Docomomo: Excluding the old Zvartnots airport building from the list  of monuments sets a dangerous precedent

ArmInfo.The international Docomomo has condemned the initiative of organization the Armenian government to remove the old building of the Zvartnots airport from the State List of Immovable Historical and Cultural  Monuments of Yerevan and terminate its legal status as an object  subject to protection, as noted in the statement issued by the  Armenian representative office of Docomomo, which is engaged in  documenting and preserving the heritage of architectural modernism of  the 20th century.

The organization recalled that the circular terminal, one of  Armenia's best-known examples of Soviet-era modernist architecture,  was granted protected status only a year ago, on Aug. 14, 2025,  following years of advocacy by architects, preservationists and civil  society.  "Unfortunately, in the Republic of Armenia, the  "preservation" of monuments, in particular the heritage of modern  times, is not a state policy, but an instrument serving short-term  political and economic interests. However, even in this case, it is  completely unclear what the cultural and legal grounds are for  depriving a monument of its status," the statement says.

Members of Docomomo Armenia express indignation that a monument of  republican significance is being deprived of this status, justifying  this by its infrastructural or other functional purpose. Such a draft  government decision, even the very fact of its consideration, in  their opinion, could create a dangerous precedent for any similar  encroachments on monuments in the future - not only on modern  heritage sites, but on all monuments, regardless of their functional  or historical significance.

"We consider it necessary to recall the fate of the buildings that  form the face of Armenian architecture, which were once excluded from  the lists of protected heritage: the Sevan hotel (demolished in  2005-2016), the famous canal in Kanaker-Zeytun, as well as the summer  hall of the Moscow cinema, which was preserved thanks to public  pressure," the source says.

Members of Docomomo Armenia condemned the attitude and approaches of  government bodies and their leaders towards the monuments of Armenian  modernism. Heritage, in particular modernist monuments, as part of  the heritage that represents the modern appearance of Armenia, must  be protected from short-term economic and political processes aimed  at obtaining short-term results. "With this statement we call on the  government and its authorities to abandon the decision to exclude the  old building of the Zvartnots airport in whole or in part from the  state list of immovable historical and cultural monuments.

At the same time, we propose to the company that took over the  management of the Zvartnots airport to reconsider the expansion of  the airport's passenger terminal, completely preserving this  modernist object of high value of world significance. Docomomo  Armenia members are ready to provide expert support within their  professional capabilities in the preservation of the old building of  Zvartnots Airport, the statement reads.

Recall, back in 2013, Armenian International Airports CJSC issued a  statement that the old building of Zvartnots posed a danger to the  surrounding area and did not meet modern air navigation standards.  The plan to demolish the circular building drew harsh criticism from  architects, who noted the building's historical value. In 2015, the  concessionaire presented a new project that included partial  preservation of the old building of Zvartnots. Permission to  dismantle the ring road of the old Zvartnots Airport complex was  issued by the Yerevan Municipality to Armenian International Airports  CJSC on December 24, 2015.  However, due to a wave of protests, the  authorities announced that no final decision on the demolition had  been made. Days earlier, the Artur Tarkhanyan Center Museum also  condemned the government's initiative. Furthermore, the museum  believes that the old Zvartnots Airport building can be reopened if  it is brought into compliance with international standards.

The position of Armenian architects also remains unchanged: the old  Zvartnots building must be preserved in its entirety. Specifically,  they note that this building, along with other strategically  important sites in Armenia (the nuclear power plant, several  hydroelectric power plants, and the Arpa-Sevan tunnel), was  constructed in compliance with strict safety regulations and is  capable of withstanding a magnitude 9 earthquake.