Armenian Statue "Arshaluys" In Vogue Magazine

On the Yerevan-Sevan highway stands a magnificent statue known as "Arshaluys” but passengers passing by at a high speed mostly overlook it! Alas, this is a highly esteemed statue crafted by renowned Armenian artist Ara Harutyunyan and erected in 1963.

Ara Harutyunyan with the scale model of "Arshaluys" statue

The statue gained fame after Norman Parkinson captured the photograph of Jerry Hall standing on it. This photo was later featured in Vogue magazine. In 1982, the same photo was republished in Sunday Times Magazine, this time in color.

Here is the story:

In 1975, the British Vogue team embarked on their first visit to the Soviet Union, including Central Asia and Soviet Armenia. The team consisted of five members: the renowned British fashion photographer and royal photographer Norman Parkinson, along with magazine models Jerry Hall, Grace Coddington, Wenda Parkinson (Norman Parkinson's wife), and makeup artist German Monteil.

"Arshaluys" on the cover of a magazine "Soviet Art" 1965 (4)

Norman Parkinson, known for his refined artistic taste, was captivated by Harutyunyan's sculpture, "Arshaluys," located on the Yerevan-Sevan highway. He couldn't miss the opportunity and decided to photograph model Jerry Hall near Ara Harutyunyan's "Arshaluys" sculpture. Parkinson photographed Jerry Hall in a red swimsuit.

Thus, Ara Harutyunyan's work and the American model Jerry Hall were immortalized in a single photograph.

At that time, Hall was only 19 years old, but managed to appear 40 times on the pages of Vogue magazine and achieved great success not only in fashion, but also in film industry.

That same year, in 1975, the photograph was featured in Vogue magazine, and in 1982, in Sunday Times Magazine, as one of Parkinson's finest works.

Join my urban explorer tours to uncover the hidden marvels of Armenia! For a personalized itinerary, please contact me.