For half a century a colossal bronze Lenin, unveiled in 1940 and sculpted by Sergey Merkurov, dominated what was then Lenin Square in the heart of Yerevan. On 13 April 1991, as the Soviet Union unravelled, a crane lifted the figure from its granite pedestal — the head removed first — while crowds looked on. It was never reinstated: the square was renamed Republic Square, and the dismantled statue spent years in the courtyard of the National Gallery of Armenia.
Today the site is Republic Square itself — the grand ensemble of pink-and-cream tuff buildings, the singing fountains and the History Museum — which remains the city's ceremonial centre and is well worth the walk.
Local tip: The statue is no longer on public display, but you can read the story of its rise and fall at the National Gallery and History Museum right on the square.
Good to know
- City: Yerevan