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Today, August 7, a working meeting  on the improvement of the Yerevan Square in St. Petersburg was held in Smolny.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg Andrei Khlutkov recalled that the order to open a well-maintained Yerevan Square for Petersburgers was given by the acting Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov during the Days of Yerevan held in June this year.

For reference: Yerevan Square got its name recently: on March 21, 2019, Acting Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov signed Decree of the Government of St. Petersburg No. 161 “On Assigning Names to Nameless Squares of St. Petersburg”, according to which the previously nameless square at the intersection Streets of Rebellion and Kovensky Lane received the name "Yerevan".

As noted, the task set by the leadership is to make this place, which today, unfortunately, unremarkable, truly cozy and attractive for citizens.

The friendly relations between St. Petersburg and Yerevan are more than 20 years old (the cooperation agreement was signed in 1997). “The opening and improvement of the square will be a special sign of fruitful cooperation established between the cities,” said Andrei Khlutkov, deputy chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg.

According to the outline design developed by the architectural workshop of Maxim Atayants, at the entrance to the square it was proposed to put an arched composition from a stone of volcanic origin traditional for Armenia - tuff.

“In Yerevan, many buildings were erected from pink tufa, which is a characteristic feature of the city,” said Armenak Karapetyan, head of the Yerevan Mayor's Office in St. Petersburg. “However, in St. Petersburg, taking into account the climate, this stone may fade, so it was proposed to choose a color closer to the palette characteristic of the Northern capital.”

It is also proposed to erect a small composition of tufa on the territory of the square with a grapevine pattern carved on stone, traditional for Armenia. According to one legend, Noah himself planted the first grapes in the Ararat valley when he left the ark after the Flood. In support of the legend, traces of winemaking found by archaeologists in the territory of Armenia are dated back to the 4th millennium BC.

“Grapes in Armenia symbolize prosperity, abundance and cheerfulness,” A. Karapetyan said.

Also during the meeting, participants discussed the need to repair the facades of nearby buildings.

It was decided to draw up a “Road Map” providing for a detailed calendar plan for the execution of the order of the Acting Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov.

The discussions were attended by representatives of relevant executive authorities of St. Petersburg: the Committee on State Control, Use and Protection of Monuments of History and Culture, the Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, the Housing Committee, the Committee for Improvement, and the Administration of the Central District of St. Petersburg. The meeting was held by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg Andrei Khlutkov.