On April 24, 1952, the US Central Intelligence Agency drew up a document presenting a 15-year construction plan for Yerevan, the capital of Soviet Armenia.

The document states that intelligence data, foreign documents, as well as information mentioned in the press and radio programs were the basis for the secret document. The document was declassified and released only on September 30, 2011.

The US CIA presents in detail the status of Yerevan in 1951, ongoing construction, as well as future city plans that would develop and expand Yerevan.

“During 1951, industrial and residential construction works expanded in Yerevan. The 1951 construction plan of the Yerevan brandy factory has been completed and the main part of the factory is already in operation.

The construction of a brewery with a production capacity of 50,000 liters per year has been completed. More than 1,500,000 rubles were invested in the construction of a pastry-pasta factory in Yerevan in 1951 to increase confectionery production by 1,500 tons. The margarine factory with annual productivity of 3000 tons is still under construction.

In 1951, the construction of 27,300 square meters of residential space and five new schools was completed in Yerevan. According to construction units, the 1951 capital construction program of Yerevan was completed by 88.7 percent, and the residential construction program by 90.5 percent.

The commissioning of the second aqueduct increased the amount of water for each resident of Yerevan to 200 liters per day.

Many new settlements have appeared on the outskirts of the city, where construction works are underway in Nor Aresh, Zeytun and other places. Residential and public buildings are being built on Stalin Avenue, one of the widest streets in Yerevan, which stretches through the central part of the city towards the “Pobeda” bridge. In the future, a new square will be built here.

The extension of Stalin Avenue requires the removal of many old houses and the excavation of 12,000 square meters of land, 75 percent of which has already been removed. After completion, Stalin Avenue will become one and a half kilometers longer. It will connect the central part of Yerevan with the growing region on the right bank.” (Տե՛ս՝ EXPAND CONSTRUCTION IN ARMENIAN SSR, OUTLINE 15-YEAR PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION FOR YEREVAN):

It is interesting to note the fact that, looking at the further pages of the document, we notice how much importance the Soviet government attached to the increase of green areas in Yerevan, the creation of parks and the increase in the number of trees, because three zones of trees and bushes around Yerevan were supposed to protect the city from dust and dirt.

“The sixth session of the Yerevan City Council was convened on December 24, 1951 to discuss and approve the 15-year development and construction plan of Yerevan.

Socialist Yerevan has completely changed compared to the times before the Bolshevik revolution. The population has increased eight times, and the 15-year plan envisages its further significant growth in the future.

The area of ​​the city is planned to expand from the current 4,850 hectares to 7,200 hectares. The 15-year plan envisages the further industrialization of Yerevan and the expansion of residential construction. Compared to 1940, the industrial output should increase seven times.

The housing fund should be tripled, building 2,795,000 square meters of living space.

Among the public buildings to be built are the building of the Council of Trade Unions of Armenia, the new hotel, the library, the Academy of Sciences and other buildings.

The reconstruction of the two-story railway station building with an 11-meter high metal tower beam has begun. The construction of Lenin Square will be completed with the building of the Council of Trade Unions and the construction of a new hotel. The construction of 100 new school buildings will make it possible to carry out all training in one shift in the next few years.

The number of kindergartens will triple, and construction of kindergarten buildings for 6,000 children is also planned. In addition, all large apartment buildings will have their own day care centers and playgrounds. The 15-year plan also envisages the construction of hospitals with a total capacity of 1,920 beds.

The network of Yerevan’s higher education institutions will be expanded with the construction of six new buildings for the state university and polytechnic institute, the physical culture institute and the future mechanical engineering institute.

The number of technicians will increase by another 18, and appropriate buildings will be built for them. The number of passengers using public transport is expected to increase over the next 15 years.

In the same period, the fleet of trams, trolleybuses and buses should be doubled. The amount of electricity allocated to each resident of Yerevan should be tripled.

The construction of the third line of the water supply network is planned, and the length of the underground network will increase by 300 kilometers. The construction of the main sewer should be completed, and the sewer network should be extended by 150 kilometers. A new recreation and culture park will be created on the right bank of the Hrazdan River, and the banks of the Hrazdan and Getar rivers, the canal named after Stalin and the Nork canal will be improved and trees and bushes will be planted. The total area of ​​Yerevan’s green areas will reach approximately 3,500 hectares, of which 576 hectares will be gardens and parks.

Three zones of trees and bushes around Yerevan will protect the city from dust and dirt. The 15-year plan envisages the construction of 364 kilometers of new streets. (Ibid.).

This US CIA document once again documents what kind of meticulous work the American intelligence carried out during the Soviet period to obtain important information.

Apart from this, we also see that, especially in the 1950s, the Soviet leadership and the city government of Yerevan spared nothing for the development of our capital. We see most of the programs pointed out in the document in today’s Yerevan.

Z. Sh:i was late

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