Exploring the Gagarin Statue and Nearby Abandoned Factories

Together with G. Mattu, we are on our way to Gagarin village! First, we visited the Gagarin statue in the center of the village and then moved on to explore nearby abandoned factories!

Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who, aboard the first successful crewed spaceflight, became the first human to journey into outer space. Traveling on Vostok 1, Gagarin completed one orbit of Earth on April 12, 1961, with his flight lasting 108 minutes.

A monument in Gagarin Village dedicated to Yuri Gagarin and his historic first spaceflight

Gagarin became a national hero in the Soviet Union, and his flight inspired kids so much that almost every kid started to dream of becoming a cosmonaut when growing up.

It is no coincidence that in Armenia, there is a town named Gagarin (Armenian Գագարին, formerly Tsaghkunk), which has now become part of the city of Sevan. In 1961, this town became the first object in the USSR named in honor of the first cosmonaut. The residents of the village personally insisted on this decision, several months after Gagarin’s flight.

A Soviet anti-alcohol poster!

Behind the Gagarin statue, there is an abandoned railway station, but there was nothing interesting inside! We moved forward exploring and found ourselves inside a building with lots of warning posters! I love posters, but up to this point, I am still not sure what that factory was producing! It may be that it was even a cargo loading facility, but not sure! Anyways, below are lots of photos from our trip!

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.