One of the streets in Yerevan, located next to Hrazdan Stadium, has been named after legendary football player and coach Nikita Simonyan, the man who led Ararat-73 to one of the greatest achievements in the history of Armenian football.
The decision was approved on March 12 during a session of the Yerevan Council of Elders. The street runs from Athens Street to Halabyan Street, adjacent to Hrazdan Stadium. The initiative was presented by the opposition Mother Armenia faction of the Yerevan Council of Elders.
Simonyan, who died on November 23, 2025, at the age of 99, remains one of the most significant figures in Soviet and Armenian football. Best known in Armenia as the head coach of the legendary Ararat-73 side, he guided Yerevan’s Ararat to a historic USSR Championship and USSR Cup double in 1973, cementing his place in the nation’s sporting history.
Born on October 12, 1926, in Armavir in the Russian SFSR, Simonyan also had a remarkable playing career. He became a multiple-time USSR champion with Spartak Moscow and remains one of the club’s greatest scorers. He also made history by scoring the first-ever goal for the USSR national team at a FIFA World Cup, finding the net in Sweden in 1958.
After retiring as a player, Simonyan went on to achieve major success as a coach. In addition to his triumph with Ararat in 1973, he also won the USSR Championship with Spartak Moscow in 1962 and 1969.
In recognition of his immense contribution to the sport, Simonyan was awarded the title of Hero of Labor of Russia for his role in the development and popularization of football and for his services to the state.
