviet Union can quote. Three friends from the film stand around a drinking fountain as if pouring water into glasses: **Valiko Mizandari**, the Georgian bush pilot nicknamed Mimino (Vakhtang Kikabidze); **Rubik Khachikyan**, the Armenian truck driver (Frunzik Mkrtchyan); and **Ivan Volokhov**, a Russian war veteran (Yevgeny Leonov). The film follows a small-town pilot who heads to Moscow dreaming of flying big jets, and the unlikely friendships he makes on the way. It won a top prize at the 1977 Moscow International Film Festival and the USSR State Prize in 1978. You don’t need to have seen it to enjoy the statue, but it explains why Russian, Armenian and Georgian visitors light up when they see it. ## Why is it in Dilijan? Because Rubik is from Dilijan. In the film he never misses a chance to boast about his hometown — most famously that Dilijan’s water is the second best in the world, after San Francisco’s. That running joke is why the heroes were placed around a fountain rather than on a plinth. The statue was unveiled in **July 2011**, paid for by the Armenian community and donors from Russia’s Vladimir region. Guests came from Georgia and Russia, including the Russian ambassador; the news site LB.ua reported that Vakhtang Kikabidze, the only one of the three actors still alive then, travelled with the Georgian delegation. > **A 15-minute photo stop, not a destination** It is a small sculpture beside a busy road. Don’t travel to Dilijan for it alone. But since minibuses from Yerevan stop right here, it makes a fun first or last photo of your day — and the fountain is a handy place to refill your water bottle. ## How to get to the Mimino statue 1. From Yerevan, take a marshrutka (minibus) from the **Northern Bus Station** — a direct Dilijan service or an Ijevan one that stops in Dilijan; about 1.5–2 hours. The fare is unofficially around 1,000 dram, cash only. 2. Ask the driver for “Mimino” — the central roundabout in Dilijan. The stop is a few dozen metres from the statue. 3. Already in town? From the local history museum on Myasnikyan Street it’s about a 4-minute walk to the roundabout. 4. From Sharambeyan Street (Old Dilijan) it’s about 5 minutes on foot along Myasnikyan Street. 5. For the way back, minibuses to Yerevan leave from the stop a couple of minutes south of the statue. ## Where exactly is it? The statue stands on the **west side of Dilijan’s central roundabout**, where the road from Yerevan and Lake Sevan meets the town streets; on maps the spot is on Kalinin Street. Minibus stops for Yerevan, Ijevan and Vanadzor and a taxi rank are right beside it, so every local driver knows it simply as “Mimino”. Note that the pedestrian square marked as Central Square on maps is a few hundred metres further east — the statue is not there. Stone deer and bear sculptures sit on the roundabout itself, and the Museum of Armenian Textile is a couple of minutes’ walk west. ## What to see around the statue - **The three figures** — stand between them for the classic photo, as if you were the fourth friend. - **The drinking fountain** in the middle — the water usually runs; fill a bottle before heading to the monasteries. - **Stone deer and bears** on the roundabout a few steps away. - **Museum of Armenian Textile** — a couple of minutes west, paid entry. - **King of the Forest**, a 1967 sculpture — about 7–8 minutes’ walk south-west. - **Dilijan City Park** with its pond — around 10 minutes on foot to the west. - **[Old Dilijan](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/old-dilijan)** and the **[local history museum](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-museum)** — both about five minutes away. ## How long to spend and when to go Allow **10–15 minutes**: look at the faces, take a few photos, have a drink. It is outdoors and unfenced, so any time of day works, in any weather. The most practical moment is when you arrive or before you leave, since the minibus stops are right here. Traffic is heavy around the roundabout in the daytime, so shoot from the pavement and don’t step into the road. Early morning is quietest, with no cars or other visitors in your frame. ## Money and payment in Dilijan The statue itself costs nothing. You will need **cash in Armenian dram** for minibuses, taxis and small shops — carry small notes. Visa and Mastercard from foreign banks work in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, and Dilijan has a handful of ATMs and bank branches where you can change money. Agree the taxi fare before you set off and pay in dram. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Empty bottle to fill at the fountain - [ ] Dram in cash for the minibus and taxis - [ ] Next stop planned: Old Dilijan, the museum or a monastery - [ ] Photos from the pavement — busy roundabout - [ ] 10–15 minutes set aside ## Mimino statue, Old Dilijan or the museum? | | Mimino statue | Old Dilijan | Local history museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Film-hero sculpture with a fountain | Street of 19th-century-style houses | Museum and art gallery | | Where | Central roundabout | Sharambeyan St | Myasnikyan St | | Entry | Free | Free | Paid | | When | Any time | Any time; shops in the daytime | Daytime, own hours | All three are within five minutes’ walk of each other. Start at Mimino, where the minibus drops you, and carry on down Myasnikyan Street. ## Historic places in Dilijan compared Places in and around Dilijan rated by YesGo. - [Mimino statue](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-mimino-statue) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [Old Dilijan (Sharambeyan Street)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/old-dilijan) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Jukhtakvank Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/jukhtakvank) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Matosavank Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/matosavank) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Dilijan Local Lore Museum and Art Gallery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 4,000 AMD; one section 2,000 AMD - [Haghartsin Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/haghartsin-monastery) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Goshavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/goshavank) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Sevanavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/sevanavank) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Central Dilijan and Lake Parz in half a day The statue on the roundabout, the local museum, Sharambeyan Street, then the forest lake above town. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Mimino statue](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-mimino-statue) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 2. [Dilijan Local Lore Museum and Art Gallery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/dilijan-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 4,000 AMD; one section 2,000 AMD 3. [Old Dilijan (Sharambeyan Street)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/old-dilijan) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 4. [Lake Parz](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/lake-parz) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; boats and zipline extra ## Good to know Tbilisi has a different Mimino monument, in the Avlabari district, unveiled in October 2011 — by Zurab Tsereteli, and it includes the director Daneliya. The Mimino café by Dilijan’s bus station on Gorky Street is a separate business with no link to the statue. Encyclopedias don’t list Dilijan among the film’s shooting locations: in the story it is only Rubik’s hometown. ## Tips - Bring an empty bottle — the fountain by the Mimino heroes is a good refill before the monasteries. - Don’t look for it on the pedestrian Central Square: it’s at the roundabout where the minibuses stop. - Take your photo as soon as you arrive — minibuses back to Yerevan leave from the stop next door. - Then walk down Myasnikyan Street to the local history museum and Old Dilijan. - Save the afternoon for [Haghartsin](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/haghartsin-monastery) or [Goshavank](https://yesgo.io/armenia/dilijan/goshavank) — the real reasons to come to Dilijan. ## Questions ### Where is the Mimino statue in Dilijan? In the town centre, on the west side of the central roundabout (Kalinin Street), next to the minibus stops. ### Who is depicted in the Mimino statue? Three characters from the 1977 film Mimino: pilot Valiko Mizandari (Vakhtang Kikabidze), truck driver Rubik Khachikyan (Frunzik Mkrtchyan) and war veteran Ivan Volokhov (Yevgeny Leonov). ### Why is there a Mimino statue in Dilijan? In the film, Rubik comes from Dilijan and keeps boasting about its water. That’s why the three heroes stand around a drinking fountain. ### When was the Mimino statue unveiled? In July 2011. It was funded by the Armenian community and donors from Russia’s Vladimir region. ### Is it free to visit the Mimino statue? Yes. It stands on a public street with no fence or ticket, and you can see it at any time. ### Is the Mimino statue worth visiting? As a quick photo stop, yes — especially since minibuses from Yerevan stop right beside it. It isn’t worth a special trip on its own. ### Can you drink the water from the fountain? It is a drinking fountain of the kind found all over Armenia. There is no official data on the water quality, so if in doubt, stick to bottled water. ### How do I get to Dilijan from Yerevan? By marshrutka from Yerevan’s Northern Bus Station, about 1.5–2 hours, or by taxi or transfer. Ask to get off at “Mimino”, the central roundabout. ### Is there another Mimino monument? Yes — in Tbilisi’s Avlabari district, by Zurab Tsereteli, which also includes the director Georgiy Daneliya. ## How we checked Who is depicted, when the statue was unveiled and who paid for it are checked against LB.ua, Armenian Wikipedia and Wikidata. Sources spell the sculptor’s name differently — Armen Vartanyan in Russian Wikipedia, Armenak Vardanyan in Armenian Wikipedia — so we leave the sculptor out. Only LB.ua mentions Kikabidze at the unveiling, and we say so. Encyclopedias don’t list Dilijan as a filming location, so we don’t claim the film was shot here. We retell the water joke in our own words rather than quoting the script. Walking distances were measured by YesGo on OpenStreetMap coordinates. The minibus fare and payment details are unofficial and marked “verifying”. ## Sources - Wikidata Q20512399 and Wikimedia Commons: Three actors statue, Dilijan — who is depicted, coordinates - Armenian Wikipedia: Միմինո (հուշարձան, Դիլիջան) — unveiling, guests, funding - LB.ua, 7 July 2011 — report on the unveiling of the Mimino monument in Dilijan - English and Russian Wikipedia: Mimino — year, director, characters, awards, monuments - Institute of Current World Affairs: The Switzerland of the Caucasus — the fountain and the water joke - Armenia.travel (official Armenian tourism portal): Spending a day in Dilijan - Wikivoyage: Dilijan — minibuses from the Northern Bus Station, ATMs, Mimino café - Tourdom (January 2026) and Travelto (July 2026) — card payments in Armenia - OpenStreetMap — statue, roundabout, bus stops and museums nearby --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.