Aghasi Khanjyan’s Summer House in Dilijan

Aghasi Khanjyan's summer house, situated on the wooded slopes of Dilijan in the Tavush region of Armenia, was constructed between 1928 and 1936. Personally selected by Khanjyan, the location is believed to have once been the site of a Russian Imperial Army regiment cemetery. Although the house was intended for Khanjyan, who was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia, he tragically passed away on July 9, 1936, in Tbilisi, under mysterious circumstances. While officially deemed a suicide, many believe Khanjyan was assassinated by Lavrenti Beria.

Khanjyan's summer house today

According to some eyewitnesses, Khanjyan was in this country house only once, before meeting Lavrenty Beria.

During World War II, the property was repurposed as a cattle ranch and much of the original ornamentation was lost.

Poghosov, the second secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia, organized the renovation of the building, but it was impossible to fully restore the ornamental designs on the walls; only the ceiling's ornamentation was preserved. Since the late 1980s, the summer house has been abandoned, leading to its partial collapse in 2013. Today, the building is almost entirely destroyed. The once-painted ceilings, walls, wooden interiors, ornate staircases, and colonnaded balconies have all vanished, leaving behind only bare walls and a few stone pillars standing against the sky.

Statue "The King of the Forest" by Ara Sargsyan

In 2018, it was announced that the new owner of the property planned to rebuild the summer house in its original form. However, when I visited in 2024, it was still lying in ruins.

The summer house is located in Dilijan, just a few meters from the main road leading to Yerevan, on one of the wooded hills near Gorky Street, specifically at 15a Gorky Street. Nearby stands the statue "The King of the Forest" by sculptor Ara Sargsyan.

The coordinates of Khanjyan’s summer house: 40°44'12"N 44°51'42"E