Armenia Celebrates 35 Years of Independence From Soviet Rule

Armenia is celebrating 35 years of independence today, commemorating the 1991 referendum that ended nearly seven decades of Soviet rule and opened a new chapter in the country’s history.

On Sept. 21, 1991, Armenians went to the polls to answer a single question: Should Armenia become an independent democratic state outside the Soviet Union?

The answer was overwhelming.

More than 95% of eligible voters took part, and 94.39% of all eligible voters backed independence. The referendum was observed by 117 representatives invited from 25 countries. Two days later, Armenia’s Supreme Council formally proclaimed the Republic of Armenia an independent state.

The vote came at a moment of enormous change across the Soviet Union, but Armenia’s path toward sovereignty had already begun.

A year earlier, on Aug. 23, 1990, the Supreme Council adopted the Declaration of Independence. It renamed the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic as the Republic of Armenia and laid the foundation for an independent state with its own institutions, armed forces, foreign policy and national symbols.

The declaration also looked further back, invoking the democratic traditions of the First Republic of Armenia, established in 1918.

Independence in 1991 meant building a state while confronting profound challenges. Armenia established its own military and diplomatic institutions, joined the United Nations in 1992 and introduced the Armenian dram the following year.

Over the next 35 years, the country would pass through war, economic hardship, mass emigration, political upheaval and major changes in its relations with both its neighbors and the wider world.

Through those changes, Sept. 21 has remained the date Armenia celebrates the decision made at the ballot box in 1991.

This year, the anniversary is being celebrated with events across the country.

Celebrations began in Ijevan and continued in Vanadzor, Kapan and Gyumri before moving to Yerevan for the main Independence Day program.

On Monday evening, Republic Square will host a historical and cultural performance followed by a large open-air concert involving about 250 artists. The program brings together prominent Armenian performers, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and the Hovhannes Tchekidjian National Academic Choir. The celebration is scheduled to end with fireworks.

The Central Bank of Armenia has also issued a silver collector coin for the 35th anniversary. Its design features the National Assembly building, the Armenian tricolor and words from the national anthem: “Let Armenia be glorious forever.”

But the anniversary reaches beyond the concerts and ceremonies.

Thirty-five years ago, during the collapse of the Soviet Union and uncertainty over what would come next, Armenians were asked to decide whether their country should determine its own future.

On Sept. 21, 1991, they said yes.

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