Levon’s Divine Underground is definitely a story that most people will think is invented.
Back in the early ’80s, Levon’s wife came up with a request: she needed a cellar to store her potatoes. Around this time, Levon has seen a vision. A voice told him that one day he would be part of a miracle, something that will change his life. And so the story of Levon Arakelyan begins: he decided to dig a potato cellar in the basement.
According to his wife, Tosya, he started working in the spring of 1985. Until his death in 2009, Levon Arakelyan went 21 meters deep and built what is most likely the biggest (and deepest) potato cellar on earth. There are seven big rooms in this underground world of Levon, all of them interconnected with stairs, creating some labyrinth.
No modern tools
Tosya tells me that Levon used only a hammer and a chisel. Both of these tools are on display on the ground floor of the house. Among them, there are several other little tools that Levon used, accompanied by some photos of Levon and their descendants: Levon and Tosya have four daughters, twelve grandchildren, and one grand-grandchild.
Every time Tosya speaks about Levon, she is about to burst into tears. But she is doing her best to carry on talking. There are gifts from German guests on display, as well as gifts from Russian officials. Before I start asking more questions, Tosya opens the door to the cellar.
And then, everything gets amazing.
Entering Levon’s Divine Underground
The stairs are carved perfectly. I have the feeling that this was not the work of one man but a whole crew. But Levon worked solo, and when the place started having visitors, he would complain that they won’t let him work properly. According to Tosya, Levon has been working every day for almost 25 years, at least twelve hours per day, sometimes much longer.
One of the walls has a carved cross on it. Levon has seen a vision calling him to carve a cross on the wall, and so did he. Tosya would ask him to come out of the cellar because it might collapse; he, apparently, never listened to her.
Now and then, I think to myself, “Okay, that was it; here, it should be over.” And every time I’m wrong, there is always more. There are little arrows on the wall, pointing towards the direction one has to follow and, of course, to the way out. There are also a few lamps inside the cellar, helping you to navigate.
Levon’s masterpiece is an impressive maze built under the ground. I can’t imagine how much dedication is needed to work every day on it.
On the very edge of Levon’s Divine Underground
After descending all the 80 stairs, Levon’s Devine Underground comes to some glorious end. There is a small pavilion there where several candles are lit. According to Levon, whoever made it to that very point, he/she should light a candle and make a wish. Levon believed that every wish would come true.
I don’t want the rainwater
Levon’s house also comes with a small garden. There are two figures painted on the inner walls. One of them depicts Levon working; the other one shows Tosya holding, what else, potatoes. There are flowers all over the place.
“Levon has made his grave on this corner,” Tosya says. “He thought that it would be possible to get buried there. I made fun of him the day that he finished with the grave. I asked him to take a photo of him inside the grave because this would have probably been the only time he would be there”. She points her finger to the spot. “I asked him why didn’t he choose a better spot. His reply was, ‘this is the only spot that I won’t get the rainwater.’ What could I possibly say, right?”
Outside of the house, there is a water spring (pulpulak). There are literally thousands of them around Armenia. Levon’s name is carved on it, and there are some flowers around it. In 2009, Levon was sitting next to the spring, probably taking a break from work. He had a heart attack and died immediately. He was 67 years old.
Do you dream of the future?
I ask Tosya if she dreams anything about the future. About her, about her family, about the world, anything. She only says that she wants to be healthy and that her family will remain healthy, too. She doesn’t daydream of money. “Levon has left some money behind, and I am happy to live with that.”
Inside the little museum, Tosya is selling a few souvenirs. Cups, a DVD, and some photos. On the other side of the museum, I see some traditional cakes. “I don’t make them; the neighbors prepare them. They say: ‘Tosya, you have so many visitors, perhaps you can sell some cakes, too.’ There is a community in Arinj”, she says, “and we stick together.”
I ask her how old she is. “You have to guess,” she says, smiling. I tell her that she is not more than 70 years old. “I am 74,” she replies.
Learning languages
Levon was sure that his creation would be one that’ll bring fame to him. And so it happened. He would sometimes say to Tosya that she should learn all the world’s languages because several people will come here. “The truth is,” says Tosya, “that one of your daughters studied linguistics and foreign languages. She wanted to know what the people were writing on the visitors’ book”.
This is a red book that looks a bit old. The first entry, though, is written just a couple of years ago. Tosya asks me to write, and I, of course, accept. I write the opening line in Greek and the rest of the text in English. I give it then back to Tosya. She takes the pen, and she writes that I come from Greece. That’s how she keeps track of the visitors.
I have a summer house, too
In the middle of the garden, I see one more small building. It looks like a storage room, but Tosya explains to me that this is a summer house. “When it’s too warm inside the main house, I come here. It’s always cooler”. She unlocks the door, and I see a tiny room with two beds.
Tosya is very emotional now. “You know,” she says, “after he passed, I buried some clothes in the grave in the garden. It’s funny, we have always been arguing about him spending time under the ground, and then we had to fight also that he wouldn’t work on the grave”.
Goodbye Tosya, Goodbye Levon’s Divine Underground
Arinj is a peaceful little town, not more than forty minutes away from Yerevan. It’s hard to think that a man was carving a cave beneath his own home for almost a quarter of a century here. Tosya doesn’t go down there anymore; she is afraid of falling. Armenia has major earthquakes, and this place might not remain intact forever. But I hope it will.
Before I go, I ask Tosya if Levon ever drew any plans or sketches on expanding the cellar. “Never,” she replies, “he always said that whatever he dreams at night; that’s what he does the next morning.”
A lady is waiting for her. I leave Tosya and Levon’s Divine Underground, and I am still amazed. This is a truly unique place. Then, further down the road, Mount Ararat appears. Despite not being religious at all, I think once again of Noah’s Ark. Then, I think of Levon’s cellar: maybe this is the ark of modern times.
A short video from Levon’s Divine Underground
Useful Info about Levon’s Divine Underground
- Levon’s Divine Underground has no entry fee. However, you are encouraged to donate 1,500 drams (this is less than 3 euros).
- Bus #47 will take you directly to Arinj. Then you will have to either ask the locals or use your smartphone’s GPS to find Levon’s place.
- Alternatively, you can take a taxi from Yerevan directly to Levon’s Divine Underground. It will not cost a fortune for sure.
More about Armenia: Things to do in Armenia, Checkmate in Yerevan, The Stories of Armenia
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Last Updated on November 11, 2020 by George Pavlopoulos