A Unique Tour to Armenia’s Hidden Cold War Radio Center

This tour offers rare access to a working radio center, including control rooms, transmission halls, and original control panels with a striking futuristic design that still feels ahead of its time. For enthusiasts of Soviet history and industrial tech, it is a living Cold War relic. Towering shortwave masts and mediumwave antennas create a vast, almost apocalyptic landscape—resembling a scene from science fiction. During the Soviet era, the station both jammed Western broadcasts such as Voice of America and transmitted Soviet programming and ideology across the Middle East and Afghanistan.

The facility was commissioned on October 18, 1965, when its first radio broadcast went on air. Construction and expansion of the broadcasting infrastructure continued until 1974, while major modernization projects were carried out almost until the collapse of the Soviet Union (1987–1990).

Area: The antenna fields cover an enormous territory of approximately 713 hectares (1,760 acres).
Structure: The technical complex consists of three main transmission halls housing shortwave (SW) and mediumwave (MW) transmitters.
Status in the USSR: During the Soviet era, the radio center was among the largest and most technologically advanced long-distance broadcasting facilities in the entire Soviet Union. Thanks to its elevation of approximately 1,925 meters (6,315 ft) above sea level, the station enjoys excellent conditions for transmitting radio signals across vast distances.

Modern Operations and International Broadcasting

Unlike many abandoned Soviet radio centers, this facility remains fully operational. Its powerful transmission infrastructure is leased to international broadcasters that take advantage of its unique geographical location, allowing signals to reach large parts of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Broadcasting to Russia: In recent years, the station's high-power medium wave transmitter has been used to broadcast Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty programs to the European part of Russia.
Middle Eastern Broadcasting: Kurdish and Turkish opposition radio programs, including Radyoya Dengê Gel, were transmitted from here, making the station a frequent target of signal jamming attempts.
International Services: Through Encompass brokerage services, the site also carries Radio Erena broadcasts aimed at Eritrea and the Horn of Africa, as well as programs from Japan's NHK World.