Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre and Freedom Square

The Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre, formally the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, stands on Freedom Square at the end of Tumanyan Street in central Yerevan, Armenia. The building was designed by the architect Alexander Tamanyan, who planned much of modern Yerevan, and was completed in the 1930s in a neoclassical style with local volcanic stone. It has a round form with a large dome, surrounded by a park and a small lake, and houses two halls: a main auditorium used for opera and ballet and a smaller concert hall. The surrounding Freedom Square was the site of mass gatherings during the Armenian independence movement and is now a pleasant public space, with statues of the composers Alexander Spendiaryan and Aram Khachaturian nearby, and a tree-lined park with cafes and a duck pond. Most visitors spend 30 to 60 minutes walking around the exterior, taking photographs of the dome and walking the park paths. The theatre can be experienced from inside by attending a performance, with tickets varying by production and seat. Evening is the best time to visit, when the building is lit and the square is full of local residents, and weekday mornings are the quietest. The theatre sits between Republic Square and the Cascade Complex, about ten minutes on foot from either, so it fits neatly into a walking route through the centre. Visitors planning to attend a performance should book tickets in advance for popular dates and check the dress code, which is smart casual. The park around the theatre is also a pleasant place to rest during hot afternoons.