Street names in Yerevan and their effect on national identity

Abstract

After the Soviet Union collapsed and an independent Armenia was formed, many aspects of Armenian life changed. National holidays needed to be rethought, national figures needed to change and an entire outlook on national identity needed to be redrawn. In order to de-Sovietize the country, many square names, place names, building names, street names and other names were changed. But still in many parts of Armenia, Soviet remnants remain and in some cases are very visible. Collective and selective memory can shape national identity and street names are just one avenue in which the leadership in a city or a country can use as a tool in order to do just that. This study focuses on the street names in Yerevan, Armenia. The study aims at finding out if and to what extent and in what ways the street names are affecting the residents of the city. The research uses quantitative methodology with convenience sampling. Some of the findings include different type of street names having different effects on the people who reside on them.