In the central area of Sevan, along Nairyan Street, among the stone houses, there are distinct old-fashioned wooden houses. The wooden window shutters and the carved patterns around them point to the 19th-century Russian architectural style. With its green balcony, this house is the first one ever built in Sevan, and it has survived to this day, serving as a witness to the history of Sevan city, which was then known as Yelenovka.
This house belonged to Isaiah Yerzhov, the founder of Yelenovka. While it has been partially altered, its original appearance has been preserved, thanks to the strong oak support pillars. A model preserved at the Sevan Natural History Museum suggests that the original clay tile roof was replaced with regular shingles. Initially, the house was inhabited by Russian settlers of Jewish origin, and it served as a symbol of their presence in Armenia.
