Vanadzor
Vanadzor is an urban municipal community and the third-largest city in Armenia, serving as the capital of Lori Province in the northern part of the country. It is located about north of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the city had a population of 86,199, down from 148,876 reported at the 1979 official census. Currently, the town has a population of approximately 75,186 as of the 2022 census. Vanadzor is the seat of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Etymology
In the official records of the Russian Empire, the city was labelled as . Following the Sovietization of Armenia, the city was renamed Martunashen in 1926 after Armenian Bolshevik revolutionary Alexander Miasnikian. In 1935, it was renamed Kirovakan, after the Russian Bolshevik leader Sergey Kirov. A close associate of Miasnikian and Aghasi Khanjian, Kirov had been assassinated on December 1 of the previous year. On 25 June 1992, after Armenia gained its independence, Kirovakan was renamed back to its initial name Vanadzor after the Vanadzor River which flows through the city. The name Vanadzor is composed of the Armenian words vank and dzor. Thus, the name of the city means "valley of the monasteries".History
The area of present-day Vanadzor has been settled since the Bronze Age, based on the tombs and other historic remains found on the nearby hills of Tagavoranist and Mashtots. In antiquity, the area fell into the canton of Tashir of Gugark, the 13th province of the Kingdom of Armenia. Later, the region was ruled by the other Armenian dynasties of the Arsacids and the Bagratunis. The area was part of the Kingdom of Lori from the 10th century until the beginning of the 12th century. With the invasion of the Seljuk Turks, the region came under the rule of the Seljuk Empire. The settlement was called Gharakilisa by the Seljuks possibly as early as the 13th century, the name being taken from the black-stoned Armenian church of the Holy Mother of God on a nearby hill.In 1801, the entire region of Lori became part of the Russian Empire along with the Georgian state. Lori was a strategically important territory for the Russian defensive forces on the border against Persia. In 1826, the settlement of Gharakilisa was entirely destroyed by Hasan Khan during the Russo-Persian war. In 1828, the Russians founded a new town as a major centre for the deployment of their troops during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29. According to Khachatur Abovian, the population of Gharakilisa was not more than 600 by the end of the 1820s, mainly consisting of migrants from Yerevan. In 1849, it became part of the Erivan Governorate within the Russian Empire. Under its new administrative status, Gharakilisa was flooded with many hundreds of migrating Armenian families from Kars, Ardahan and the Western Armenian cities of Karin and Daroynk.
The town enjoyed a considerable uplift through the opening of the railroad towards Tbilisi in 1899. The vicinity of the town was the site of the Battle of Karakilisa in May 1918, when General Tovmas Nazarbekian's outnumbered troops, led by Garegin Nzhdeh successfully defended the region against the invading Ottoman Army, pushed them back just a few days after the crucial Armenian victory in the Battle of Sardarapat, thus allowing the Republic of Armenia to come into existence. On the North side of the Spitak-Vanadzor highway, about west of the city, there is a little shrine in the ruins of a church, the site of a planned monument to that battle.
In 1920, after only 2 years of independence, Armenia fell under Soviet rule. The first city development plan for Gharakilisa, initiated by architects Karo Halabyan, Mikayel Mazmanyan and Gevork Kochar, was adopted in 1929–1930. Under the new plan, the town was enlarged towards the East and the West. In 1935, the Soviets renamed the city Kirovakan after the Bolshevik leader Sergey Kirov. In 1939, a new remodeling plan for the city, created by architects N. Zargaryan and A. Minasyan, was introduced to create an industrial district and a summer-resort area. The centre of the city was redeveloped during the 1950s. The central town square named after Sergey Kirov was constructed along with the surrounding government and administrative buildings.
In March 1962, the city was visited by Anastas Mikoyan, who received a massive welcome from local residents. Behind the scenes, Mikoyan provided Armenian leaders with support for the Kirovakan Acetate Silk Plant, a major source of local employment. In addition to the plant, the 15th Motor Rifle Division of the Soviet 7th Guards Army was based at Kirovakan, under the authority of the Transcaucasian Military District.
Along with Leninakan and Spitak, Kirovakan suffered a considerable amount of damage from the 1988 Armenian earthquake, which claimed the lives of 564 city residents. However, unlike the two other northern Armenian cities, the majority of Kirovakan's buildings were unscathed from the earthquake.
After Armenia gained its independence, Kirovakan was renamed Vanadzor after the Vanadzor River that flows through the city.
Geography and climate
Vanadzor, the capital of Lori Province, is located north of Yerevan and east of Gyumri.At an average height of above sea level, Vanadzor is located in the valley of Pambak River, on the point where the rivers of Tandzut and Vanadzor join the Pambak river. The city is surrounded by the over mountains of Bazum and Pambak. The southern and eastern regions are densely forested while to the north and west are only covered with bushes and plants.
The climate of Vanadzor is characterized by warm summers and cold winters. The average temperature in winter is, while in summer it reaches up to. Vanadzor's climate is classified as warm summer humid continental. The amount of precipitation is around.
The Vanadzor Botanical Garden located in the southwestern edge of the city is one of the 5 botanical parks in Armenia.
Demographics
Population
The population of Vanadzor has grown gradually since 1849, after becoming part of the Yerevan Governorate.The population of Kirovakan-Vanadzor increased significantly after World War II, when Stalin allowed open immigration to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic with the promise of a better life for the arriving Armenians in the historical homeland. Armenians from different parts of Europe and the Middle East, most of them survivors of the Armenian genocide, immigrated and settled in Kirovakan. Due to the harsh conditions imposed by Soviet intelligence and the Ministry of Interior, many of the immigrants were sent to labor camps in Siberia and elsewhere. The reason for this treatment towards the Armenian immigrants was because almost all were more educated than the local community, spoke more than 3 languages, and were open followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, something that was considered a threat to the national security by the Stalinist government. Despite the difficulties, more Western Armenians immigrated to Kirovakan during the following years. However, many of the immigrants left the city and returned to their diaspora countries, including Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Greece, France and the United States. Nowadays, approximately 2,000 Western Armenian settlers are living in Vanadzor, most of whom are still using the Western Armenian dialect in daily life.
While the majority of Vanadzor are ethnic Armenians, there are also small communities of Russian, Ukrainian and Greek population.
The population timeline of Vanadzor since 1831 is as follows:
Religion
The majority of the population belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Vanadzor is the seat of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Church, serving the population of Lori province., The city is home to 4 churches and 2 chapels:
- Church of the Holy Mother of God: opened in 1831, also known as Gharakilisa 'black church', is one of the oldest preserved churches of the city. It was completely renovated in 1999.
- Kamakatar Chapel, located at the northeast of the city. Despite dating back to the medieval period, the current building was reconstructed in 1841.
- Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, opened in 1895, is serving the city's small Russian Orthodox community.
- Surp Sarkis Church of Vanadzor, opened in 2000, is located near the prelacy building.
- Saint Gregory of Narek Cathedral, opened in 2005, is named after Saint Gregory of Narek to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of his Book of Lamentations. It is currently the seat of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Church
- Holy Children Chapel opened in the Tsitsernak children's camp of Vanadzor in 2006.
Culture
Vanadzor has several archaeological sites including the nearby Mashtots hill which is home to many remains from the 4th millennium BC. The Lori-Pambak archaeological museum opened in 1938 is dedicated to the history and ethnography of Gugark region. It currently has a collection of around 34,000 pieces and artifacts.Vanadzor is the cultural center of Lori Province and northeastern Armenia. The Vanadzor House of Culture named after Charles Aznavour is one of the largest centers in Armenia. The Eduard Kzartmyan school of music is a prominent art school founded in 1934. The Vanadzor fine art museum is operating since 1974, while the house-museum of writer Stepan Zoryan is operating since 1990.
The city is home to many theatres including the Bohem Chamber Theatre of Vanadzor, Vanadzor Musical Theatre, Vanadzor Drama Theatre named after Hovhannes Abelyan, and Vanadzor Puppet Theatre. Other famous art ensembles of Vanadzor include Horevel Folke Dance Ensemble, Vanadzor Chamber Music Choir, and Vanadzor Chamber Orchestra.
Vanadzor has also produced many famous hard rock bands including Lousnelius, Lav Eli and Vordan Karmir.
, the city is home to 4 public libraries as well as 4 children's libraries.