Karen Balyan’s Book “Hrazdan Stadium” Presented at Special Literary Event (Photos)

The book presentation was held at Common Ground bookstore-café, notably located in the building where one of the stadium’s architects, Koryun Hakobyan, once lived. The other two architects behind the project were Gurgen Musheghyan and Eduard Tosunyan.

Designed to accommodate 70,000 spectators, Hrazdan was not only a groundbreaking sports complex but also a powerful symbol of national pride. The book traces the history of the stadium’s design and construction within the context of the architectural and cultural shifts of the era.

The presentation was moderated by journalist Mark Grigoryan, who shared a personal story about Gurgen Musheghyan:

“There are painful memories. When we went to film a documentary about the stadium, Musheghyan was not allowed inside. We had to film from a distance and talk about a structure he had built. That remains one of our great national shames.”

Author Karen Balyan reflected on the current state of the stadium:

“Today, Hrazdan both exists and does not exist. When discussions arise about building new stadiums for international events, no one mentions restoring Hrazdan. This book is both a tribute and a call to preserve it. Hrazdan is an architectural masterpiece, recognized in prestigious architectural journals. It’s one of the few unique structures in Yerevan. After 1955, Armenian modernist architecture finally began to emerge, and Hrazdan beautifully blends into the surrounding landscape. It doesn’t dominate it, it enhances it.”

The book was published with the financial support of Gurgen Musheghyan’s family. His daughter, composer and music producer Araksya Musheghyan, spoke about the book and her father's legacy:

“This is a magnificent book. We must preserve what we have. We won’t move forward by demolishing everything each time. I’ll repeat my father’s words:

‘If there were no “Ararat,” there would be no Hrazdan Stadium. If there were no Hrazdan Stadium, there would be no “Ararat” football team.’

I hope we’ll watch great matches again in a restored Hrazdan. And I hope young architects will learn from this book what it means to love your city through your work.”

Honored Architect of the Armenian SSR, and Musheghyan’s classmate, Sashur Kalashyan, shared his memories:

“I didn’t just learn professional skills from Gurgen. I learned fencing from him too. The secret behind the success of the Armproject architects was teamwork. Many architects contributed to every project, including in Gyumri, where Musheghyan also left his mark.”

Grigor Azizyan, director of the Armproject Institute, had already read the book in its original Russian version. He reflected on Musheghyan’s role in shaping modern Armenian architecture:

“The Fifth Studio and Armenian State Project were the cradles of our architectural heritage. The stadium was one of their true collective creations.”

Artak Aleksanyan, head of Newmag Publishing House, concluded the event with a reflection on the book’s meaning and broader relevance:

“Few know that Karen Balyan dedicated this book to his and his wife’s wedding anniversary. It was funded by Araksya Musheghyan, honoring her father. We must acknowledge the truth: some architects have declared war on Soviet modernism. But these masterpieces mark a period of innovation, talent, and effort in our national history. Whether you call it history or heritage, it’s our memory, and we must fight for it.”

As a symbolic gesture to preserve Hrazdan, Karen Balyan proposed collecting signatures on one copy of the book to support efforts to save the stadium.