The stadium was opened in 1935 during the Soviet days as
Dinamo Stadium. In 1999, after a major renovation, the name was changed to
Republican Stadium (
Hanrapetakan Stadium). By the end of 1999, after the
assassination of the former prime minister of Armenia
Vazgen Sargsyan, the name of the stadium was officially changed to
Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. It is currently used for
football matches and is the home ground of the
Armenia national football team as well as the local teams
Ararat Armenia and
Pyunik who both play in the
Armenian Premier League. A major renovation of the stadium was envisaged to take place in 1995, but the process was delayed due to financial difficulties. In 1999, a large-scale renovation process was launched and more than US$3 million were spent on the development of the infrastructure, the seats and many other facilities, with the financial assistance of the
UEFA Executive Committee. By the end of 2000, the stadium was completely renovated with fully covered seating facilities. The Republican Stadium was named after
Vazgen Sargsyan by a presidential decree on December 28, 1999. Vazgen Sargsyan was the commander of the Armenian forces during the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War and served as Defence Minister from 1995 to 1999 and Prime Minister from June to October 27, 1999, when he and other high-ranked officials were killed in the
Armenian parliament shooting. Another major renovation was carried on in 2008 through the Israeli company Green Diversified Ltd. The playing pitch was entirely replaced with a modern surface, the VIP sections were repaired and a modern security system was installed in the stadium to meet the
UEFA standards. By the end of August 2008, the stadium was ready to host matches on the new pitch. As a result of the installment of new VIP sections, the
seating capacity was reduced from 14,917 to 14,403. ==Academy==