The Armenian government has given the green-light to move a statute depicting Vahagn Vishapakagh (Vahagn the Dragon Slayer), the ancient Armenian pagan god of fire, thunder, and war, from its current location to Russia Square, in front of the Yerevan Municipality.

The forged copper statute, sculpted in the 1964 by Karlen Nurijanyan, depicts Vahagn choking a dragon.

In 1969, it was installed on Lenin (now Mashtots) Avenue. In the mid-1970s, the statue was installed near the Moscow Cinema, where it remained for some time. It is now located at the intersection of Admiral Isakov Avenue and Sebastia Street, a major transit hub on the outskirts of Yerevan.

The government argues that due to intensive transport flows and the general landscape, the monument is not fully visible to citizens and visitors.

“The current location does not ensure a complete artistic and ideological perception of the monument and also limits the possibility of forming a cultural and public environment around it,” the government decision reads.