Yerevan – first impressions

My first impressions are that I haven’t been to a city with so much public art as Yerevan. I hope the city is able to complete The Cascade soon as that would be an incredible feature to have especially with all the statues at the bottom in the Tamanian sculpture park. I am pleased Vernissage is at least partially open during the week as having read the guidebooks I was expecting the place to be closed. I like how drivers stop, most of the time, to allow people across the road at the pedestrian crossings.

I like the Katoghike church, Republic Square and the Cathedral. Katoghike was only revealed when the Soviet authorities demolished an existing church in 1936 and then the old church, almost hidden inside, appeared in all its glory.

There are statues and sculpture everywhere. As big as the Alexander Miasnikian statue on Beirut Street and as small as The Water Carrier on nearby Italy Street. There’s an international feel to the Tamanian sculpture park at the bottom of The Cascade where a Fat Cat by Columbian Fernando Botero, a hare leaping over a bell by Britain Barry Flanagan, and a human torso made of letters by Spaniard Jaume Plensa can all be found along with a teapot, a fat woman smoking, and a gladiator with a small penis. The art is even better halfway up the cascade; I especially like 3 Glassinators by Andrew Carson and an untitled piece of a laughing boy by Yue Minjun. The glassinators of different colours move in many directions with the breeze. Keep going to the very top, past the unfinished building site and up the steps to the Soviet monument.

Here there are more sculptures of a pirate, a boat on a table, a little house, and some performing elephants. The energetic can then head off to Mother Armenia in the distance. If the weather is clear, however, make sure to admire the view of Mount Ararat.