# Vardanants Square, Gyumri > Vardanants Square (also spelled Vartanants) is Gyumri's central square, 280 by 140 metres, with a bronze monument to Vardan Mamikonian and the Battle of Avarayr in the middle. It is an open public space — free and open around the clock. Twenty minutes covers the square; allow an hour with the two churches on its edges. Every walk through old Kumayri starts here. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square - City: [Gyumri](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri), Armenia - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no ticket - Hours: Open 24/7 - 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 - 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 - Coordinates: 40.78530, 43.84170 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **280 × 140 m** — size of the square (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata) - **18 October 2008** — the Vardanants monument and the new stone paving were unveiled on City Day (source: Office of the President of Armenia; English Wikipedia) - **AD 451** — the Battle of Avarayr, which the square commemorates (source: Eurasia.Travel; Tripster; Russian Wikipedia) - **5 figures** — Vardan Mamikonian on horseback, Catholicos Hovsep I, Ghevond Yerets, Vardan's mother and Prince Arshavir II Kamsarakan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.Travel) - **Alexander Tamanian** — the architect behind the original plan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata) - **1930s** — the square was opened under Soviet rule (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **May Uprising Square** — its Soviet name, after the failed Bolshevik uprising of May 1920 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata) - **25 June 2016** — Pope Francis celebrated Mass here, with Catholicos Karekin II attending (source: Vatican (vatican.va): homily, Gyumri, Vartanants Square; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Two 19th-century churches** — Holy Saviour on the south side, Holy Mother of God (Seven Wounds) on the north (source: English Wikipedia; armenia.travel; Eurasia.Travel) - **October Cinema** — the building on the north side of the square (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Eurasia.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](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-holy-saviour-church) on the south side — the tall black-tuff church wrecked in 1988 and rebuilt. - The [Seven Wounds church](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/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 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. > **Visiting the churches on the square** Both churches are working Armenian Apostolic churches. Cover shoulders and knees; a headscarf is optional for women but common. Skip the flash and keep to the sides during a service. The square itself has no dress code. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] 20 minutes for the square, 40 more for the two churches - [ ] Some dram in cash for coffee, candles and minibuses - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered for the churches - [ ] An evening slot for the fountains, if it is warm - [ ] Abovyan Street and old Kumayri next - [ ] Yandex Go or GG installed ## The square and its two churches | | Vardanants Square | Holy Saviour | Seven Wounds | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Central square, 2008 monument | 19th-century black-tuff church | 19th-century church of the Holy Mother of God | | Where | Centre of Gyumri | South side of the square | North side of the square | | After 1988 | Repaved in 2008 | Wrecked, rebuilt and reconsecrated | Two small domes fell and were replaced; the originals lie in the yard | | Entry | Free, 24/7 | Free, daytime | Free, daytime | | Time needed | ≈ 20 min | 20–30 min | 15–20 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. - [Vardanants Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Holy Saviour's Church](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-holy-saviour-church) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [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 - [Plplan Zham (St Michael the Archangel Church)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/plplan-zham) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [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) - [Kumayri historic district](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/kumayri-historic-district) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free — public streets - [Dzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/dzitoghtsyan-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · AMD 2,000, two museums - [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 ## 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 Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 2. [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 3. [Holy Saviour's Church](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-holy-saviour-church) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 4. [Dzitoghtsyan Museum of National Architecture](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/dzitoghtsyan-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · AMD 2,000, two museums 5. [Kumayri historic district](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/kumayri-historic-district) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free — public streets ## Good to know English spelling varies: Vardanants and Vartanants are the same square, and Armenian signs read Վարդանանց հրապարակ. Don't confuse it with Vardanants Street in Yerevan. Older maps may label the city Leninakan and the square May Uprising Square. ## Tips - 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](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/dzitoghtsyan-museum) to see how Alexandropol's merchants lived. - With an evening to spare, go up to the [Black Fortress](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/black-fortress) and [Mother Armenia](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-mother-armenia) for a view over the whole city. - For older stone than anything on the square, take a taxi out to [Marmashen Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/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. ## How we checked Size, 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. ## Sources - 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 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.