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Vardanants Square, Gyumri

Vardanants Square in Gyumri: Vardan Mamikonian on horseback on the left, the red-and-black Holy Saviour's Church behind
Photo: 23artashes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free, no ticket
Hours
Open 24/7
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Time needed
20 minutes for the square, about an hour with both churches
Location
Central Gyumri, between Abovyan, Gai, Shahumyan and Vahan Cheraz streets
Fountains
Warm months, evenings, with music; no published schedule
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Best time
Morning for empty photos, evening for fountains and lights
Getting there
≈ 20 min on foot or ≈ 10 min by taxi from the train station
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Coordinates
40.78530, 43.84170YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

280 × 140 msize of the square
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaWikidata
18 October 2008the Vardanants monument and the new stone paving were unveiled on City Day
2 sourcesOffice of the President of ArmeniaEnglish Wikipedia
AD 451the Battle of Avarayr, which the square commemorates
3 sourcesEurasia.TravelTripsterRussian Wikipedia
5 figuresVardan Mamikonian on horseback, Catholicos Hovsep I, Ghevond Yerets, Vardan's mother and Prince Arshavir II Kamsarakan
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaEurasia.Travel
Alexander Tamanianthe architect behind the original plan
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaWikidata
1930sthe square was opened under Soviet rule
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
May Uprising Squareits Soviet name, after the failed Bolshevik uprising of May 1920
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaWikidata
25 June 2016Pope Francis celebrated Mass here, with Catholicos Karekin II attending
2 sourcesVatican (vatican.va): homily, Gyumri, Vartanants SquareEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Two 19th-century churchesHoly Saviour on the south side, Holy Mother of God (Seven Wounds) on the north
3 sourcesEnglish Wikipediaarmenia.travelEurasia.Travel
October Cinemathe building on the north side of the square
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaEurasia.Travel

Is Vardanants Square worth visiting?

Yes — but think of it as the place your Gyumri day starts, not a sight to cross town for. From the middle of the square you see the city's two main churches, the town hall and the Vardan Mamikonian monument at once, and the streets of the old Kumayri quarter run off in every direction. Twenty minutes covers the square itself.

It is free, open around the clock and there is nothing to book. Come back in the evening if you can: in the warm months the fountains with music behind Holy Saviour's Church come on and the buildings are lit, and the square fills up with locals. There is no published fountain schedule, so treat the timing as unofficial.

What is the monument in the middle?

The bronze group in the centre is the Vardanants memorial to the Battle of Avarayr in AD 451, when an Armenian army under Vardan Mamikonian faced Sasanian Persia, which wanted to impose Zoroastrianism on the country. The Armenians lost and Vardan was killed, but Persia dropped its plan — which is why Armenians remember Avarayr as a moral victory and the Church venerates Vardan as a saint.

Vardan rides at the centre; around him stand Catholicos Hovsep I, the priest Ghevond Yerets, Vardan's mother and Prince Arshavir II Kamsarakan. The group was unveiled on 18 October 2008, Gyumri's City Day, together with the new stone paving of the square.

Not everyone in town loves it: some locals tie the monument to the former mayor, Vardan Ghukasyan, under whom it went up. For a visitor it is simply the most striking sculpture in the city and the easiest meeting point.

What to see around the square

  • The equestrian Vardan Mamikonian and the four figures around him — walk the whole circle, each side tells a different part of the story.
  • Holy Saviour's Church on the south side — the tall black-tuff church wrecked in 1988 and rebuilt.
  • The Seven Wounds church (Holy Mother of God) on the north side, which lost its two small domes in the 1988 earthquake: new ones replaced them, and the fallen originals lie in the yard as a memorial.
  • The city hall facing the monument — a Soviet-era tuff building.
  • The October Cinema on the north side, another Soviet-era landmark of the square.
  • The fountains behind Holy Saviour's Church — music and lights on warm evenings.
  • The memorial to the victims of the 1988 earthquake near Holy Saviour's Church — a short stop that explains a lot about Gyumri.

A short history

The square was laid out to a plan by Alexander Tamanian, the architect of modern Yerevan, and opened in the 1930s, when the city was a Soviet regional centre. It was called May Uprising Square, after the failed Bolshevik rising of May 1920 against the First Republic of Armenia. (Gyumri's Soviet-era Lenin Square is a different place — today's Independence Square.)

The two churches are older than the square: both went up in the 19th century, when the town was the Russian garrison city of Alexandropol. The 1988 Spitak earthquake hit the city, then called Leninakan, very hard, and both churches were badly damaged. The square took its current name with the Vardanants monument in 2008, and in June 2016 Pope Francis said Mass here during his visit to Armenia.

How to get to Vardanants Square

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on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

  • Seven Wounds Church (Holy Mother of God Cathedral) is about 2 min away on foot.
  • Holy Saviour's Church is about 2 min away on foot.
  • Kumayri historic district is about 5 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. From Yerevan, trains take about 3 hours and marshrutkas (minibuses) from the Southern Bus Station about 2.5 hours (unofficial — check the timetable the day before).
  2. From Gyumri railway station, it is about a 20-minute walk through the old town, or roughly 10 minutes by taxi (unofficial).
  3. From the bus station, also about 20 minutes on foot — it is on the other side of the centre.
  4. From Shirak Airport (LWN), allow about 15 minutes by taxi (unofficial).
  5. Inside the city, the ride-hailing apps Yandex Go and GG both work; city minibuses take cash in Armenian dram.
  6. Once in the old centre, head for the equestrian statue — the square is a few minutes' walk from anywhere in Kumayri.

Money and payment

The square costs nothing. You will want money for coffee, ice cream and souvenirs in the cafés around it, candles in the churches and the odd minibus ride. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Armenia, but small cafés, kiosks and minibuses in Gyumri are cash places, so take out some dram at a bank ATM in the centre.

Before you go: checklist

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The square and its two churches

Vardanants Squareyou are hereCentral square, 2008 monumentCentre of GyumriRepaved in 2008Free, 24/7≈ 20 min
Holy Saviour19th-century black-tuff churchSouth side of the squareWrecked, rebuilt and reconsecratedFree, daytime20–30 min
Seven Wounds19th-century church of the Holy Mother of GodNorth side of the squareTwo small domes fell and were replaced; the originals lie in the yardFree, daytime15–20 min

All three are one short walk: each church is a couple of minutes from the statue.

Gyumri's history sights compared

Historic places in and around Gyumri rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Vardanants Squareyou are here4520 minFree—
Holy Saviour's Church4530 minFree3 min walk
Seven Wounds Church (Holy Mother of God Cathedral)4525 minFree3 min walk
Plplan Zham (St Michael the Archangel Church)4415 minFree12 min walk
Mother Armenia statue, Gyumri4330 minFree26 min walk
Black Fortress (Sev Berd)421 hFree (unofficial)25 min walk
Kumayri historic district421 h 30 minFree6 min walk
Dzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture381 hAMD 2,000, two museums9 min walk
Marmashen Monastery321 hFree9.6 km
Talin Cathedral2945 minFree44.2 km

Old Gyumri in half a day

The square, the churches on either side, a merchant's house museum and the tuff streets of Kumayri. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks.

  1. Vardanants Squareyou are here20 min · Free
  2. 3 min walk from the previous stopSeven Wounds Church (Holy Mother of God Cathedral)25 min · Free
  3. 4 min walk from the previous stopHoly Saviour's Church30 min · Free
  4. 8 min walk from the previous stopDzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture1 h · AMD 2,000, two museums
  5. 15 min walk from the previous stopKumayri historic district1 h 30 min · Free — public streets

5 places · about 4 h 15 min with walks · 30 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Holy Saviour's Church

Gyumri, Armenia

30 min · Free · 3 min walk

Kumayri historic district

Gyumri, Armenia

1 h 30 min · Free — public streets · 6 min walk

How to do it right

  • For the classic shot, stand by the statue facing south: Vardan on horseback with the dome of Holy Saviour behind him.
  • On holidays and concert nights a stage often takes over part of the square — check what is on in town.
  • The square has little shade; on summer afternoons come early or late.
  • Walk on to the Dzitoghtsyan house museum to see how Alexandropol's merchants lived.
  • With an evening to spare, go up to the Black Fortress and Mother Armenia for a view over the whole city.
  • For older stone than anything on the square, take a taxi out to Marmashen Monastery.

Questions

Where is Vardanants Square?

In the centre of Gyumri, in the historic Kumayri quarter, bounded by Abovyan, Gai, Shahumyan and Vahan Cheraz streets. Holy Saviour's Church is on the south side, Seven Wounds on the north.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. It is a public square, free and open at all hours.

Who is the statue in the middle?

Vardan Mamikonian, the commander at the Battle of Avarayr in AD 451, on horseback, with Catholicos Hovsep I, Ghevond Yerets, Vardan's mother and Prince Arshavir II Kamsarakan around him.

When was the monument put up?

The Vardanants group was unveiled on 18 October 2008, on Gyumri's City Day, together with the new paving.

Is it Vardanants or Vartanants Square?

Both. They are two transliterations of the same Armenian name; maps and signs use either.

When do the fountains run?

On warm-season evenings, with music and lights. No schedule is published, so the timing is unofficial.

How do I get to Vardanants Square from the train station?

About 20 minutes on foot through the old town, or about 10 minutes by taxi via Yandex Go or GG.

How long should I spend there?

About 20 minutes for the square and the monument, an hour with both churches.

Which churches are on the square?

Two 19th-century churches: Holy Saviour's (Surb Amenaprkich) on the south side and the Holy Mother of God, known as Seven Wounds (Yot Verk), on the north.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia: Vartanants Square; Wikidata Q16902563
  • Russian Wikipedia: Площадь Вардананц
  • Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia: working visit to Gyumri on 18 October 2008, unveiling of the Vardanants sculptural group and the square's stone paving
  • Vatican (vatican.va): homily of Pope Francis, Gyumri, Vartanants Square, 25 June 2016
  • Armenia's official tourism portal armenia.travel: A weekend in Gyumri — the square, fountains, churches, transport from Yerevan
  • Eurasia.Travel: Vardanants Square, Gyumri — the sculptural group, buildings, earthquake memorial
  • Hetq: article on Gyumri's monuments, 14 July 2015
  • T—Zh (t-j.ru): Gyumri in one day — walking from the station, trains from Yerevan, taxis
  • Tripster: description of Vardanants Square in Gyumri
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedSize, architect, former name, the figures of the monument and the 2016 papal Mass are checked against at least two sources. Sources differ on when the square opened — encyclopedias say the 1930s, one travel article the 1920s — so we say 1930s. They also differ on the monument's year: the President's Office and Wikipedia give 2008, while a municipal official quoted by Hetq says 2009; we follow the official unveiling report. We found the sculptor's name (Artush Papoyan) in only one source we could open, so we leave it out. The name Lenin Square belongs to today's Independence Square, not to this one. The fountain schedule is unpublished, and walking and taxi times from the station, bus station and airport are unofficial. We don't quote taxi or minibus fares because they change.

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