In imaginations of many peoples the high mountains appear as the main habitat and field of action of gods, heroes and saints, who not only act in those landscapes, but are also buried (= reborn) there. The omnipresent category for the Armenian mountains is the vishap (= Arm. for dragon). This is visible both in corresponding archaeological and ethnological materials. According to them, the vishap appears both as deity, and as hero (= giant) and saint. Moreover, these functions are either intermingled or contradicted to each other.

Keywordsgods heroes saints vishap high altitude zones archaeological sites folk-tales.

In ancient Armenia there were various types of sanctuaries and sacred places. They served the purpose of worship and its various manifestations, in which the ritual, its traditions and customs were significant and important. In archaic times the petroglyph environment was also a unique sacred area. The votive elements, in various forms of expressions, are present in many scenes and compositions.

KeywordsArmenia rock carving cult worship mythology world creation magic ritual imaginary creature cosmological ideas patriarch Hayk dragon-vishap symbol.

In the letter of 1921, addressed to the communists of the Caucasus, the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, Vladimir Lenin formulated an idea of importance of irrigation, which became a key starting point for the social and economic development of the region. The humanitarian mission of the Norwegian polar explorer and public figure Fridtjof Nansen in Armenia, directly related to irrigation projects, proved the relevance of Lenin's ideas at the international level. During the same period, archaeological research on ancient irrigation systems and related monuments called "vishap" were intensified resulting in a scientific discourse according to which irrigation in ancient times conditioned the emergence of statehood.

KeywordsV. Lenin F. Nansen irrigation “vishap” stelae soviet ideology socialist realism archaeological investigations.