Before becoming a world-renowned revolutionary and a symbol of revolutions, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was an Argentine medical student weary of school and eager to explore the world. Operating on a tight budget, he initially embarked on long bicycle rides. Later, challenged to go on a solo journey, he covered 4,000 miles. After his return, accompanied by his friend Alberto Granado, they set off on a 1939 Norton 500cc Poderosa II ("The Mighty II") for another epic adventure. The journey spanned Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Miami, before Guevara returned home to Buenos Aires. < Back Che Guevara’s Travels – The Motorcycle Diaries and More Before becoming a world-renowned revolutionary and a symbol of revolutions, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was an Argentine medical student weary of school and eager to explore the world. Operating on a tight budget, he initially embarked on long bicycle rides. Later, challenged to go on a solo journey, he covered 4,000 miles. After his return, accompanied by his friend Alberto Granado, they set off on a 1939 Norton 500cc Poderosa II ("The Mighty II") for another epic adventure. The journey spanned Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Miami, before Guevara returned home to Buenos Aires. Che Guevara loved to travel. His father wrote that with time he came to understand, “his obsession with travelling was just another part of his zeal for learning”. Ernesto’s first noteworthy journey on his own took place in 1950, when he toured all of central and northern Argentina by a motorized bicycle -a trip of some 4,000 miles. Earlier I have already written about that journey! Check it out please… Che Guevara setting out on a 2,800 mile solo motorbike trip through the Argentine Northwest in 1950 Upon completion of his bicycle journey he continued studying and also worked as a nurse on trading and petroleum ships of the Argentine national shipping-company. This allowed Guevara to travel from the south of Argentina to Brazil, Venezuela and Trinidad. He also fell in love for the first time. The object of his affection was the 16-year-old daughter of one of Córdoba’s wealthiest families. Her name was María del Carmen “Chichina” Ferreyra, and they met in October 1950 at a wedding in Córdoba attended by Ernesto and his family. At the beginning of 1951, Ernesto needed to earn some money, so he signed up to serve as a ship’s nurse on Argentina’s merchant marine freighters and oil tankers. Between February and June 1951, he made various trips back and forth between Argentina and Brazil, Venezuela, and the Caribbean islands. These trips gave him plenty of time to study for his medical exams and exposed him to life at sea as well as most of the ports of call on the Atlantic Coast of South America and in the Caribbean. At the end of June 1951, he went back to medical school. On one of his visits to Córdoba to see Chichina, he also visited his friends, the Granado brothers. In the course of a conversation with Alberto Granado while working on his motorcycle, nicknamed La Poderosa (the Powerful One), the idea of making a year-long trip together took shape. Ernesto’s account of this momentous occasion is as follows: Che Guevara kick starts La Poderosa Our fantasizing took us to faraway places, sailing tropical seas, traveling through Asia. And suddenly, slipping in as if part of our fantasy, came the question: “Why don’t we go to North America?” “North America? How?” “On La Poderosa, man.” That’s how the trip came about, and it never deviated from the general principle laid down then: improvisation. My task before leaving was to take as many exams in as many subjects as possible; Alberto’s to get the bike ready for the long journey. At that stage, the momentousness of our endeavor hadn’t dawned on us, all we could see was the dusty road ahead and us on our bike devouring kilometers in the flight northward. When Ernesto revealed his travel plans to his family, they were astonished to discover that he intended to be away for an entire year, especially considering their son was both a severe asthmatic and a medical student on the verge of completing his studies. His romantic involvement with Chichina was another reason for them to dissuade Che. When his father asked him about her, Ernesto said: “If she loves me, she’ll wait.” Che Guevara with Alberto Granado aboard their Mambo-Tango wooden raft on the Amazon River in June 1952 However, Granado, also a doctor, assuaged their concerns by guaranteeing that Guevara would return to finish his degree, a commitment he ultimately fulfilled. Che Guevara’s “The Motorcycle Diaries” which were published many years after his death, provide a valuable personal narrative of this journey. Written while he was traveling around South America in his early 20s, they shed light on a little-known period in his young adulthood and provide important insights into his personality and the development of his views about the world. Ironically, most of this trip was not made on a motorcycle. An episode from movie "The Motorcycle Diaries" Guevara and the 29-year-old Granado soon set off from Buenos Aires, Argentina, astride a 1939 Norton 500 cc motorcycle they named La Poderosa II ("The Mighty II") with the idea of eventually spending a few weeks volunteering at the San Pablo Leper colony in Peru on the banks of the Amazon River. In total, the journey took Guevara through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and to Miami, before returning home to Buenos Aires. The first stop: Miramar, Argentina, a small resort where Guevara's girlfriend, Chichina, was spending the summer with her upper-class family. Two days stretched into eight, and upon leaving, Chichina gave Guevara a gold bracelet. Several weeks later, in the Andean mountain resort of Bariloche, Ernesto found a letter from Chichina waiting for him at the local post office, where they had previously arranged he would pick up his mail. In this letter, she informed him that she had decided not to wait for him. In his diary, he wrote the following about his reactions: "I read and re-read the incredible letter. Suddenly, all my dreams of home, bound up with the eyes that saw me off in Miramar, were shattered, apparently for no good reason" (page 35). Although he was clearly hurt and wanted at first to write "a weepy letter," he realized it was hopeless to convince her to change her mind. He also wrote: "I thought I loved her until this moment when I realized I couldn't feel, I had to think her back again." The next day, Ernesto and Alberto crossed a mountain lake into Chile on a leaking ferryboat that they kept afloat by pumping out the bilge water in return for their free passage. On this boat, they met some Chilean doctors who told them there was a leper colony on Easter Island (Rapa Nui, or Isla de Pascua), some 2,000 miles from mainland Chile in the southeastern Pacific. As Ernesto wrote in his diary: "It was a wonderful island, they said, and our scientific appetites were whetted" (page 37). They resolved to travel to the island and asked one of the doctors to give them a letter of introduction to the president of the Friends of Easter Island in Valparaíso, where they hoped they could secure passage on a ship going to the island. An episode from movie "The Motorcycle Diaries" With their money running low, they were forced to freeload their way through southern Chile. In the southern port city of Valdivia, they dropped in on the local newspaper, which interviewed them for an article about their journey. As a result, they decided in a gesture of great magnanimity to dedicate their trip to the city since it was celebrating the 400th anniversary of its founding. At their next stop, in the picturesque central Chilean town of Temuco, they were interviewed again by the local newspaper, which was printed under the title: "Two Argentine Leprology Experts Tour South America by Motorbike". Ernesto's account in his diary of this article and their short stay in Temuco reveals some of the flavor of their trip at this point as well as his tongue-in-cheek view of their freeloading style of travel. He wrote: "We had asked permission to leave the bike in the garage of a man who lived on the outskirts, and we now made our way there, no longer just a pair of reasonably likeable bums with a bike in tow. No, we were now 'the experts,' and that's how we were treated. We spent the day fixing the bike, and a little dark maid kept coming up with edible treats. At five o'clock, after a sumptuous 'snack' laid on by our host, we said goodbye to Temuco and headed north". They didn't get very far before they noticed their back tire had a puncture that they couldn't fix. They were worried they would have to spend the night in the open, but as Ernesto recounts in his diary: "We weren't just anybody now, we were 'the experts'; we soon found a railway worker who took us to his house where we were treated like kings". An episode from movie "The Motorcycle Diaries" They fixed the tire at a garage the next day and resumed their trip, but they soon encountered more trouble. Without any warning, their motorcycle veered sideways and threw them off. The crash broke the bike's steering column and smashed its gearbox. This was the beginning of the end of La Poderosa. Although they managed to weld the steering column and fix the gearbox at a local garage, the bike was never the same again. While they were working on the bike at this garage, they bummed something to eat and drink at the homes of the curiosity seekers who dropped by to see the two famous travelers working on their motorcycle. On their last night in Temuco, they were invited by the mechanics at the garage to have drinks with them and go to a village dance, where Ernesto got drunk and caused an altercation on the dance floor. He wrote the following account of this incident in his diary: “Chilean wine is very good, and I was downing it at an amazing rate, so by the time we went on to the village dance, I felt ready for anything. One of the mechanics from the garage, a particularly nice guy, asked me to dance with his wife because he had been mixing his drinks and was the worse for wear. His wife was pretty randy [feeling horny] and obviously in the mood, and I, full of Chilean wine, took her by the hand to lead her outside. She followed me docilely but then realized her husband was watching and changed her mind. I was in no state to listen to reason, and we had a bit of a barney [quarrel] in the middle of the dance floor, resulting in me pulling her toward one of the doors with everybody watching. She tried to kick me, and as I was pulling her, she lost her balance and went crashing to the floor”. He and Alberto had to quickly leave the scene, "pursued by a swarm of enraged dancers." Since they had now worn out the hospitality of their local hosts, they left the next day, but only after having lunch at the house of the family that lived next to the garage. On the road north to Santiago, they had another bad spill on the motorcycle, and they had to repair it once again. Shortly thereafter, the bike finally gave its last gasp going up a steep hill, and they had to hitch a lift on a truck going to the town of Los Angeles. They arranged to stay in a volunteer fire station in Los Angeles and in a few days found a truck to take them and the bike to Santiago, where they left the corpse of La Poderosa at a garage. At this point in their journey, Ernesto noted they ceased being "motorized bums" and became "non-motorized bums". From this point forward, they had to rely on their freeloading skills to hitch rides, bum meals and lodgings, work odd jobs when they could, and panhandle their way northward to Peru. An episode from movie "The Motorcycle Diaries" They went from Santiago to Valparaíso only to discover there were no ships leaving from this port city to go to Easter Island for another six months. While they were in Valparaíso, they made friends with the owner of a bar named La Gioconda (the name of a famous Italian opera and another name for the Mona Lisa painting). The bar owner would not let them pay for their food or drink and even let them sleep in the kitchen. He was fond of saying: "Today it’s your turn, tomorrow it’ll be mine". While they were there, he asked Ernesto to visit one of his elderly customers who was suffering from asthma and a bad heart. Ernesto’s comments in his diary about this old woman reveal a great deal about his social views at this stage in his life. He observed that "the poor thing was in an awful state, breathing the smell of stale sweat and dirty feet that filled her room, mixed with the dust from a couple of armchairs," which were "the only luxuries in her house". Such circumstances, he said, made a doctor feel powerless and long for change that would end the social injustices of the present order. From Valparaíso, Ernesto and Alberto stowed away on a boat that was headed for the northern port of Antofagasta. They were discovered after the boat was at sea and forced to do menial chores such as cleaning the latrines and the decks. However, at night, the captain invited them to drink and play cards with him. When they arrived in Antofagasta, they tried to stow away on another boat headed farther north, but they were caught before it sailed and put on shore. Instead, they traveled north overland through the desert by hitching rides on trucks. So it was that they ended up visiting Chile’s largest copper mine at Chuquicamata. The movie poster of "The Motorcycle Diaries" While getting a tour of the mine he asked how many men died in its creation. At the time it was run by U.S. mining monopolies of Anaconda and Kennecott and thus was viewed by many as a symbol of "imperialist gringo domination". A meeting with a homeless communist couple in search of mining work made a particularly strong impression on Guevara, who wrote: "By the light of the single candle ... the contracted features of the worker gave off a mysterious and tragic air ... the couple, frozen stiff in the desert night, hugging one another, were a live representation of the proletariat of any part of the world." From Chuquicamata, Ernesto and Alberto hitchhiked to the Peruvian border. In Peru, they adopted a pattern of hitching rides on the trucks carrying people and freight between the main towns, asking if they could stay overnight in the guard stations of the Peruvian Civil Guard (the country’s paramilitary national police force) or the hospitals in the towns where they stopped. As they traveled, they came in close contact with Peru’s exploited and suffering Indian masses, who represent a majority of the population. They saw how the Indians of the Peruvian altiplano (high plateau) were (and still are) exploited and oppressed. The movie poster of the Spanish-language film "The Motorcycle Diaries" In Tarata, Peru, Ernesto wrote in his diary about how the local Peruvian Indians (the Aymarás) “are not the same proud race that time after time rose up against Inca rule and forced them to maintain a permanent army on their borders”; rather, they had become “a defeated race” since the Spanish Conquest and centuries of colonial domination. After they left Tarata, they traveled on the same truck with a schoolteacher who had been fired by the government because he was a member of the leftist APRA party (American Popular Revolutionary Alliance). He was part Indian and seemed to know a great deal about Peru’s indigenous cultures and customs. The teacher told Ernesto and Alberto about the need to establish schools for the Indians that would teach them to “value their own world” and that would “enable them to play a useful role within it.” He also spoke about “the need to change completely the present system of education,” which he said “on the rare occasions it does offer Indians an education (education, that is, according to the white man’s criteria), only fills them with shame and resentment, leaving them unable to help their fellow Indians and at a tremendous disadvantage in a white society which is hostile to them”. Alberto Granado's book cover "Traveling with Che Guevara The Making of a Revolutionary" Because of their interest in leprosy, they went to Lima, the capital city of Peru, to meet Dr. Hugo Pesce, a well-known expert in leprology and a university professor. Dr. Pesce put them up in the leper hospital he ran in Lima and invited them to eat dinner at his house, which they did just about every night while they stayed in Lima. They divided their time between the leper hospital and the National Museum of the Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru, which presents the history of Peru from prehistoric times to the colonial era. Ernesto also had long conversations about philosophy, politics, and critical health issues in Latin America with Dr. Pesce, who was a disciple of the Peruvian Marxist philosopher José Carlos Mariátegui and a prominent member of the Peruvian Communist Party. In Lima, Ernesto and Alberto decided to give up their original objective of traveling to the United States. They chose Venezuela as their ultimate destination after first visiting Dr. Pesce’s largest treatment center for lepers in Peru’s Amazonian region. When they were ready to leave, the patients of the leper hospital in Lima gave them an emotional send-off party. They were very touched by the affectionate farewell the patients gave them and by the small collection of money the patients presented them for their trip. Their destination when they set out from Lima was the San Pablo leper colony situated on the banks of the Amazon River. They hitchhiked from Lima to Pucallpa and then took a boat down the Ucayali River (one of the headwaters of the Amazon) to Iquitos. From Iquitos, they took another boat down the Amazon to the San Pablo leper colony. Once there, they volunteered to work in the leprosarium’s laboratory and endeared themselves to both the staff and the patients. They played soccer with the patients, took them on hikes, and even led them on hunting expeditions. While they were at the colony, Ernesto turned 24, and the staff threw a birthday party for him. The next day, after saying their final good-byes, they cast off in a raft, named Mambo-Tango, built for them by one of the staff members so they could go down the river to Leticia, Colombia, where the borders of Colombia, Peru, and Brazil meet on the upper Amazon. In Leticia, they got 50 percent off on the weekly flight to Bogotá and made some money coaching and playing for the town’s soccer team. When they arrived in Bogotá, they obtained permission to stay at a hospital where they were offered jobs in the leprosy service. However, they had a run-in with the local police over a knife Ernesto carried with him that was a present from his brother Roberto. They were harassed so badly by the police they decided to leave for Venezuela as soon as possible. They made their way to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Alberto looked up a doctor who was a specialist in leprology. Impressed by Alberto’s interest in leprosy, the doctor offered him a position in his laboratory. At about the same time, Ernesto ran into an uncle who had an airplane that he used to transport racehorses between Buenos Aires and Miami. The uncle told Ernesto that he could return with him to Buenos Aires if he wanted to resume his studies at medical school. Ernesto and Alberto made a pact: Alberto would accept the job offered him and stay in Venezuela, while Ernesto would go back to Buenos Aires to graduate from medical school and then return to Venezuela to work with Alberto. It was the end of July 1952 when they said good-bye in Caracas. In one of the last entries in his diary, Ernesto commented on how much he missed Alberto. He said: “I’m always turning around to tell him something and then I realize he’s not there.” And he added: “All these months we’ve been together through thick and thin and the habit of dreaming the same dreams in similar situations has made us even closer.” When Ernesto left Caracas, the plane he took went to Miami, where it was scheduled to stop before returning to Buenos Aires. However, when they got to Miami, the plane had mechanical problems, so it had to be repaired before it could leave for Buenos Aires. Ernesto took advantage of this opportunity to get to know the city (pages 153–54). As it turned out, he had to wait a whole month for the plane to be repaired. He had no money, but he was able to stay in a small hotel by promising to pay the bill from Buenos Aires as soon as he returned, which he did. During the month that he stayed in Miami, Ernesto visited the beaches and hung around with an Argentine student he met, who helped him find a job as a dishwasher in one of Miami’s restaurants. When the plane was repaired, he flew back to Buenos Aires. It was September 1952. In the prologue he wrote for Ernesto’s The Motorcycle Diaries, his father emphasizes that we can see in this written account of Ernesto’s eight-month journey that he “had faith in himself as well as the will to succeed, and a tremendous determination to achieve what he set out to do”. Guevara's 1950s journeys profoundly shaped his worldview, setting the stage for his revolutionary path. Witnessing the widespread endemic poverty, oppression and disenfranchisement throughout Latin America, and influenced by his readings of Marxist literature, Guevara later decided that the only solution for the region's structural inequalities was armed revolution. The Motorcycle Diaries, initially unpublished, uncovers Ernesto's evolving political consciousness and early socialist inclinations. Unlike zealous do-gooders, Guevara's narrative revealed a genuine desire to help others without self-righteousness. The book was first published in 1993 as Notas de viaje by Casa Editora Abril in Havana, Cuba. The first English edition was brought out by Verso Books in 1995. In 2004, Aleida Guevara explained that her father had not intended his diary to be published, and that it consisted of "a sheaf of typewritten pages". But already in the 1980s, his family worked on his unpublished manuscripts. Renowned actor, producer, and director Robert Redford brought The Motorcycle Diaries to life, a film adaptation of Ernesto Guevara's transformative journey across Latin America. Directed by Walter Salles, the 2004-2005 release starred Gael García Bernal as the young Ernesto and Rodrigo de la Serna as Alberto Granado. Despite critical success and an Oscar win, the film faced limited U.S. distribution, earning $16 million domestically but flourishing with a $40 million global revenue. This article contains excerpts from Richard Harris's book "Che Guevara: A Biography" Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

In this article, I’ve selected some of the most memorable photos I took during our urbex tours in Armenia. These images show how our tours really happen, what places we visit, and the atmosphere you can expect on the road. By joining my tours, you become part of a growing community of travelers who explore Armenia’s abandoned places together. < Back Urbex Tours in Armenia – Photo Gallery In this article, I’ve selected some of the most memorable photos I took during our urbex tours in Armenia. These images show how our tours really happen, what places we visit, and the atmosphere you can expect on the road. By joining my tours, you become part of a growing community of travelers who explore Armenia’s abandoned places together. The photos you see below were taken during the urbex tours I organize across Armenia while exploring Soviet-era heritage. Over the years, I’ve learned one important lesson. I don’t use an expensive or professional camera. What truly improved my photography was returning to the same places and photographing the same subjects again and again over a long period of time. Little by little, my photos became better. Another key moment was learning to shoot through the viewfinder instead of using the screen. I had always relied on the display — until I accidentally broke it. That small accident pushed me to use the viewfinder, and it ended up improving my photography more than any piece of equipment ever did. Inside the projector room of an abandoned culture house Inside an abandoned factory, we saw many buses. This one is an Ikarus bus, manufactured in Budapest Took this photo while exploring the abandoned tunnels of the former copper mine The control panel of the abandoned train station A view from a train station Soviet-era control panels The bas-relief on the wall of the Semiconductor and Electronics Manufacturing Plant Inside an abandoned carpet factory Abandoned Yak-40 plane in Armenia The swimming pool of the abandoned pioneer camp "Fairy-tale" A unique fresco inside an abandnoed factory A vintage educational display board for Lathe Cutting Tools The control room of the ROT54 telescope Inside a Soviet-era culture house MiG-21 Fishbed is on display outside Mikoyan Brothers' Museum Cemetery of firefighting cars An abandoned pioneer camp Inside the Northern Bus Station Old AM-5 computers, likely produced by Gerber Technology in the late 1980s... Inside an abandoned culture palace A Soviet-era antenna in Armenia The frescoes of the abandoned culture house A Soviet-era movie projector Inside an abandoned rest-house The Soviet-Armenian Echo of the Futuro House In the control room of ROT54 telescope Exploring the adjacent buildings of ROT54 These mirrors were intended to be placed on "Arev" solar power station The ZTA-2.6 Telescope at Byurakan Observatory Exploring an abandoned culture house Inside a perfectly preserved knitwear factory An abandoned observatory hidden in the mountain Inside a well preserved Soviet-era culture house Exploring a 14-floor abandoned sanatorium A visit to tool making factory Exploring an abandoned sanatorium A visit to Vanadzor Railway Station Inside a Soviet-Era crystal growth lab The control panel of the ZTA-2.6 telescope Inside a Soviet-era sanatorium that has miraculously survived to the present day and is still operating The ZTA-2.6 Telescope at Byurakan Observatory ROT54 in winter Soviet-era posters Armenia's Particle Accelerator Mother Armenia in Ijevan city Inside a Soviet-era culture house The building that houses the ZTA-2.6 telescope The only survived fresco of Lenin in Armenia The tourists and the Orbita antenna Inside the anti-echo chamber Sevan Writers' Rest House in winter The control panel of Armenia's Particle Accelerator The playing hall of Tigran Petrosyan Chess House The abandoned refractory brick factory A Soviet-era mosaic inside a culture house Inside an abandoned driving school The 1-meter Schmidt telescope Exploring an abandoned train station Exploring an abandoned restaurant The "Orbita" antenna Exploring an abandoned mine Exploring an abandoned laboratory Inside an abandoned school Exploring an abandoned train station in Armenia Exploring a little known pioneer camp in Armenia I’m Suren, a professional urban explorer in Armenia. I offer unique urbex tours to abandoned, hidden, and off-the-map places you won’t find in guidebooks. Want a custom itinerary? Contact me on WhatsApp or Telegram . Project Gallery You May Also Like The Forgotten 50 cm Cassegrain Telescope of Byurakan Observatory Destroyed Soviet Mosaics and Frescoes in Armenia Inside the Eerie Corridors of an Abandoned Russian Fortress Soviet Bus Stops in Armenia Urbex Tours in Armenia – Photo Gallery The 53 cm Schmidt Telescope at Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Exploring an Abandoned Rest House with Impressive Bas-Reliefs A Spaceship on Earth: The Soviet-Armenian Echo of the Futuro House Previous Next

In this article, you’ll learn about a little-known abandoned observatory in Armenia, perched high in the mountains and wrapped in mystery due to its unclear past. < Back The Abandoned Observatory I Spent Years Searching For In this article, you’ll learn about a little-known abandoned observatory in Armenia, perched high in the mountains and wrapped in mystery due to its unclear past. Years ago, I was reading the blog of a foreign motorcyclist who had traveled through Armenia and Georgia. He had a photo of his bike parked next to a telescope tower. At first, I assumed it was somewhere in Georgia, but the caption said it was in Armenia. That really surprised me, and I tried to find out more — but there was absolutely no information about it. That same photo taken by the motorcycle traveler, showing the observation tower and his bike Time passed, and one day, while scanning Google Earth, I noticed a strange round structure and a few buildings. That was my first hint. I compared the mountain skyline with the traveler’s photo and realized I was finally on the right track. So off we went. The road was awful. To make things worse, I chose a shorter but completely wrong route and ended up crawling toward the summit on rough terrain. My Pajero handled it bravely, though, and eventually we made it to the site. As expected, not much had survived. Later I learned that the telescopes had been moved to the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory — where I eventually found them. The remaining buildings were left to decay, with cows wandering around and using them as shelter. This location reminded me of the famous Shorbulak Observatory, which is situated 4,350 meters above sea level in Tajikistan One of the towers, though, was surprisingly well-preserved, with its dome still in place. Despite the abandonment, the location didn’t disappoint. It had that pleasant urbex charm, a memorable view opening up from the summit, and fields full of wildflowers. I’ll keep digging into its history and update this article as soon as I uncover more reliable details. I’m Suren, a professional urban explorer in Armenia. I offer unique urbex tours to abandoned, hidden, and off-the-map places you won’t find in guidebooks. Want a custom itinerary? Contact me on WhatsApp or Telegram . Project Gallery You May Also Like The Forgotten 50 cm Cassegrain Telescope of Byurakan Observatory Destroyed Soviet Mosaics and Frescoes in Armenia Inside the Eerie Corridors of an Abandoned Russian Fortress Soviet Bus Stops in Armenia Urbex Tours in Armenia – Photo Gallery The 53 cm Schmidt Telescope at Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Exploring an Abandoned Rest House with Impressive Bas-Reliefs A Spaceship on Earth: The Soviet-Armenian Echo of the Futuro House Previous Next

Armenia, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, is home to a geological wonder known as the Symphony of Stones. Nestled within the picturesque Garni Gorge, this natural hexagonal basalt formation captivates visitors with its unique look. In this article, you will learn how basalt columns are formed and discover some of the most famous places with columnar jointed volcanics. < Back Symphony of Stones in Garni Gorge Armenia, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and breathtaking landscapes, is home to a geological wonder known as the Symphony of Stones. Nestled within the picturesque Garni Gorge, this natural hexagonal basalt formation captivates visitors with its unique look. In this article, you will learn how basalt columns are formed and discover some of the most famous places with columnar jointed volcanics. The Symphony of Stones is a collection of basalt columns that resemble towering organ pipes, hence its poetic name. These hexagonal basalt formations were formed millions of years ago during volcanic activity when lava rapidly cooled and solidified. Over time, natural forces such as wind and water eroded the softer rock around the basalt columns, sculpting them into the striking formations seen today. Garni gorge and the Symphony of Stones While unique to Armenia, similar basalt column formations can be found around the world. Famous examples include Fingal's Cave in Scotland, Devil's Tower in the USA, Svartifoss waterfall in Iceland, and Giant's Causeway on the north coast of Northern Ireland. These natural wonders continue to inspire awe and curiosity, drawing visitors from all corners of the globe to witness nature's artistic prowess. Close to the Symphony of Stones in Garni Gorge, visitors can also see the Azat Bridge, built between the 11th and 12th centuries from black tuff. The single-vaulted bridge has pillars spaced about 10 meters apart. Restoration work began in 2006, was interrupted, and resumed in 2012, finally completing in 2013. However, despite restoration efforts, the bridge lost its historic appearance. Azat bridge in the Garni gorge As Armenia continues to embrace sustainable tourism practices, the Symphony of Stones remains a jewel in its natural crown, beckoning visitors to listen to its ancient melody and marvel at the harmonious interplay of geological forces. Photographers find ample opportunities to capture the interplay of light and shadow on the columns, especially during sunrise and sunset when the landscape is bathed in warm hues. Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

This church in Mrgashat village, Armenia, boasts a design that immediately caught my eye! I had never seen any church in Armenia with wooden columns before, making it truly stand out < Back An Armenian church with a unique design This church in Mrgashat village, Armenia, boasts a design that immediately caught my eye! I had never seen any church in Armenia with wooden columns before, making it truly stand out Known as the Holy Mother of God Church or Surb Astsvatsatsin Church in Armenian, it is an Armenian Apostolic Holy Church situated in the village of Mrgashat in the Armavir region of Armenia. It was constructed in the 19th century. The Church of the Holy Mother of God in Mrgashat village was erected in 1865 and consecrated in 1903, replacing a chapel that previously occupied the site. Before the renovation the basilica-style structure featured an earth-covered roof. It is constructed of black and yellow tuff stone, measuring (33 x 17) meters. During the Soviet era, particularly from 1937 to 1980, the church was repurposed as a grain warehouse. In 2007, renovations of the church commenced. On October 15, 2011, it was re-consecrated by the head of the diocese, Fr. Sion Bishop Adamyan. Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

Rossia Cinema commissioned in Yerevan in 1974, is considered one of the most remarkable Soviet-era modernist structures in the city. The architects, Artur Tarkhanyan, Spartak Khachikyan, and Hrachya Poghosyan, were awarded the prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for this project in 1979. The cinema was privatized in 2004, and in 2006, part of the structure was transformed into the trade and cultural center "Rossia," which currently functions primarily as a commercial space. < Back Modernist Architectural Masterpiece - Rossia Cinema in Yerevan Rossia Cinema commissioned in Yerevan in 1974, is considered one of the most remarkable Soviet-era modernist structures in the city. The architects, Artur Tarkhanyan, Spartak Khachikyan, and Hrachya Poghosyan, were awarded the prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for this project in 1979. The cinema was privatized in 2004, and in 2006, part of the structure was transformed into the trade and cultural center "Rossia," which currently functions primarily as a commercial space. The project for the cinema, designed by Arthur Tarkhanyan, Spartak Khachikyan, and Hrachya Poghosyan, was submitted to the Union of Architects in 1970-1971 and subsequently approved by the City Council of Yerevan. The "Haypet Project" Institute was tasked with implementing the project. Construction began in the early 1970s on the site of one of Yerevan's oldest markets, the "Black Market." The project was challenging due to its modernist and unconventional design, prompting the architects to prepare a large model to facilitate the builders' work. A scale model of the Rossia Cinema. Image source: "Arthur Tarkhanyan Center" Facebook page The Rossia Cinema officially opened in December 1974 during a plenary session of the CPC Central Committee, chaired by Karen Demirchyan, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC. The cinema was a multifunctional complex consisting of three main parts. two halls of different sizes, but with the same shape, with 1,600 and 1,000 seats, an open area under the halls where exhibition halls, a cafe, a bar, and ticket offices are located. You could also pass through this area on the street without entering the cinema. This connection between outside and inside is considered one of the building's ingenious solutions. Sculptures by Hmayak Bdeyan, in the form of masks, adorned the partition wall The lobby and bar were separated by a transparent partition that could be opened and closed, measuring 10 meters wide and 3.5 meters high. Sculptures by Hmayak Bdeyan, in the form of masks, adorned the partition wall, while other halls featured sculptures by Yervand Gojabashyan, Henry Elibekyan, Ohan Petrosyan, and others. The cinema's modern circular bar and the teahouse, furnished in a Russian style with kettles on the tables and freshly made cakes, were noteworthy features. The suspended ceiling of the "Rossia" cinema, called "вантовое перекрытие (cable-stayed ceiling)” was the first of its kind in Armenia. The cinema's roof, facing Tigran Mets Street, spans 40 meters wide and 60 meters long, hanging without any support. Arthur Tarkhanyan and other architects standing near the scale model of the Rossia Cinema. Image source: "Arthur Tarkhanyan Center" Facebook page Initially intended to be named "Ayrarat" or "Noyan Tapan," the cinema was ultimately named "Rossia." After Armenia's independence, it was briefly renamed "Ayrarat." In 2004, the "Rossia" cinema was privatized, and the "Narek" company, part of the "Sil Concern," became the owner. In 2006, the center was once again renamed "Rossia." On November 11, 2006, the first building of the "Rossia" commercial and cultural center was turned into a cafe and shopping halls. Unfortunately, the sculptures and paintings by Yervand Gojabashyan, Henry Elibekyan, Ohan Petrosyan, and Hmayak Bdeyan were later removed and up to this day their fate is unknown. Rossia Cinema today However even today, the Rossia Cinema stands as a testament to the innovative spirit of its architects and the modernist architectural movement in Yerevan. Despite changes and challenges over the years, it remains a significant cultural and architectural landmark in Armenia's capital. Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

If you’re planning a trip to Armenia, learning a few basic phrases in Armenian can greatly enhance your experience. While many Armenians speak English or at least know basic phrases, demonstrating an effort to communicate in the local language can enhance your interactions and leave a positive impression. < Back Barev and other Basic Armenian Phrases If you’re planning a trip to Armenia, learning a few basic phrases in Armenian can greatly enhance your experience. While many Armenians speak English or at least know basic phrases, demonstrating an effort to communicate in the local language can enhance your interactions and leave a positive impression. Here are some useful Armenian phrases that will help you navigate your way around our beautiful country․ Hello – Barev dzez - (formal) - Բարև ձեզ Hello – Barev - (informal) - Բարև Goodbye - (Hajoghutyun) Հաջողություն Thank you – (Shnorhakalutyun) - Շնորհակալություն Yes - (Ajo) Այո No - (Voch) Ոչ Excuse me - (Neroghutyun) Ներողություն How are you? - (Inchpes eq) Ինչպե՞ս եք I am fine - (Hianali) Հիանալի Welcome! - (Bari galust) Բարի գալուստ What is your name? - (Inch e dzer anuny) Ի՞նչ է ձեր անունը My name is... - (Im anunn e) Իմ անունն է... I am from Paris - (Es Parizic em) Ես Փարիզից եմ I don’t understand - (Chem haskanum) Չեմ հասկանում Where is the bus stop? - (Vortegh e kangary) Որտե՞ղ է կանգառը Where must I get off? - (Vortegh petq e ijnem) Որտե՞ղ պետք է իջնեմ An AI generated image of an Armenian girl standing near the blackboard Where is the bathroom? - (Vortegh e zugarany) Որտե՞ղ է զուգարանը Help! - (Ognutyun) Օգնություն I’m sorry - (Nereceq) Ներեցեք I don’t speak Armenian well - (Es hayeren lav chem khosum) Ես հայերեն լավ չեմ խոսում Could you speak slower, please? - (Khndrum em khoseq aveli dandagh) Խնդրում եմ խոսեք ավելի դանդաղ What time is it? - (Zhamy qanisn e?) Ժամը քանի՞սն է Where is…? - (Vortegh e?) Որտե՞ղ է How much does this cost? - (Inch arzhe?) Ի՞նչ արժե Do you accept credit cards? - (Duq yndunum eq kredit carter?) Դուք ընդունու՞մ եք կրեդիտ քարտեր I'm hungry - (Es qaghcac em) Ես քաղցած եմ Could I have the menu, please? - (Menyun ktaq?) Մենյուն կտա՞ք I would like to order… - (Uzum em patvirel) Ուզում եմ պատվիրել Can I have the bill, please? - (Hashivy kareli e?) Հաշիվը կարելի՞ է Is there Wi-Fi here? - (Wi-Fi ka?) Wi-Fi կա՞ What is the Wi-Fi password? - (Wi-Fi – I gaghtnabary kaseq?) Wi-Fi - ի գաղտնաբառը կասե՞ք Could you help me, please? - (Ogneq khndrum em) Օգնեք խնդրում եմ I’m looking for… - (Es pntrum em) Ես փնտրում եմ I’m lost - (Es korel em) Ես կորել եմ Do you speak English? - (Engleren khosum eq?) Դուք խոսու՞մ եք անգլերեն I need a doctor - (Es bzhshki kariq unem) Ես բժշկի կարիք ունեմ Is this the bus for…? - (Ur e tanum ays avtobusy) Ու՞ր է տանում այս ավտոբուսը Where can I find a taxi? - (Vortegh karogh em taxi gtnel) Որտե՞ղ կարող եմ տաքսի գտնել Could you call a taxi for me? - (Karogh eq im pokharen taxi kanchel?) Կարո՞ղ եք իմ փոխարեն տաքսի կանչել Where’s the nearest ATM? - (Vortegh e motaka bankomaty) Որտե՞ղ է մոտակա բանկոմատը Is it safe to camp here? - (Ajstegh apahov e gisherel?) Այստեղ ապահո՞վ է գիշերել I’d like this - (Es tsankanum em) Ես ցանկանում եմ It’s too expensive - (Shat tank e) Շատ թանկ է Show me on the map! - (Tsuyts tveq qartezi vra) Ցույց տվեք քարտեզի վրա Can I try it on? - (Karogh em pordzel?) Կարո՞ղ եմ փորձել Where can I buy a…? - (Vortegh karogh em gnel) Որտե՞ղ կարող եմ գնել What’s the weather like tomorrow? - (Inch eghanak e linelu vaghy) Ի՞նչ եղանակ է լինելու վաղը I’d like to go to… (Es ktsankanayi gnal) Ես կցանկանայի գնալ Stop here, please - (Kangneq aystegh khndrum em) Կանգնեք այստեղ խնդրում եմ I lost my wallet - (Es korcrel em dramapanaks) Ես կորցրել եմ դրամապանակս Everything is ok - (Amen inch lav e) Ամեն ինչ լավ է Remember, a little effort goes a long way. Even if you don’t pronounce everything perfectly, locals will appreciate your effort to communicate in their language. Enjoy your trip to Armenia! Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

The Mikhail Khergiani House-Museum in Mestia honors one of Georgia’s greatest mountaineers — the legendary “Tiger of the Rocks.” Born in 1932, Khergiani conquered some of the world’s toughest peaks with remarkable skill and courage before his tragic death in the Dolomites in 1969. Housed in his family’s traditional Svan home and tower, the museum displays his climbing gear, personal belongings, and rare photos. Visitors can explore his legacy and enjoy panoramic views over Mestia and the Caucasus mountains from the tower’s top. < Back A Visit to the Mikhail Khergiani Museum The Mikhail Khergiani House-Museum in Mestia honors one of Georgia’s greatest mountaineers — the legendary “Tiger of the Rocks.” Born in 1932, Khergiani conquered some of the world’s toughest peaks with remarkable skill and courage before his tragic death in the Dolomites in 1969. Housed in his family’s traditional Svan home and tower, the museum displays his climbing gear, personal belongings, and rare photos. Visitors can explore his legacy and enjoy panoramic views over Mestia and the Caucasus mountains from the tower’s top. Mikhail Vissarionovich Khergiani was a legendary Georgian mountaineer, born on March 20, 1932, in the mountain village of Mestia. Known for his incredible speed and skill on some of the world’s toughest rock faces, he became a seven-time USSR climbing champion and earned the nickname “Tiger of the Rocks.” In 1963, he was awarded the title Honored Master of Sport of the USSR for his exceptional achievements. Parked my car in front of Mikhail Khergiani museum and is ready to explore it The Tragic Ascent In the summer of 1969, Khergiani joined a Soviet team on an expedition to the Italian Dolomites. Their goal was a series of difficult climbs, ending with an ascent of Mount Sualto (Civetta Massif) from the Alleghe side. During this final climb, a sudden rockfall struck. Leading the route, Khergiani was hit and thrown from the wall. His partner, Vyacheslav Onishchenko, heard a crash and a cry, braced himself for the pull, but the rope suddenly went slack — cut by falling rocks. Mikhail Khergiani was only 37 years old. His body was brought home to Mestia, where he was laid to rest. Today, his spirit lives on in the Mikhail Khergiani House-Museum, located in his birthplace — the Lagami district of Mestia. The Museum The museum opened in 1979, on the day of Mishaoba (Misha’s Day), a local holiday dedicated to his memory. It was established in Khergiani’s family home, a traditional Svan “machubi” house with an adjoining defensive tower. Enthusiasts and admirers from across the Soviet Union sent letters, artifacts, and personal mementos, many of which became part of the permanent exhibition or the special section “Gifts to the Museum.” By 1985, the full exhibition was completed, and the house-museum officially opened its doors to visitors. Inside the Museum The tour begins in the main room of the traditional Svan home. Here you’ll find family heirlooms: a cradle hanging by the hearth, a carved wooden chair, a dining table with benches, and simple household utensils that reflect the modest lifestyle of the Svan people. In Mikhail’s preserved bedroom, visitors can see his personal belongings — a wardrobe, bed, desk, and a map of the Himalayan ranges. Above the bed hangs a playful caricature of Khergiani as a tiger, drawn by Moscow artist Alexei Gaponenko. Another hall is devoted to the history of Soviet mountaineering, featuring vintage climbing equipment such as primus stoves, wooden-handled ice axes, hammers, compasses, and other gear. Khergiani’s own training uniform and numerous awards are also displayed, along with a section dedicated to the rescue team he once led. The Tower and the Legacy The house’s stone tower once served as storage during peaceful times, but today its roof has been transformed into a viewing platform offering stunning views over Mestia and the surrounding Caucasus peaks. Inside the tower, high on a wall that resembles a rock face, hangs the red rope that broke during Khergiani’s final climb — a somber yet powerful reminder of his courage and fate. Guided tours are led by Khergiani’s nephew, also named Mikhail, who continues his uncle’s mountaineering legacy. A Hero Remembered Though his life was cut short, Mikhail Khergiani’s name remains deeply respected in the mountaineering world. He was not only a fearless athlete but also a compassionate rescuer who saved countless lives. For anyone visiting Svaneti, a stop at the Mikhail Khergiani House-Museum is a must. It’s more than just a museum — it’s a heartfelt tribute to a man whose bravery, skill, and humanity continue to inspire climbers and adventurers around the world. 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This short article attempts to provide brief information about the Armenian Genocide Memorial complex. By visiting this place, you will not only commemorate the victims but also delve into historical documents, aiming to prevent future tragedies by remembering the past. < Back The Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum This short article attempts to provide brief information about the Armenian Genocide Memorial complex. By visiting this place, you will not only commemorate the victims but also delve into historical documents, aiming to prevent future tragedies by remembering the past. The Armenian Genocide Memorial complex or Tsitsernakaberd is Armenia's official memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide, built in 1967 on the hill of Tsitsernakaberd Yerevan, while the Genocide Museum-Institute was opened in 1995. Every year on 24 April, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, thousands of Armenians gather at the memorial lay flowers and commemorate the victims of the genocide. The construction of the monument began in 1966, during Soviet times, in the aftermath of the 1965 Yerevan demonstrations. During these demonstrations, one hundred thousand people gathered in Yerevan for 24 hours to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the genocide. They demanded that the Soviet authorities officially recognize it as a genocide. The memorial is designed by architects Arthur Tarkhanyan, Sashur Kalashyan and artist Hovhannes Khachatryan and was completed in November 1967. The construction of the Genocide Memorial Complex The memorial has twelve slabs in a circle, representing the twelve lost provinces in present-day Turkey. In the middle, there's an eternal flame for the 1.5 million people killed during the Armenian genocide. The 44-meter tall stele symbolizes the national rebirth of Armenians. There's also a 100-meter wall listing names of towns and villages where massacres and deportations took place. Entrance to the museum The museum opened in 1995 for the 80th genocide anniversary. The structure, designed by architects Sashur Kalashian, Lyudmila Mkrtchyan, and sculptor F. Araqelyan, is unique. It's a two-story building built into a hill not to take away from the Genocide Monument. The roof is flat, overlooking the Ararat Valley and Mount Ararat. The first floor has offices and Komitas Hall, seating 170 people. The museum exhibit on the second floor is just over 1,000 square meters. Documents and photos concerning Armenian Genocide Visiting the museum is part of the state protocol in Armenia. Many official foreign delegations, including Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis, President Vladimir Putin, Presidents Jacques Chirac and Francois Hollande, have visited. The museum has historical documents and offers guided tours in Armenian, Russian, English, French, and German. The theme of the Armenian genocide in the visual arts The Genocide Museum's mission is to show that remembering the Armenian Genocide is important to prevent similar future tragedies. Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

The 1977 robbery of the State Bank of the Armenian SSR remains one of the most audacious and infamous crimes in Soviet history. This heist, carried out by cousins Nikolai Sarkisovich Kalachyan and Felix Kalachyan, resulted in the theft of 1.5 million Soviet rubles—equivalent to roughly two million U.S. dollars at the time. It was not only the largest theft from a state institution in Soviet history but also a crime that captured the public’s imagination with its high stakes and dramatic resolution. Ultimately, both cousins were sentenced to death for their roles in the crime. < Back The Biggest Bank Robbery in the Soviet Union The 1977 robbery of the State Bank of the Armenian SSR remains one of the most audacious and infamous crimes in Soviet history. This heist, carried out by cousins Nikolai Sarkisovich Kalachyan and Felix Kalachyan, resulted in the theft of 1.5 million Soviet rubles—equivalent to roughly two million U.S. dollars at the time. It was not only the largest theft from a state institution in Soviet history but also a crime that captured the public’s imagination with its high stakes and dramatic resolution. Ultimately, both cousins were sentenced to death for their roles in the crime. Nikolai Kalachyan, born in 1951 in Borodino, Krasnoyarsk Krai, had a troubled upbringing. His family’s financial difficulties, primarily due to his father’s illness, left them destitute. Nikolai’s early years were marked by instability—he ran away to join a gypsy camp, dabbled in drug trafficking, and worked as a trash collector. With only a basic education and training as a turner, Nikolai turned to crime. His first successful robbery involved breaking into a savings bank by creating a hole in the wall. The crime went unsolved, and the stolen money was quickly squandered. Brothers Felix and Nikolai Kalachian Felix Kalachyan, on the other hand, was born in the village of Kazanchi in the Ashotsk district. After finishing school, he moved to Leninakan (now Gyumri), where he married and became a father of two. Working as a janitor, Felix struggled to provide for his family. Despite his humble profession, Felix had an athletic background—he was a skilled gymnast with the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. Nikolai convinced Felix to join him in a life of crime, and together they robbed an electronics store by dismantling a wall. They sold the stolen goods for 15,000 rubles, some of which Felix sent to his family, while the rest was spent on a spree in Moscow. Meanwhile, the director of the store from which the Kalachyans stole the tape recorders, for some reason, did not go to the police: the brothers got away with this crime. According to Nikolai, the director's silence was explained by the fact that the stolen tape recorders were unaccounted goods and were intended for illegal sale. Yerevan branch of the State Bank of the USSR Their next target was far more ambitious: the State Bank of the Armenian SSR in Yerevan. Nikolai’s plan relied on insider information provided by a bank employee and close associate, Zaven Bagdasaryan, who had direct access to the vault during routine inspections. Zaven, a member of the commission tasked with recounting the money stored in the Yerevan branch of the State Bank, was deeply impressed by the enormous sums he encountered in the vault. He informed the Kalachyan brothers that approximately 100 million rubles were stored at the branch and proposed a bold plan: to steal it. Bagdasaryan described the setup in detail. The cash was stacked on several shelves inside a small room on the second floor. The bank itself was housed in a three-story building dating back to the 1930s, constructed by prisoners using volcanic tuff—a relatively fragile material. This architectural vulnerability made breaking into the vault plausible. Initially, the Kalachyan brothers hesitated, deeming the risk too great. However, after three months of deliberation, they decided to proceed. The operation, to be executed by the nimble Felix, took several additional months of meticulous planning. Bagdasaryan even sketched detailed blueprints of the bank’s layout, including the walls, floors, and alarm systems, to aid in the preparations. The open window of the bank through which Felix entered Disguised as an artist, Nikolai began frequenting the streets near the bank. He casually passed by the branch repeatedly, observing every detail of its operations. During his surveillance, he noted that the bank shared its ground floor with a police station. However, his observations revealed that only a couple of officers were on duty during weekends, prompting the brothers to schedule the heist for a summer weekend. By early August, the plan had been refined to the smallest detail. Felix was tasked with breaking through the wall on the third floor, which adjoined a residential building, and gaining access to the bank employees' break room. From there, he intended to drill a hole in the floor and descend directly into the vault where the money was stored. Every aspect of the operation was meticulously planned—even down to bringing three bottles of mineral water so Felix could stay hydrated in the summer heat and cool the drills. A seemingly ordinary item—a simple umbrella—was crucial to their plan. According to Nikolai’s design, Felix was to drill a small hole in the floor, insert the umbrella through it, open it, and continue drilling. This would catch falling debris, muffling the sound and minimizing mess. However, shortly before the heist, Nikolai was involved in a car accident and hospitalized. Despite this setback, he remained undeterred. After consulting with Felix, Nikolai decided to proceed with the plan and coordinated the robbery from his hospital bed. The hand drill used by Felix Kalachyan On the evening of August 5, 1977, Felix packs a backpack with all the necessary tools—a hand drill, rope, hammer, saw, flashlight, and an umbrella—and enters a residential building that shares a wall with the State Bank. He gets to work. He spends the entire night trying to drill through the wall but fails to break through. The next day, he returns and comes up with a new plan. He notices that the window of the bank’s staff break room is not secured. Due to ongoing renovations, it is covered only with a sheet of polyethylene. He decides to take an extraordinary risk: from the roof of a neighboring building, he sprints and leaps across—miraculously landing on the roof of the bank. From there, gaining access to the upper floor above the vault proves relatively easy. The second phase of the plan went flawlessly. Felix drilled a 34-centimeter hole in the floor and used a rope secured to a steel bar to lower himself into the vault. There, he retrieved two bags of cash totaling 1.5 million rubles—equivalent to approximately 100 million rubles today. Carefully packing the money into a backpack, which ultimately weighed around 32 kilograms, Felix climbed out through the break room window, descended the rope, and slipped away unnoticed as dawn broke on Sunday morning. All the tools were left behind at the scene. A 34-centimeter-diameter hole in the floor of the rest room, made by Felix Kalachyan Felix’s first stop was the hospital to meet his brother. Overjoyed by the success, Nikolai discharged himself the same day. The brothers then retreated to a rented apartment where they hid the loot. While examining the cash, Nikolai noticed a critical detail: most of the 100-ruble notes bore the same serial series—AI. Recognizing the potential for these notes to trace back to them, Nikolai instructed Felix and Zaven not to spend the AI-series bills. His caution proved prescient. Meanwhile the investigators quickly established the method by which the thief had entered the bank building: the trick of jumping through a window, under which a tarpaulin was stretched for safety, was repeated by the detectives themselves. Despite this breakthrough, the investigation soon hit a dead end, leaving the case at a standstill. Felix Kalachian during investigative experiments Upon learning of the audacious heist, General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev took personal interest in the case and ordered a nationwide alert. Directives were sent to all savings banks across the Soviet Union, instructing staff to report any transactions involving AI-series 100-ruble notes. Following the robbery, the cousins fled to Moscow. Kalachyan brothers spent all the small bills rather quickly and began to think about what to do with packs of hundred-ruble notes. Nikolai found a way out: he suggested buying three-percent government loan bonds with them, for which they could then get “normal” money. However, the thieves were not going to go to the savings banks themselves. Nikolai Kalachian during investigative experiments There, Nikolai met Ludmila Viktorovna Aksyonova, whose brother, Vladimir Kuznetsov, was a taxi driver. Vladimir was unwittingly drawn into their scheme, tasked with purchasing bonds using stolen 100-ruble notes. To avoid suspicion, Nikolai claimed he needed the bonds to fund an elaborate wedding to Ludmila. Vladimir, unaware of the robbery, agreed to help. However, the stolen money bore a critical flaw: most of the 100-ruble notes shared the same serial series, "AI." Soviet authorities had issued a nationwide alert to all savings banks, instructing employees to report any transactions involving such notes. Kuznetsov agreed to help his future relative. He bought the first batch of securities in several trips in Tashkent, spending about 24 thousand rubles. To the delight of the criminals, Vladimir came across inattentive savings bank employees. Because of this, the criminal investigation officers did not immediately find out that the AI series banknotes had surfaced in the Uzbek SSR. By the time investigators reached Tashkent, Kuznetsov had already fled the country. Meanwhile, the Kalachyan brothers decided to relocate to Sochi. Nikolai purchased a used green Zhiguli (some sources suggest it was a Moskvich) for 13,000 rubles at the market near Moscow's Southern River Port. To maintain their cover, he registered the car under Lyudmila's name. Vladimir’s downfall came when he attempted to purchase 6,000 rubles’ worth of bonds in a Moscow savings bank. The cashier, suspicious of the large sum, pretended to retrieve additional bonds from the vault but instead contacted the police. Spooked, Vladimir fled, but the cashier had already noted his appearance and the license plate of his green Zhiguli car. Police tracked the vehicle to an apartment building on Leninsky Prospekt, where the Kalachyans were staying. On the night of June 7, 1978, law enforcement arrested Nikolai, Felix, and Vladimir. More than 800 thousand rubles of the money stolen from the Yerevan bank were found in the dismantled wheel. The criminals buried the remaining 100 thousand rubles under a house in Leninakan. By then, the criminals had already spent 600,000 rubles of the stolen money. The trial was swift, and the sentence was harsh. Nikolai and Felix Kalachyan were sentenced to death, while Zaven Bagdasaryan received 11 years in a maximum-security prison. Vladimir Kuznetsov, who played a secondary role, received a lighter sentence. Nikolai's mother, who had barely survived the death of her husband, never learned the court's verdict: upon hearing the charges against her son, she fell gravely ill and soon passed away. But the death penalty for two young men, one of whom was a father of two children, seemed excessive to the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR Babken Sarkisov. The official appealed to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with a request to pardon the brothers: they considered Sarkisov's arguments reasonable and granted the request. However, the papers that could have saved the Kalachyans arrived in Yerevan with a fatal delay. By the time the documents finally reached the prison, it was discovered that Felix and Nikolai had been executed the day before. Gallery You May Also Like How to Visit ROT54 (Aragats Scientific Center) – Full Guide Shvanidzor’s 17th-Century Aqueduct: Armenia’s Ancient Engineering Marvel Grigor Khanjyan’s Monumental Fresco at the Yerevan Cascade From Stendhal Syndrome to Suren Syndrome Tirinkatar Sacred Valley: Armenia’s High-Altitude Valley of Dragon Stones How to Choose a Local Guide in Armenia Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan Gallery of Mineral Waters in Jermuk

Explore Apaga Village's rich cultural heritage and its iconic House of Culture, featuring the monumental "Sasuntsiner" fresco by Sargis Muradyan. < Back This culture house in Apaga village features an amazing fresco Explore Apaga Village's rich cultural heritage and its iconic House of Culture, featuring the monumental "Sasuntsiner" fresco by Sargis Muradyan. Apaga Village, a settlement of Sassoon people established in 1919, became home to survivors from the Motkan province of Bitlis state in Western Armenia after the Armenian Genocide. The House of Culture of Apaga Village, erected in 1973, fostered vibrant cultural activities until the 1990s. Subsequently, due to neglect, the building suffered extensive damage to its roof, floor, and assets. From 2009 to 2019, partial restoration was undertaken using community budget funds to prevent further deterioration. The culture house of Apaga village In 1974, within the House of Culture, folk artist Sargis Muradyan created the monumental "Sasuntsiner" fresco (18 x 3.70 m), today recognized as a newly discovered monument of national significance. Muradyan conceived the sketch independently, while creating the fresco with assistance from Hrachya Hakobyan, Garnik Smbatyan, and R. Sargsyan. The fresco stands as a pinnacle of monumental painting in Soviet Armenia, defying prevailing norms by depicting heroes of the liberation struggle at a time when such portrayals were viewed as nationalist in the Soviet context. At its core, the expansive horizontal composition features an Armenian woman as the central figure in traditional dress, cradling a child. Alongside her are prominent symbols such as the parchment scroll of the epic poem "Sasna Tsrer," a khachkar, and a rifle resting on a cradle. The left segment vividly portrays Armenian fighters engaged in combat with Turks, prominently featuring the heroic figure of fedayi leader Andranik. On the right, the scene centers on the funeral pyre of Gevorg Chaush, with Muradyan himself depicted as a fidayi. A wide lens is needed to capture this image in a single shot Fedayis were irregular units formed by Armenian civilians who voluntarily left their families to establish self-defense groups in response to the mass murder and pillaging of Armenians by Turkish and Kurdish gangs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’m Suren, a professional urban explorer in Armenia. I offer unique urbex tours to abandoned, hidden, and off-the-map places you won’t find in guidebooks. Want a custom itinerary? Contact me on WhatsApp or Telegram . Project Gallery You May Also Like The Forgotten 50 cm Cassegrain Telescope of Byurakan Observatory Destroyed Soviet Mosaics and Frescoes in Armenia Inside the Eerie Corridors of an Abandoned Russian Fortress Soviet Bus Stops in Armenia Urbex Tours in Armenia – Photo Gallery The 53 cm Schmidt Telescope at Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Exploring an Abandoned Rest House with Impressive Bas-Reliefs A Spaceship on Earth: The Soviet-Armenian Echo of the Futuro House Previous Next

In 2025, Armenia is set to unveil the world's tallest statue of Jesus Christ, an impressive monument that will stand atop Mount Hatis in the Kotayk region. The statue, initiated and funded by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, will be 33 meters tall and sit on a 44-meter pedestal, bringing its total height to 77 meters. This will surpass the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (98 feet (30 meters) tall, and 2,340 feet (713 meters) above sea level ). Positioned at an altitude of 2,528 meters, the statue is expected to become a significant tourist attraction in Armenia. < Back Jesus Statue in Armenia In 2025, Armenia is set to unveil the world's tallest statue of Jesus Christ, an impressive monument that will stand atop Mount Hatis in the Kotayk region. The statue, initiated and funded by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, will be 33 meters tall and sit on a 44-meter pedestal, bringing its total height to 77 meters. This will surpass the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (98 feet (30 meters) tall, and 2,340 feet (713 meters) above sea level ). Positioned at an altitude of 2,528 meters, the statue is expected to become a significant tourist attraction in Armenia. The project, designed by architect Armen Samvelyan, was chosen from over 200 submissions in a competition. The statue's design envisions Jesus Christ standing with outstretched arms, symbolizing his embrace of humanity. Construction began in 2022, with the statue completed by the end of August 2024, and the entire project scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Even now, as the statue lies on the ground divided into three parts, it looks enormous compared to the adjacent buildings. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/103e0a_c276e34715b24c2dafaa0aed2288b1ad/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 The statue captured by my drone! It is currently in Armen Samvelyan's workshop The statue will be accessible via 1,700 steps, and a ropeway will also be installed for easier access. The statue’s unveiling is expected to boost Armenia’s tourism, drawing visitors from all over the world. Despite the anticipation, the project has faced some controversy, particularly from the Armenian Apostolic Church, which expressed concerns that the statue does not align with the nation’s religious traditions. Additionally, the proposed location of the statue, Mount Hatis, is a protected area with significant ecological value. Public opinion on the statue project is divided. While some support the idea, citing its potential to boost tourism and promote religious faith, others express concerns about its cost, environmental impact, and cultural appropriateness. Critics argue that the construction of such a large structure would damage the environment and disturb the delicate ecosystem of the mountain. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/103e0a_b9f521e47c1a45ab950f5f7a3b7c5888/720p/mp4/file.mp4 According to this video animation, this is how the final project will look in its completed form Nonetheless, Tsarukyan has defended the project, comparing it to other iconic global landmarks, particularly the Eiffel Tower, which initially faced criticism but later became a symbol of an entire country. The project not only aims to enhance Armenia’s religious tourism but also to serve as a beacon of hope and faith for people worldwide. The coordinates of the Jesus statue at Armen Samvelyan's workshop are available on my Telegram channel. https://t.me/armenianexplorer_ru/33 I’m Suren, a professional urban explorer in Armenia. I offer unique urbex tours to abandoned, hidden, and off-the-map places you won’t find in guidebooks. Want a custom itinerary? Contact me on WhatsApp or Telegram . Project Gallery You May Also Like The Forgotten 50 cm Cassegrain Telescope of Byurakan Observatory Destroyed Soviet Mosaics and Frescoes in Armenia Inside the Eerie Corridors of an Abandoned Russian Fortress Soviet Bus Stops in Armenia Urbex Tours in Armenia – Photo Gallery The 53 cm Schmidt Telescope at Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory Exploring an Abandoned Rest House with Impressive Bas-Reliefs A Spaceship on Earth: The Soviet-Armenian Echo of the Futuro House Previous Next