Abovyan Street in the city of Gyumri bears the name of Khachatur Abovyan—the great writer and trailblazer of modern Armenian literature. This thoroughfare is one of the most captivating avenues within the city’s “historical quarter,” notable for its abundance of 200-year-old architectural gems that draw visitors deep into the heart of Gyumri’s past.
In the mid-19th century, the city was renamed Alexandropol, in honor of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Nicholas I. It was during this period that Gyumri emerged as a vibrant commercial hub, becoming the third-largest city in the Caucasus after Tbilisi and Baku. The city’s distinct architectural identity—often referred to as the Alexandropol Belle Époque—remains one of the most vivid and lasting legacies of the Russian imperial era.
Abovyan Street seems as if it were designed solely for walking. It is entirely pedestrian, encouraging leisurely strolls and allowing time to pause and admire each and every building. The charm of the street lies in the details: walls built from black and red volcanic tuff, antique wooden doors marked with metal plaques reading “для писемъ” (“for letters”), wrought-iron downspouts shaped like lacework, whimsical facade ornaments, and balconies adorned with delicate carvings.
Uniformity is a concept entirely foreign to this place. The historic buildings lining the street weren’t designed by academic architects but by gifted local craftsmen, each structure a unique expression of vernacular imagination. For this reason, Gyumri has earned a reputation as a city of “architectural vernacular”—a term that celebrates spontaneous, people-driven construction rooted in local identity and instinct.
One such building now houses the local history museum, where curious visitors can delve deeper into the singular narrative of this unorthodox and endearing city.
