Tհis is one of the last pieces of old Yerevan, over 2 centuries old, still standing on August 23th 2018. Every time I pass by this house I fear I might not find it anymore, because the tasteless construction disease of Yerevan is spreading fast, destroying all the old buildings of the city. There’s no visible or hearable or readable evidence of any efforts by the Yerevan municipality to preserve this unique building on Buzand street, and seeing all the other lonely facades of already demolished old houses of this neighborhood, I assume this one is also waiting for its wrecking ball.

I’ve once spoken to Susan Ayanyan, the woman who lived here before with her family (now she lives in a little wagon-like shelter behind the house with her daughter and kittens), and she told me the basement was a stable a century ago, which was later used as storage by her family. They lived here until the house got old and started breaking, which was about 5-6 years ago. The gate is locked unless you call the owners and request to open it for you, but you need to speak Armenian or Russian to communicate with them, and of course be pretty brave to enter the house with cracking walls, because it might not be safe. The woman is very smiley and whenever I came here with visitors she was happy to use the chance to show us around in the disappearing house of her childhood.