A new project by the Yerevan Brandy Company, the ARARAT Sound Guide, invites listeners on an immersive audio tour through central Yerevan, narrated by journalist and writer Mark Grigoryan. The guide is available in Armenian, Russian, and English, and celebrates the old city's evolving character.
“This was a fascinating challenge for me — to walk Yerevan’s streets and talk about its buildings, statues, and corners,” Grigoryan said, noting he aimed to share his own view of the city, layered with its historical and architectural richness. “While I couldn’t cover every structure, I included the key landmarks and am happy to share this knowledge with everyone.”
The guide is more than a historical record — it aims to ignite the listener's imagination, showing how parts of the city have transformed over the past 50 to 100 years. Along with stories about architectural sites, the project invites audiences to explore the emotional warmth of the city, unveiling “new edges of the old town.”
“This audio guide isn’t just a trail — it’s a love letter to Yerevan,” said Anush Hambardzumyan, head of sales and marketing at the Yerevan Brandy Company. “Though the ARARAT museum isn’t part of the audio route, it’s symbolic that the project begins here. With tens of thousands of annual visitors, the museum is an ideal starting point to introduce people to both the city’s history and its vibrant present.”
The concept was inspired by the illustrated book “Yerevan in Maps: 17th–21st Centuries”, co-authored by Grigoryan and Armine Sargsyan. The tour route itself is based on the maps featured in that publication.
The walk spans from the historic Radio House to the Phoenix Bar, ending with a pleasant surprise in the audio guide’s finale.
“Dutch traveler Antoine-Auguste Calmet placed paradise where Yerevan now stands. That should always remind us to be worthy of where we live,” Grigoryan added, emphasizing the symbolic meaning maps hold for him beyond their documentary value.
As part of the project, the “The City Responds in the ARARAT Museum” exhibition features reproductions of Yerevan’s historical maps, from the mid-19th century to Soviet-era master plans.
