English Park, Yerevan

The English Park (Armenian: Անգլիական այգի, Angliakan aygi) is a public park in Yerevan, Armenia, located on Italy Street. It occupies an area of 5.5 hectares in the central Kentron district of the city, just to the south of the Republic Square.

English Park
Newly-married couple around the central fountain of the English Park
Type	Public
Location	Kentron district, Yerevan, Armenia
Coordinates	40°10′27″N 44°30′29″E
Area	5.5 hectares
Created	1860s reopened 3 October 1910
Operated by	Yerevan City Council
Status	Open all year

History

The English Park is one of the oldest parks in the city of Yerevan, dating back to the 1860s. It was frequently renovated until World War I, with a major renovation in 1910.[1] In 1920, the English Park hosted the first ever football match in the modern history of Armenia, when the teams of Yerevan and Alexandropol met each other.[2] During the Soviet period the park was renamed after the 26 Baku Commissars. After the independence of Armenia, the original name of the park was restored.

In the early 2000s the park lost much of its territory. A new road, Italy Street, was sliced through its northern side, isolating part of the park from the remainder. Along one side of that new road a series of buildings were constructed on former park land, including the French embassy in Armenia, the Italian embassy in Armenia, and the Best Western Congress Hotel of Yerevan. The isolated part was later redeveloped as Yerevan 2800th Anniversary Park. The Sundukyan Academic Theatre is located on the periphery of the Park.

A monument to Gabriel Sundukyan's fictional character Pepo was erected in the park in 1976.

The central fountains are a popular location for wedding photographs.

Gallery

• 
  View from the park
• 
  The central fountain
• 
  Monument in the park

References

1. Parks in Yerevan Archived May 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
2. Armenian Encyclopaedia: Football