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.
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte | Ep 153 - August 11, 2022 [EP153]
Posted on Thursday, Aug 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Iran, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade | Series: cog
Talking with Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte | Ep 153 - August 11, 2022
- Growing up Armenian in Azerbaijan
- Experiencing Armenia as an Armenian from Azerbaijan
- Advocating for Armenian Families and Children
- Thoughts on the condition of Artsakh, and Armenia
- The projects in progress at Astvatsaturian.org, Annaâs 501c3 charity organization.
Guest:
- Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte is an Armenian-American author, city counselor, human rights advocate, and also a refugee from her original city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which her family fled, as violence mounted against Armenians.
Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte | Ep 153 - August 11, 2022 [EP153]
Posted on Thursday, Aug 11, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Iran, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh BlockadeTalking with Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte | Ep 153 - August 11, 2022
- Growing up Armenian in Azerbaijan
- Experiencing Armenia as an Armenian from Azerbaijan
- Advocating for Armenian Families and Children
- Thoughts on the condition of Artsakh, and Armenia
- The projects in progress at Astvatsaturian.org, Annaâs 501c3 charity organization.
Guest:
- Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte is an Armenian-American author, city counselor, human rights advocate, and also a refugee from her original city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which her family fled, as violence mounted against Armenians.
Live from Aghavno with Alison Tahmizian Meuse | Ep #151 - Aug 7, 2022 [EP151]
Posted on Sunday, Aug 7, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Politics, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Genocide, NATO | Series: cog
This is a live recording of our Twitter Spaces discussion from August 7, 2022 with Alison Tahmizian Meuse who joined us from Aghavno.
The situation in Berdzor/Aghavno is quite concerning as residents were told to vacate their homes, their town and their homeland by August 25.
Guest: Alison Tahmizian Meuse
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 151 | Recorded on August 7, 2022
Live from Aghavno with Alison Tahmizian Meuse | Ep #151 - Aug 7, 2022 [EP151]
Posted on Sunday, Aug 7, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Politics, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Genocide, NATOThis is a live recording of our Twitter Spaces discussion from August 7, 2022 with Alison Tahmizian Meuse who joined us from Aghavno.
The situation in Berdzor/Aghavno is quite concerning as residents were told to vacate their homes, their town and their homeland by August 25.
Guest: Alison Tahmizian Meuse
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 151 | Recorded on August 7, 2022
Tevan Poghosyan: CIA in EVN | Armen Grigoryan | Papazian Banned | FMs Meet | Ep #148 - July 17, 2022 [EP148]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 20, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Human Rights, Syria, Genocide, Middle East, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European Union | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 17, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:30 CIA Chief in Armenia
- 00:18:26 Army Chief Appointed
- 00:30:41 Armen Grigoryan Dies in Court
- 00:45:14 Mourad Papazian is Denied Entry in Armenia
- 00:57:04 Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Tbilisi
- 01:06:11 Rants
Guests:
- Tevan Poghosyan - TW/@TevanPoghosyan
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 148 | Recorded: Monday, July 19, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220717.html
Tevan Poghosyan: CIA in EVN | Armen Grigoryan | Papazian Banned | FMs Meet | Ep #148 - July 17, 2022 [EP148]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 20, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Human Rights, Syria, Genocide, Middle East, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO, European UnionGuest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 17, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:30 CIA Chief in Armenia
- 00:18:26 Army Chief Appointed
- 00:30:41 Armen Grigoryan Dies in Court
- 00:45:14 Mourad Papazian is Denied Entry in Armenia
- 00:57:04 Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Tbilisi
- 01:06:11 Rants
Guests:
- Tevan Poghosyan - TW/@TevanPoghosyan
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 148 | Recorded: Monday, July 19, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220717.html
A Conversation with Ardy Kassakhian, Mayor of Glendale, California | Ep #147 - July 14, 2022 [EP147]
Posted on Thursday, Jul 14, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Artsakh, Iran, Genocide, Azerbaijan, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Syria, Economy, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: cog
Armenian News Network/Groong: Current Topics with the Mayor of Glendale - July 14, 2022 A Conversation with Ardy Kassakhian
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:33 Mayor and Councilman of Glendale
- 21:45 June 2022 Elections
- 29:03 US National Politics
- 37:43 Armenian-American Political Advocacy
- 53:55 Turkish-Armenian âNormalizationâ
- 58:00 Relations between Glendale and Armenia
Guest:
- Ardashes ‘Ardy’ Kassakhian is a Glendale City Councilman and the current mayor of Glendale.
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@hovikyerevan
Episode
Read MoreA Conversation with Ardy Kassakhian, Mayor of Glendale, California | Ep #147 - July 14, 2022 [EP147]
Posted on Thursday, Jul 14, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Artsakh, Iran, Genocide, Azerbaijan, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Syria, Economy, Russia, Nagorno KarabakhArmenian News Network/Groong: Current Topics with the Mayor of Glendale - July 14, 2022 A Conversation with Ardy Kassakhian
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:33 Mayor and Councilman of Glendale
- 21:45 June 2022 Elections
- 29:03 US National Politics
- 37:43 Armenian-American Political Advocacy
- 53:55 Turkish-Armenian âNormalizationâ
- 58:00 Relations between Glendale and Armenia
Guest:
- Ardashes ‘Ardy’ Kassakhian is a Glendale City Councilman and the current mayor of Glendale.
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@hovikyerevan
Episode
Read MoreDevelopments in Regional Geopolitics and Censorship Laws | Ep #146 - July 10, 2022 [EP146]
Posted on Tuesday, Jul 12, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Syria, India, Georgia, Israel, China, Economy, Ukraine, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Middle East | Series: wir
Guest(s):
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:40 Developments in the Regional Geopolitics
- 47:53 Watch your Internets!
- 55:58 Rants
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian / TW/@Hrant_M
- Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
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