Republic Square, Yerevan

The square is surrounded by five major buildings built in pink and yellow tuff in the neoclassical style with extensive use of Armenian motifs."[16] In 2003, when the square underwent renovation, extensive excavations took place and an archaeological layer of the 18th-19th centuries was unearthed,[17] consisting of cellars and basements.[53][54] In 1996 president Levon Ter-Petrosyan ordered the dismantling of the pedestal, causing significant controversy and a wave of protests from a wide range of groups and individuals who emphasized its fine aesthetics.[55] Levon Abrahamian notes that the pedestal was a "good piece of architecture" and despite its Soviet symbolism, it was perceived by many as a work of "national art."[14] In June 2019 the Yerevan municipality put up several karases (large clay wine amphorae) at the center of the lawn that has been grown in place of the statue.In the early 1990s, when the pedestal was still standing, several candidates were put forth to be placed on it, including Noah, king Argishti I, General Andranik and Armenia's first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.According to Ter-Ghazaryan the largely apolitical nature of this Armenian national hero of an epic novel would be a safe choice; however, she wrote in 2013 that the relocation of the monument from its current spot in front of Yerevan Railway Station "seems unlikely.[67] In 2020, a month after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war ended, the Yerevan City Hall announced that no Christmas tree and other decorations will be installed at the square to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers.[69] During Jubilee parades celebrating the anniversaries of the foundation of Soviet Armenia (1961, 1970, 1980),[70] a wooden extension was added to the podium, in order to accommodate all the guests from the national government.[85] On October 6, 2019, the Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren performed at the square as an opening act of the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT).[91][92][93] Following the 2008 presidential election president-elect Serzh Sargsyan held a rally of around 60,000 to 70,000 "would-be supporters" who were brought from different parts of Yerevan and Armenia in buses.[95] On May 4, 2012, at a Republican Party rally and concert at Republic Square during the parliamentary election campaign, dozens of balloons filled with hydrogen exploded, resulting in the injury of at least 144 people.[96][97] From April 17 to 23, 2018 large demonstrations took place at Republic Square led by Nikol Pashinyan against the rule of Serzh Sargsyan.[109] On December 22, 2020, a month after the end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, a coalition of more than a dozen opposition parties held a rally at the square calling for Pashinyan's resignation.[111] In the run up to the June 20, 2021 parliamentary election, both Pashinyan (Civil Contract) and his chief rival Robert Kocharyan (leader of Armenia Alliance) held rallies at the square, drawing more than 20,000 and 30,000 supporters, respectively.