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.
Edgar Elbakyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 13 [EP192]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Genocide, Human Rights, Georgia, Israel, Ukraine
Guest:
- Edgar Elbakyan , a political scientist and social thinker based in Yerevan, Armenia. He is a co-founder of the Armenian Project non-profit organization, which contributes to enhancing Armenian national civil society.
“The problem is not resources or power, the problem is how you put forward your goals”
Topic:
The blockade of Artsakh is now 13 days old. More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh). Supermarket shelves are empty. Essential medicine is running out.
On Friday, December 23, thatâs yesterday, a meeting between
Read MoreVaruzhan Geghamyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP191]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Genocide, NATO, Georgia, Human Rights, Syria, Ukraine, European Union, Middle East, India | Series: cog, video
“Turkish threats are going to disappear only when there is no Armenia” - Varuzhan Geghamyan
Guest:
Topic:
- We continue our coverage of the crisis in Artsakh by developments in the UN Security Council as well as Turkish and Iranian concerns in the region.
- More than 120 thousand people, including 30 thousand children, are under siege. Today is the 11th day of the crisis.
- This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between ANN/Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian
Varuzhan Geghamyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP191]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Genocide, NATO, Georgia, Human Rights, Syria, Ukraine, European Union, Middle East, India“Turkish threats are going to disappear only when there is no Armenia” - Varuzhan Geghamyan
Guest:
Topic:
- We continue our coverage of the crisis in Artsakh by developments in the UN Security Council as well as Turkish and Iranian concerns in the region.
- More than 120 thousand people, including 30 thousand children, are under siege. Today is the 11th day of the crisis.
- This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between ANN/Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian
Aram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP190]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, European Union, Genocide, NATO, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan
Guest:
- Aram Orbelyan , an 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.
Topic:
This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand
Read MoreAram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP190]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, European Union, Genocide, NATO, Ukraine“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan
Guest:
- Aram Orbelyan , an 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.
Topic:
This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand
Read MoreHayk Mamijanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 10 [EP189]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, NATO, European Union | Series: cog, video
“Armenia has to draw a red line - Artsakh can never be part of Azerbaijan” -Hayk Mamijanyan
Guest:
- Hayk Mamijanyan is the leader of the oppositional Pativ Unem (With Honor) alliance in the Armenian National Assembly, and a member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian crisis in progress.
Links:
- 168 Hours: https://168.am
Hayk Mamijanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 10 [EP189]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, NATO, European Union“Armenia has to draw a red line - Artsakh can never be part of Azerbaijan” -Hayk Mamijanyan
Guest:
- Hayk Mamijanyan is the leader of the oppositional Pativ Unem (With Honor) alliance in the Armenian National Assembly, and a member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian crisis in progress.
Links:
- 168 Hours: https://168.am
Tevan Poghosyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 9 [EP188]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Human Rights | Series: cog, video
âPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
Guest:
- Tevan Poghosyan , is president of the International Center for Human Development in Yerevan. Mr. Poghosyan was an MP in the National Assembly between 2012 and 2017 from the Heritage party. From 1997 to 1999 he served as the Nagorno-Karabakh Public Affairs Office Director in Washington, D.C.
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read MoreTevan Poghosyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 9 [EP188]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Human RightsâPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
Guest:
- Tevan Poghosyan , is president of the International Center for Human Development in Yerevan. Mr. Poghosyan was an MP in the National Assembly between 2012 and 2017 from the Heritage party. From 1997 to 1999 he served as the Nagorno-Karabakh Public Affairs Office Director in Washington, D.C.
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read More