Written by Aram Ghoogasian (2024)

INtroduction

The National Archives of Armenia (Hayastani Azgayin Arkhiv) was founded in 1923 near the beginning of the Soviet period. Its main headquarters in Yerevan are joined by regional branches located in cities throughout the country. The main building in the capital houses more than 2,000 collections containing documents from the tsarist, first republican, Soviet, and third republican periods.

The National Archives of Armenia in Yerevan is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm. It’s closed on the last Friday of each month.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

The archives is located just outside the city’s central district. The best way to get there is to hop on the metro to the end of the line at Barekamutyun station, then take the roughly five-minute walk up Hrachya Kochar Street. Yandex App is an option, too.

GETTING IN

When you arrive on your first day, you’ll need to present your passport and fill out some paperwork, a process that must be renewed every calendar year. If you’re working on two separate topics, you’ll need to fill out two sets of forms. You may need a letter of introduction from your university or other institution, though the staff won’t always ask for one.

Finding your material

The official website has an as yet incomplete list of collections in Armenian and Russian. In the meantime, you can ask for a printed list on site. Catalogs for each collections are only available in person.

Ordering your material

To order documents, you’ll need to fill out a slip of paper before heading back to the archives the next day to read them. The limit is ten documents per day, though the website says you’re allowed twenty.

Ordering scans

You can order digital copies, but there may be limitations based on the content of the materials you’re interested in. You may also not be allowed to scan the entire contents of a given folder. Prices vary.

Food and well-being

The National Archives of Armenia is near multiple markets, restaurants, and a food court. There’s a bathroom on the same floor as the reading hall.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS

The reading hall is not very large, so it may happen that it reaches capacity. In that case, you’ll be asked to wait in the lobby until a seat opens up. Though this is a rare occurrence, you can avoid it by arriving early. The reading hall has AC, which is especially helpful in the summertime.