Yerevan “Unarchitected”: A Power Dispositif

The article examines how the architecture of modernity, particularly in the context of Soviet urban planning, serves as a multidimensional tool of governance, embodying the ideology and goals of the ruling elite while shaping the daily lives of urban residents. Through the analysis of “unarchitected” architecture and residential spaces in Yerevan, the study highlights the impact of modernization and subsequent de-modernization on the city’s structural and functional aspects. Utilizing “go-along” qualitative interviewing, the research explores sociocultural dynamics and historical evolution in three Yerevan districts, revealing diverse perspectives from residents and presenting district descriptions poetically alongside historical materials. The analysis leads us to the conclusion that Yerevan’s “unarchitected” architecture, along with its productive urban spaces and functional forms, particularly under the conditions of neoliberal, pseudo-capitalist aggressive competition, constitute a distinctive (self)governmental mechanism. This mechanism not only subjugates citizens excluded from effective competition in their urban lives but also confines them within a narrow objectification framework.