Armenia marks 35 years since its independence referendum on 21 September 2026. The vote of 21 September 1991 backed separation from the Soviet Union. The date became Independence Day.

The process had begun with the Declaration of Independence of 23 August 1990, signed by Levon Ter-Petrossian, president of the Supreme Council. The document renamed the Armenian SSR the Republic of Armenia and announced the building of statehood. The two dates stay distinct.

The declaration speaks of self-determination, citizenship, armed forces, foreign policy and recognition of the 1915 genocide. It does not replace the referendum a year later.

Ceremonies in 2026, in Yerevan or other communities, are confirmed from official Armenian sources. Attendance by state representatives is not assumed.

The article stays with the historical marker. Political statements made today, if they appear, are attributed to their authors, without rewriting the 1991 vote.

For readers, 21 September is the day of the popular vote, not of the August 1990 text. The festive programme is updated if the government or the presidency publishes it.

Image: Government House, Republic Square, Yerevan, 18 June 2014 / Vyacheslav Argenberg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. The square, not the 21 September 2026 event. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Declaration of Independence | Government of Armenia; Independence Day | President of the Republic of Armenia.