# Mother Armenia statue, Gyumri > Gyumri’s Mother Armenia is a 1975 WWII victory memorial on a hill in the south-west of the city, right by the Black Fortress. A 20-metre copper statue stands on a 21-metre pedestal of dark tuff. It is free and open-air, with no ticket office. Allow 30 minutes including the stairs; it is a 25–30 minute walk from Vardanants Square. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-mother-armenia - City: [Gyumri](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri), Armenia - YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no ticket office - Hours: Open-air, accessible at any time — unofficial - Height: Statue 20 m, pedestal 21 m - Time needed: ≈ 30 min, about an hour with the Black Fortress - On foot from Vardanants Square: ≈ 25–30 min, the last stretch is a stairway uphill - Minibus: No. 26 — unofficial - Address: Ghars highway, south-west Gyumri - Coordinates: 40.78050, 43.82480 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **41 m** — in total: a 20 m statue on a 21 m pedestal (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **9 May 1975** — unveiled for the 30th anniversary of victory, honouring the city’s (then Leninakan) soldiers (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **Black Fortress** — a few minutes’ walk away — see both on one walk (source: Russian Wikipedia; T—Zh travel guide) - **Copper and tuff** — a hammered-copper figure on a dark tuff pedestal (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **Zvartnots and palm** — she holds a piece of Zvartnots Cathedral in one hand and a palm branch in the other (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **Nemesis** — the winged goddess of retribution on the back of the pedestal (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **Rafik Yeghoyan** — architect of the memorial (source: Russian and English Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **Ara Sargsyan** — and Yerem Vardanyan, sculptors (English Wikipedia also names Gaspar Gasparyan) (source: Russian and English Wikipedia) - **Eternal flame** — at the foot: a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a raised clenched fist (source: Russian Wikipedia; Armenian Explorer) - **Hero cities** — their names are set in gold letters on the memorial (source: news.am; Caliber.Az) - **Listed monument** — on Gyumri’s register of immovable historical and cultural monuments (source: Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata) > **Not the Mother Armenia in Yerevan** The famous Mother Armenia stands in Yerevan’s Victory Park — taller, with a military museum inside. Gyumri has its own statue from 1975, with no museum and no ticket. When you search a map or call a taxi, type “Mother Armenia Gyumri” or “Mayr Hayastan Gyumri”, or you may be routed to the capital. ## Is the Mother Armenia statue in Gyumri worth visiting? Yes, if you are already heading to the [Black Fortress](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/black-fortress): it is five minutes away, and together they give you the best view over Gyumri. The statue is striking for its sheer size, and the details — Nemesis on the back, the eternal flame at the foot — don’t show up in photos. If you only have one day and limited energy, you can skip the climb. The statue is visible from across town, and your time is better spent in the [Kumayri historic district](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/kumayri-historic-district). In summer the stairway is hot, with very little shade. ## How to get to Mother Armenia from the centre 1. Start at [Vardanants Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square), the heart of old Gyumri. 2. Walk south-west past the Central Park and the city stadium — about 25–30 minutes, ending with a climb up the stairway. 3. Or take a taxi with Yandex Go or the local GG app: around 5–7 minutes from the centre, dropping you at the foot of the hill on Ghars highway. 4. Minibus No. 26 also runs this way — unofficial, so check with the driver; minibuses take cash in Armenian dram only. 5. Climb to the pedestal, walk around the statue, then go down to the Black Fortress, about 5 minutes on foot. ## Entry, hours and paying for the trip **Entry is free.** It is an open-air memorial with no gate or ticket office, and there are no official opening hours; unofficially it is accessible at any time. Come in daylight — the stairway is long and the view is the reason to climb. You only pay for transport. Visa and Mastercard work widely in Armenia, and taxi apps let you pay by card or cash, but minibuses are cash only. Carry some small dram notes for the ride and a bottle of water. ## What the memorial is Gyumri’s Mother Armenia is a **Second World War memorial**, unveiled on 9 May 1975 for the 30th anniversary of victory and dedicated to the soldiers of the city, then called Leninakan. At its foot is a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame, and the names of the Soviet hero cities are set in gold letters on the memorial. The figure is a young woman in a calm pose. In one hand she holds a piece of **Zvartnots Cathedral**, standing for Armenian architecture and peaceful work; in the other, a palm branch. On the back of the pedestal is **Nemesis**, the winged goddess of retribution, facing the Turkish border while Mother Armenia faces the city. The memorial was designed by architect Rafik Yeghoyan with sculptors Ara Sargsyan and Yerem Vardanyan. Locals still come with flowers on 9 May and on remembrance days. ## How tall is it? The statue is **20 metres** tall and its dark tuff pedestal **21 metres** — about 41 metres in all. The figure is hammered copper, so it glows a warm bronze in the sun, while the pedestal is the same near-black stone that old Gyumri is built from. Yerevan’s Mother Armenia is bigger — 51 metres including the pedestal — and it is a different monument from 1967. ## What to see - **The stairway**, rising on both sides with stepped pools along it — the climb is part of the design. - **The eternal flame** and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with a raised clenched fist beside them. - A cross-shaped column marked “1941–1945” on the slope, left of the stairs. - **Nemesis** on the back of the pedestal — walk all the way round; many people miss her. - **The view**: the rooftops of old Gyumri, the round Black Fortress below and, on clear days, the plain towards the border. - The hero cities’ names in gold letters. ## Gyumri vs Yerevan Mother Armenia (and the Black Fortress) | | Mother Armenia, Gyumri | Mother Armenia, Yerevan | Black Fortress | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | 1975 victory memorial | 1967 statue that replaced a Stalin monument | Round Russian imperial fort, 1834–1847 | | Height | 20 m + 21 m pedestal | 51 m with pedestal | — | | Inside | No museum | Military museum | No museum; courtyard not always open | | Entry | Free | Statue free, museum paid | Check on site | | Time needed | ≈ 30 min | ≈ 1 h with the museum | ≈ 30–45 min | In Gyumri, do the statue and the fortress together — they share the same hill. The Yerevan statue is a separate trip to the capital. ## Before you climb: checklist - [ ] Map or taxi app set to Gyumri, not Yerevan - [ ] Comfortable shoes for a long stairway - [ ] Water and a hat on a hot day - [ ] Small dram notes for the minibus - [ ] Daylight left for the view - [ ] Black Fortress next on the plan > **Treat it as a memorial** Don’t sit on the eternal flame’s railing, climb the pedestal or play loud music. You can leave flowers at the flame — locals do. ## Gyumri viewpoints compared Places in Gyumri with a view, rated by YesGo. - [Mother Armenia statue, Gyumri](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-mother-armenia) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Black Fortress (Sev Berd)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/black-fortress) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free (unofficial) - [Marmashen Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/marmashen-monastery) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Talin Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/talin-cathedral) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ## The centre and the fortress hill in half a day The Seven Wounds church and Vardanants Square, then up to Mother Armenia and the fortress next door. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Seven Wounds Church (Holy Mother of God Cathedral)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/seven-wounds-church) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 25 min · Free 2. [Vardanants Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 3. [Mother Armenia statue, Gyumri](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-mother-armenia) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 4. [Black Fortress (Sev Berd)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/black-fortress) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free (unofficial) ## Good to know In Armenian the statue is Mayr Hayastan. Russia’s 102nd military base is nearby, so you may see soldiers around the hill — don’t photograph the base or its checkpoints. ## Tips - Pair the climb with the Black Fortress — about 5 minutes on foot. - Walk all the way round: Nemesis is only visible from behind. - Have the taxi drop you at the foot of the stairs and walk up — the stairway is the approach. - The best light is in the afternoon, when the sun is on the statue’s face and the city. - Bring water in summer — the stairs have hardly any shade. - On 9 May the memorial is crowded with locals; pick another day if you want it quiet. ## Questions ### Where is the Mother Armenia statue in Gyumri? On a hill in the south-west of the city, off Ghars highway, next to the Black Fortress — a 25–30 minute walk from Vardanants Square. ### Is the Mother Armenia statue in Gyumri free? Yes. It is an open-air memorial with no ticket office. ### How do I get to Mother Armenia in Gyumri? Walk from Vardanants Square past the Central Park and the stadium, or take a Yandex Go or GG taxi — about 5–7 minutes. Minibus No. 26 is unofficial. ### Is it the same as Mother Armenia in Yerevan? No. Yerevan’s statue (1967) stands in Victory Park with a military museum inside. Gyumri’s is a separate 1975 memorial with no museum. ### How tall is the Mother Armenia statue in Gyumri? The statue is 20 metres on a 21-metre tuff pedestal — about 41 metres in total. ### When was it built? It was unveiled on 9 May 1975, for the 30th anniversary of victory in the Second World War. ### How long do I need there? About 30 minutes including the stairs, or an hour together with the Black Fortress. ### What is she holding? A piece of Zvartnots Cathedral in one hand, a symbol of Armenian architecture, and a palm branch in the other. ### Can I go in the evening? The site is open-air with no official hours, but go in daylight — the stairway is long and the view is the point. ## How we checked The memorial has no official website or timetable, so entry, hours and the minibus are marked “verifying”. Height, materials, date, makers and the statue’s details are checked against Russian Wikipedia and Armenian Explorer; Armenian Explorer calls the architect Rafael Yeghoyan, Wikipedia Rafik, and English Wikipedia lists one more sculptor — we show this in the facts. The walking time is our own estimate from OpenStreetMap coordinates, matched with the T—Zh guide: 25–30 minutes rather than 20. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia: Мать Армения (Гюмри) - English Wikipedia: Mother Armenia, Gyumri; Sev Berd; Mother Armenia - Wikidata: Q18128210 - Armenian Explorer: Mother Armenia in Gyumri - OpenStreetMap: Mayr Hayastan, Gyumri — coordinates and address - T—Zh (Tinkoff Journal): Gyumri in one day — walking route and taxis - news.am and Caliber.Az, June 2026 — the hero-city lettering on the memorial --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.