In the early 50s, cybernetics was already established in the USSR as a new direction of science and technology. From that point of view, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia, the Council of Ministers, analyzing the state of science and industry of the republic, the prospects of their development, taking into account the labor force in the republic, in 1956 they appealed to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to allow the Council of Ministers to develop science and industry in Armenia that would provide employment for the population and consume a moderate amount of electricity.

CPSU Central Committee and the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of 29 June 1956, a joint decision N897 was made. “Об организации в Армянской ССР научно-исследовательских институтов, конструкторских бюро и приборостроительных заводов Министерства приборостроения и средств автоматизации”.

The decision reads as follows:

“Принять предложение ЦК КП Армении, Совета Министров АрмССР и Министерства приборостроения и средств автоматизации об организации в 1956 году в АРМ ССР: 

а) Научно-исследовательского института математических машин в городе Ереване,

б) Научного-исследовательского института автоматизации в городе Кировакане.”

In order to implement that decision, on July 14, 1956, the USSR Ministry of Instrumentation and Automation issued 129 orders to organize a research institute for mathematical machines in the city of Yerevan. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia (secretaries S. Tovmasyan, Ya. Zarobyan), the presidency of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, the President of the Academy, Academicians Viktor H. Hambardzumyan, Sergey Mergelyan, Andranik Gh. Iosiphyan, Andranikyan L. Shahinyan made big initiatives for the establishment of the institute (with the support of Anastas I. Mikoyan).

Sergey Mergelyan, a young, renowned scientist, correspondent member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, doctor, professor, was appointed the first director of the Yerevan Mathematical Machines Research Institute.

Incidentally, S. Mergelyan had a hard time agreeing to become the director of that institute, reasoning that he wanted to stay in Moscow to study "pure" mathematics. This is what Ya․ Zarobyan, the Secretary for Industrial Affairs of the CPA Central Committee of that time, says about it:”In one of the hotels in Moscow, S. Mergelyan was invited to be offered the position of director of the newly established institute. He came to the hotel with his future wife, a very good-looking girl. He did not want to be convinced, saying that he wanted to stay and work in Moscow.  The conversation got to the point that I jokingly offered to play chess, if he won, he could stay in Moscow, and if he lost, he would  agree to become a director. I was able to win. He agreed…”