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.
Armenian Elections Recap | Protests in Artsakh | (Ep #76) - June 27, 2021 [EP76]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Economy, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - June 27, 2021 Topics:
- Armenian Elections Recap
- Protests in Artsakh
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian
- Emil Sanamyan
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 76 | Recorded: June 27, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210627.html
Armenian Elections Recap | Protests in Artsakh | (Ep #76) - June 27, 2021 [EP76]
Posted on Tuesday, Jun 29, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Economy, Turkey, Nagorno KarabakhANN/Groong Week in Review - June 27, 2021 Topics:
- Armenian Elections Recap
- Protests in Artsakh
Guests:
- Hrant Mikaelian
- Emil Sanamyan
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 76 | Recorded: June 27, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210627.html
ArmVote21 | Am/Az Negotiations | Erdogan in Az | Biden Meets Erdogan & Putin| Ep #74 - June 20, 2021 [EP74]
Posted on Monday, Jun 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, China, Middle East, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - June 20, 2021 Topics:
- Armeniaâs Elections
- Behind The Scenes with Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Erdogan in Azerbaijan
- Biden Meets Erdogan, then Putin
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- @Emil_Sanamyan
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 74 | Recorded: June 20, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210620.html
ArmVote21 | Am/Az Negotiations | Erdogan in Az | Biden Meets Erdogan & Putin| Ep #74 - June 20, 2021 [EP74]
Posted on Monday, Jun 21, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, China, Middle East, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, NATOANN/Groong Week in Review - June 20, 2021 Topics:
- Armeniaâs Elections
- Behind The Scenes with Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Erdogan in Azerbaijan
- Biden Meets Erdogan, then Putin
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- @Emil_Sanamyan
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 74 | Recorded: June 20, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210620.html
Aleksandr Khachaturyan on the 2021 Armenian Elections
Guest:
Aleksandr Khachaturyan who is a Managing Partner at TK & Partners, in Yerevan. In 2016 he served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Karen Karapetyan, and was CEO of the Center for Strategic Initiatives, advising the government on key economic and public administration reforms and strategies. He serves as a board member at ID Bank and various non-profits, and lectures on corporate finance law at the French University of Armenia (FUA). He holds law degrees from Boston University, FUA, and Jean Moulin
Read MoreAleksandr Khachaturyan on the 2021 Armenian Elections
Guest:
Aleksandr Khachaturyan who is a Managing Partner at TK & Partners, in Yerevan. In 2016 he served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Karen Karapetyan, and was CEO of the Center for Strategic Initiatives, advising the government on key economic and public administration reforms and strategies. He serves as a board member at ID Bank and various non-profits, and lectures on corporate finance law at the French University of Armenia (FUA). He holds law degrees from Boston University, FUA, and Jean Moulin
Read MoreMeltdown at the MFA | Philip Reeker Visit | 15 POWs Return | Latest Polls | (Ep #70) - June 13, 2021 [EP70]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATO | Series: wir
ANN/Groong Week in Review - June 13, 2021 Topics:
- Meltdown at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Philip Reekerâs Visit to the Region
- 15 POWs Return Home
- Latest Election Poll Results
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Tevan Poghosyan
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 70 | Recorded: June 13, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210613.html
Meltdown at the MFA | Philip Reeker Visit | 15 POWs Return | Latest Polls | (Ep #70) - June 13, 2021 [EP70]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, NATOANN/Groong Week in Review - June 13, 2021 Topics:
- Meltdown at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Philip Reekerâs Visit to the Region
- 15 POWs Return Home
- Latest Election Poll Results
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Tevan Poghosyan
Guest(s):
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Episode 70 | Recorded: June 13, 2021 https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210613.html
Unblocking The South Caucasus, Facts & 'Alternative Facts' | Ep 83 - Aug 1, 2021 (Recorded 6/14/21) [EP83]
Posted on Monday, Jun 14, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Artsakh Blockade, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Genocide, Israel, NATO | Series: cog
Guests:
Topic:
- This Conversations on Groong episode is our first Live Show on Clubhouse and hopefully it will be an informative, as well as an enjoyable discussion for all. We will be talking about the politics of opening the paths of communication, lifting blockades, and the rumors, facts, and fallacies around so-called âcorridorsâ through each otherâs countries.
Episode 83 | Recorded: June 14, 2021