cuts a deep path through Jermuk, and is the
town's main attraction.
One word can be used to describe Jermuk: water.
Jermuk's healing mineral water is used for treating
diseases; drinking water; bathing streams; and
streams flowing from the mountains break the silence
of the streets of this lonely spring town with
Russian scientist Demiokhin said Jermuk's mineral
waters flow "like the last breath of a dying
volcano". Armenia's famous mineral water
flows from five different temperatures and sources
in Jermuk's Hellenic-style tap hall in the town
of the same name, 185 kilometers southeast of
Yerevan. The Arpa Gorge divides the highland into
two parts, where the river flows through yellow-orange
80-meter-high rocks overgrown with moss flowing
on the volcanic highlands 2,080 meters above sea
?he name of the town originated from the warmth
of approximately 60 mineral sources. Ghevond Alishan,
a 19th century historian, writes, "Jermuk
is an old village and from antique times it is
famous for its water with iron taste and people
used to have baths with that water for being treated."
Built in 1951, Jermuk was the only Armenian All-Union
health resort, treating people throughout the
former Soviet Union. Ninety percent of its patients
were from outside Armenia. Five big health resorts,
including a polyclinic and health resort, functioned
during Soviet times 12 months a year. Every day
approximately 2,000 patients visited.
A daily 20-minute flight from Yerevan brought
people who needed treatment from throughout the
Soviet Union. After the collapse of the USSR,
Jermuk faded into an ordinary recreational area,
and its airport was turned into farmland.
"One must have had a pull to get a plane
ticket. It was impossible to get one in summer,
and they used to throng in private apartments.
The work schedule was very intense in the health
resorts. They were turning out nurses from their
rooms and placing beds there," municipality
worker Zemfira Sargsyan recalls.
Now the town has two lives. In winter months
when the health resorts and rest houses are not
functioning, most cafés and shops are closed.
Jermuk comes alive in summer.
The first tavern opened since winter is a tea-house
with wooden ornaments made in the style of Soviet
resort cities. It opened in mid-May.
"We opened the tea-house as we are preparing
for the season," says director of the tea-house.
"There are only two to three people working
here. During the season there will be more people
working here. There will be those who make khorovats
and kabab, and the menu will be enriched with
many different dishes."
is a town with a heritage of water and a water-producing
Four of five health resorts and all of the rest
houses were privatized, and thanks to investments
they will function year-round. The boiler house
for providing warmth in winter time is being constructed
in the Jermuk health resort that was privatized
The only thing remaining in Jermuk from Soviet
times is the name "Lecho" used among
people (medical institutions for high-ranking
officials once were called Lechkomisia).
People of different position in society are treated
in a 700-room building. The price for one day,
including treatment and three meals, is 12,000
drams (about $21). Last year 700 people took 18-day
treatments in the health resort. The majority
of them got health resort vouchers from the Ministry
of Social Affairs. Visitors also came from the
USA, France and Russia for treatment. This year
the resort expects the same number of visitors.
Demirchyan's Cottage, once used by First Secretaries
of the Soviet Union, is reserved for high-ranking
dignitaries such as the Prime Minister of Armenia.
People come to Jermuk health resort and others
for the healing qualities of its waters.
"Mineral water conducts microcirculation
of the vessels, namely, their wash-out, strengthening
of vascular walls, as well as wash-out of the
liver. All of that is very helpful for diabetics.
Besides, diabetics very often go blind. The eye
is the only open neural organ. Wash-out with the
mineral water can prevent blindness. Thirty percent
of our patients are diabetics. Mineral water activates
the metabolism, which is very important for diabetics,"
says doctor and deputy director of the Jermuk
health resort, Vardan Sargsyan. "First of
all, mineral water cures diseases of the alimentary
tract, then diseases of liver, gall bladder and
the nervous system as well."
Mineral water has a basic composition that cures
patients with acidity, including different methods
of hydrotherapy such as drinking the water; hot
baths of different temperatures; gynecological
douche; enemas; water jet massages of the body,
gums and intestines; and other therapies.
The tap hall's first spring has a temperature
of 30 degrees (Celsius). Each subsequent water
source grows hotter, and the fifth source water's
reaches 55 degrees. During cold weather, the springs'
warmth remains on your face for a long time after
you rinse and then put your face into the cool
One can hardly take a sip from the hottest source
without burning the lips. It seems that your teeth
would crack from the coolness of daily use drinking
water coming from small fountain next to those
hot sources. In Jermuk one can drink water of
+640, then go 200 meters away and find another
place where the water temperature is +50 - +90.
"Jermuk is not only for sick people. Healthy
people can also take prophylactic treatments in
the health resort, especially, those, who wish
to lose weight, as mineral water dissolves fats
and increases frequency of urination.
"There are no healthy people, simply the
period of disease is hidden long," says Vardan
Sargsyan. "We have different types of treatments
for anyone, of course. First we examine them,
and only after that we prescribe proper hydrotherapy.
Jermuk is contraindicative only for people with
heart trouble. Both hot water and lack of oxygen
are harmful for them. But there are patients who
are treated with the help of the lack of oxygen."
Several hotels were built in Jermuk during the
last few years. It is cheaper to rent an apartment
(one day costs $10 in an apartment for 2-4 people,
compared $10 per person in a hotel). Unlike Yerevan,
there is permanent water in Jermuk, and the entire
town is gasified, ensuring hot water in all hotels
and a majority of apartments. Those who stay in
hotels and apartments can also take hydrotherapy
courses in health resorts.
"Every year the number of tourists increases,"
says taxi driver Kamo. "It affects my work
as well. Last year the number of my clients increased
and my income increased, comparing with four years
journey to Jermuk to bathe in its medicinal
Production of Jermuk mineral water is the town's
main industry. During Soviet times, the only factory's
production was 57 million bottles of mineral water
each month, with 10 percent of production kept
in Armenia. Today seven factories produce Jermuk
mineral water. The principal factory, also the
former Soviet factory, produces two million bottles
"All factories combined are now close to
production during Soviet times, but now the main
market of Jermuk is Armenia. Some quantities we
export to Russia and USA," says Atom Avetisyan,
head of the Technical and Industrial Department
of the Principal Factory, who was a director of
the factory during Soviet times.
In several days the prattle of the streams will
be drowned by the noise of cars and the town's
first visitors, who arrive at the resorts in the
beginning of summer and enliven memories of the
noisy health resort of Soviet times.