Yerevan
Last updated: June 11, 2026
Yerevan is Armenia’s capital and largest city, with a population of approximately 1.1 million in the metropolitan area. Founded in 782 BCE, it is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Located in the Ararat Valley roughly 44 kilometers west of the Azerbaijan border, Yerevan is home to Republic Square, the Armenian National Museum, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, and numerous universities, theaters, and cultural institutions. The city serves as Armenia’s economic engine, housing the country’s major businesses, media outlets, and educational centers. Key government institutions—the National Assembly (parliament), presidential residence, and government ministries—are located in central Yerevan, making it the seat of state power and the venue where major policy decisions affecting Armenia’s relationship with Azerbaijan , Russia , the United States , Iran , and Turkey are formulated and announced.
Yerevan’s Republic Square remains a symbolic center of Armenian national life, and the surrounding neighborhoods host universities, cultural institutions, and media outlets that shape public discourse on war, peace, and Armenia’s geopolitical alignment.
Yerevan has been the epicenter of Armenia’s major political upheavals since independence in 1991. The so-called Velvet Revolution in 2018 centered on mass protests in Yerevan’s streets against Robert Kocharyan and resulted in Nikol Pashinyan ascending to power. Since then, the city has witnessed successive cycles of protest and state crackdown: street demonstrations against the 2020 ceasefire agreement following the 44-Day War , opposition rallies during Pashinyan’s tenure, and most recently, state pressure on the Armenian Church and arrests of opposition figures ahead of the June 7, 2026 parliamentary elections. Yerevan’s geography and political institutions make it the arena where Armenia’s foreign policy commitments, including negotiations over the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process , commitments to TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity), and Armenia’s shifting relationship with CSTO membership are debated, contested, and implemented.
The city’s role in Armenia’s current geopolitical predicament is direct and unavoidable. Yerevan’s proximity to the Azerbaijani border and its status as Armenia’s sole major urban center mean that security threats, blockade pressure, and territorial demands all converge on decisions made within the capital’s government buildings. During the Iran War beginning in early 2026, Yerevan became a site of intense diplomatic activity as foreign officials visited to signal American intentions regarding the TRIPP corridor, regional alignment, and Armenia’s relationship with Washington. The city’s parliament elected in June 2026 will determine whether Armenia continues Pashinyan’s course of concessions to Azerbaijan and the West, or whether opposition forces can halt further territorial or sovereignty losses. As such, developments in Yerevan invariably reflect and shape the choices available to Armenia as a state caught between Russia , an increasingly assertive Azerbaijan, a destabilized Iran, and a United States pursuing its own strategic interests in the South Caucasus.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Yerevan.
Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 215, Jan 22, 2023 [EP215]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 22, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Blockade, Armenia | Series: artsakhblockade
Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 215, Jan 22, 2023
Armenian News Network Groong - Jan 22, 2023
Guest:
Topics:
- Gas Cutoff AGAIN
- Azerbaijanâs Psychological and Political Games
- Effect on the Electricity Grid
- Pattern of Increasing Blackouts
- Impressions from Askeran Region
- Urban vs Rural Aspects of the Blockade
- Risk of Normalizing the Pain of Artsakh
- MP Metaxe Hakobyanâs concerns
Episode 215 | Recorded: January 22, 2023
Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 215, Jan 22, 2023 [EP215]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 22, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Artsakh Blockade, ArmeniaArtsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 215, Jan 22, 2023
Armenian News Network Groong - Jan 22, 2023
Guest:
Topics:
- Gas Cutoff AGAIN
- Azerbaijanâs Psychological and Political Games
- Effect on the Electricity Grid
- Pattern of Increasing Blackouts
- Impressions from Askeran Region
- Urban vs Rural Aspects of the Blockade
- Risk of Normalizing the Pain of Artsakh
- MP Metaxe Hakobyanâs concerns
Episode 215 | Recorded: January 22, 2023
Rananjay Anand | Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO | Indian Armenian Relations | The Hope & Promise | Ep 209 - Jan 18, 2023 [EP209]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 18, 2023 | Category: India, Armenia, Relations, Politics, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Ukraine, BRICS, China, Turkey, Economy, Iran, Israel, Geopolitics, Georgia | Series: cog
Conversations on Groong - Jan 18, 2023
Guest:
Topics:
- Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO
- The Indian Community in Armenia
- Where India sees itself on the world stage
- Drivers for Indian-Armenian Relations
- How to improve economic and trade relations
- The Hope & Promise of Indian Armenian Friendship
Episode 209 | Recorded: January 18, 2023
Rananjay Anand | Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO | Indian Armenian Relations | The Hope & Promise | Ep 209 - Jan 18, 2023 [EP209]
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 18, 2023 | Category: India, Armenia, Relations, Politics, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Russia, Ukraine, BRICS, China, Turkey, Economy, Iran, Israel, Geopolitics, GeorgiaConversations on Groong - Jan 18, 2023
Guest:
Topics:
- Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO
- The Indian Community in Armenia
- Where India sees itself on the world stage
- Drivers for Indian-Armenian Relations
- How to improve economic and trade relations
- The Hope & Promise of Indian Armenian Friendship
Episode 209 | Recorded: January 18, 2023
Hrant Mikaelian | Artsakh Blockade | Pashinyan Press Conference | Ministry of Interior Appointments | Artsakh Foreign Minister | Armenia Economy Outlook 2023 | Ep 206 - Jan 15, 2023 [EP206]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 15, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Armenia, Politics, Poll, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, Economy, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Georgia, India, European Union, Israel, NATO | Series: wir
Guest:
- Hrant Mikaelian , a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute.
Topics:
- Artsakh Update and Politics in Stepanakert
- Pashinyanâs âPress Conferenceâ
- Ministry of Interior Affairs Appointments
- Economic Review and Outlook in 2023
- Personal Comments
- Hrant - MPG polls results on Armenian Attitudes towards Russia
- Hovik - Stop the destructive internal politics
Episode 206 | Recorded: January 15, 2023
Hrant Mikaelian | Artsakh Blockade | Pashinyan Press Conference | Ministry of Interior Appointments | Artsakh Foreign Minister | Armenia Economy Outlook 2023 | Ep 206 - Jan 15, 2023 [EP206]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 15, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Armenia, Politics, Poll, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, Economy, Turkey, Ukraine, Iran, Georgia, India, European Union, Israel, NATOGuest:
- Hrant Mikaelian , a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute.
Topics:
- Artsakh Update and Politics in Stepanakert
- Pashinyanâs âPress Conferenceâ
- Ministry of Interior Affairs Appointments
- Economic Review and Outlook in 2023
- Personal Comments
- Hrant - MPG polls results on Armenian Attitudes towards Russia
- Hovik - Stop the destructive internal politics
Episode 206 | Recorded: January 15, 2023
Aram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 33 [EP202]
Posted on Friday, Jan 13, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, Ukraine, Human Rights, Georgia, NATO, Iran, Syria | Series: cog, video
Guests:
- Aram Orbelyan , international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.
“The Armenian government, under its legislation, is obliged to protect the independence of Artsakh” - Aram Orbelyan
Topic:
As of earlier this week, Artsakh has introduced coupons to ration food. Other
Read MoreAram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade - Day 33 [EP202]
Posted on Friday, Jan 13, 2023 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Genocide, Ukraine, Human Rights, Georgia, NATO, Iran, SyriaGuests:
- Aram Orbelyan , international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.
“The Armenian government, under its legislation, is obliged to protect the independence of Artsakh” - Aram Orbelyan
Topic:
As of earlier this week, Artsakh has introduced coupons to ration food. Other
Read MoreArtsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 201, Jan 12, 2023 [EP201]
Posted on Thursday, Jan 12, 2023 | Category: Politics, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, Economy, Human Rights | Series: artsakhblockade
Artsakh Blockade Flash Update with Gev Iskajyan - Ep 201, Jan 12, 2023
Armenian News Network - Jan 12, 2023
Guest:
Topics:
- Internet cutoff
- Power situation and rolling blackouts
- Psychological pressure on Artsakh
- It’s going to get tougher…
- Consequences of Internet cutoff
- Psychological pressure on Artsakh
Episode 201 | Recorded: January 12, 2023