Armenian Soviet Heritage

Vanadzor is Armenia’s third-largest city. It had an interesting combination of a spa destination and industrial center during Soviet times. It was re-built as an industrial city in mid-20th century, which had more than 25 factories and contained one of the biggest factories in the Soviet Union- the chemical factory. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Armenian industrial giant Vanadzor started to collapse, and many factories closed. You will come across some of them during the tour. During your walking tour, you will visit the main square, train/bus station, Armenia health resort, and the cultural house, as well as explore the open market called Lachin, stone carver master Mehrab’s house, and several other outstanding constructions and buildings. Then you will drive to Soviet youth camps, the most prominent of which is Artek Youth Camp, where you will not only admire the views, but also learn about the Soviet camping culture. After the tour, you can try some typical Armenian delicious dishes in one of the restaurants in Vanadzor and drive to explore more about Soviet culture in Alaverdi.

Alaverdi is a formed industrial town during the Soviet and post-Soviet periods mainly focused on copper smelting. The town lays on the steep slopes of the river Debed at around 1000 meters above the sea level, surrounded by high mountains and green forests. The Debed river flows through the center of the town dividing it into two parts. The older half of Alaverdi is in the Debed canyon, and the newer half of the town is on the Sanahin plateau. You will start your tour from the historical part of the town. Your guide will tell you the history of the establishment and development of the town. You will learn how it has been influenced by the past and how the locals see the future. You will pass through the current market, railway pass, GUM, postal office, and some other typical Soviet buildings. You will see the cable car and copper melting factory which used to be among the most popular and core entities for the locals but currently are out of operation. At the end of the tour, you will reach Sanahin bridge, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Your next destination -Mikoyan brothers’ museum is located in Sanahin village, which is part of the Alaverdi community. On your way to Sanahin, you will pass through the new district of Alaverdi called Sanahin built in the mid-20th century, and explore some ordinary Soviet urban houses. You will reach the museum of two remarkable Armenian brothers born in the small village of Sanahin, who changed not just the Soviet Union but affected the history of the world. They are Anastas Mikoyan- the longest-serving member of the Soviet Politburo, from the early Stalin years through to Brezhnev, and Artem Mikoyan-the designer of MIG fighter jets. You will explore more while visiting the museum. You will also admire the two biggest exponents of the museum outdoor in the territory of the museum – a real MIG-21 and a ZIM car.
After the tour in the museum, a visit to the neighboring Sanahin monastery is a must.