Renovation of Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum suspended due to structural issues

The Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum in central Yerevan has been closed since September 2023 for renovation and reconstruction. The Armenian government allocated 750 million drams for the project, which includes the restoration of the main building and the complete overhaul of the museum’s second wing, with additional floors to be added.

In recent days, photos circulating online have shown the second wing of the museum almost entirely dismantled, without a roof and with construction works at a standstill.

In an interview to Panorama.am on Wednesday, its director Lusine Gharakhanyan clarified that the images depict the second building constructed in 1968, rather than the historic main building.

“The Tumanyan House-Museum – the monumental front section – is undergoing renovation, while the second wing is under reconstruction,” Gharakhanyan explained.

She noted that the original plan had been to reinforce one wall of the second wing. However, demolition work revealed the structure to be seismically unsound, forcing its dismantlement.

“When such changes arise, a new project must be drawn up and pass through the same expert reviews as the original one. This process takes time. The revised project is now in the final stage of examination. Most likely, works will resume in mid-October or November,” Gharakhanyan said.

Once restarted, construction is expected to take 18 months. Without the unforeseen wall demolition, the project would have stayed on schedule for completion by March 2026.

Hovhannes Tumanyan’s granddaughter, Irma Safrazbekyan, has expressed concern over the current state of the building. Gharakhanyan said she has been in touch with her, offering reassurances that the project will be successfully completed.

“We are deeply concerned and eager ourselves,” the director added. “We want the work finished as soon as possible so that we can return to our home building and continue our mission there.”

In the meantime, the Tumanyan Museum is temporarily operating at the Hrant Matevosyan Cultural Center and Museum located at 40 Moskovyan Street in Yerevan.