For days, citizens have been voicing their discontent about the ongoing work around the neglected Children’s Railway. The park has remained in a deplorable state for years: the area is heavily polluted, unsafe for children, and the railway itself lies in ruins.
On March 2, 2023, during a government session, then-Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Tigran Avinyan announced plans to renovate Yerevan’s Children’s Railway. The project, which included the installation of a cable car in the gorge, was to be carried out by “RID” LLC, part of a holding company.
However, on April 10, 2024, “RID” LLC announced its withdrawal from the project, citing a failure to receive necessary approvals from local authorities over the past five years.
To assess the current situation, photojournalist David Ghahramanyan from 301 visited the Children’s Railway, where some activities were underway.
During a conversation with David, an individual on-site claimed that the renovation is now being undertaken by the family of Samvel and Armen Gevorgyan. The work is reportedly supervised by Samvel Gevorgyan’s son, Gevorg Gevorgyan. According to him, the entire railway and station area will be renovated, with plans to introduce a new park, train, and carousels. The station building itself will be fully restored and include a cinema.
Gevorgyan urged young people not to litter, vandalize the station, or damage windows and doors, noting that trash bins and surveillance cameras have already been installed. He also insisted that no company is involved in the project, claiming it is being handled solely by the Gevorgyan family, although he hinted at an unnamed third contributor.
For further clarification, 301 has reached out to the municipality.
Yerevan’s Children’s Railway is located in the Kentron district, in the Hrazdan Gorge, and spans 2.1 km. The stations include “Hayrenik,” “Pionerakan,” and “Urakhutyun.”
The idea to create the Children’s Railway was proposed in 1935 by Babken Amatuni, Minister of Railway Transport of Armenia, and Aghasi Khanjyan, First Secretary of the Armenian Communist Party. Initially planned for inauguration on November 7, 1937, to mark the anniversary of the October Revolution, it was officially opened earlier, on July 6, 1937, thanks to the efforts of Babken Amatuni.
The chief architect of the Children’s Railway park was Mikael Mazmanyan.
