Gyumri

Gyumri Գյումրի
Seal
Gyumri Գյումրի Location of Gyumri in Armenia
Coordinates: 40°47′22″N 43°50′51″E / 40.78944°N 43.8475°E / 40.78944; 43.8475
Country Marz	Armenia Shirak
Established	401 BC
Government
- Mayor	Vartan Ghukasyan
Area
- Total	36 km2 (13.9 sq mi)
Elevation	1,509.3696 m (4,952 ft)
Population (2008)
- Total	168,918
- Density	4,192.1/km2 (10,857.5/sq mi)
Time zone	GMT+4 (UTC+4)
- Summer (DST)	GMT+5 (UTC+5)
Website	www.gyumri.am

Coordinates: 40°47′22″N 43°50′51″E / 40.78944°N 43.8475°E / 40.78944; 43.8475 Gyumri (Armenian: Գյումրի, also Romanized as Kumayri, Kümri, Gumry, Gumri, Gimri, Kyumayri, and Kyumri) is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia. It is located about 120 km from the capital Yerevan, and, with a population of 168,918 (2008; up from 150,917 reported at the (2001 census), is the second-largest city in Armenia.

The name of the city has been changed many times in history. It was first known as Kumayri or Gyumri, then Alexandropol (also, Alexandrapol, Alexandropol’, Aleksandropol’, Alek’pol, Alek’sandrobol, and Alek’sandrapol, 1840–1924), then Leninakan (Armenian: Լենինական , 1924–1990), then again as Gyumri.

History

Gyumri is one of the oldest localities in Armenia. The region of Gyumri is mentioned in different Urartian inscriptions since 8th century BC^[1]. The first settlement at the location occupied by today's city of Gyumri is believed to have been founded some time in the 5th century BC, perhaps ca. 401 BC, by Greek colonists ^[1]. An alternative theory suggests that the city was founded by Cimmerians, based on the fact that Cimmerians conquered the region in 720 BC and that the original name of the city was Kumayri ^[2]. Historians believe that Xenophon passed through Gyumri during his return to the Black Sea, immortalized in his Anabasis.^[2]

During the Middle Ages Gyumri was known as a great settlement^[1], and the center of Armenian rebellion against the Islamic regime (733-755).

Gyumri continued to develop in the 19th century, when, along with its surroundings, it became part of Russia, as a result of the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813). Gyumri came under Russian control in 1804 around 25 years earlier than the rest of Eastern Armenia. During this period it was one of the best-known cities of the Trans-Caucasus region. In 1829, on the heels of the Russo-Turkish War there was a major influx of population as about 3000 families from the Eastern Turkish cities like Kars, Erzurum, Doğubeyazıt and other places in the Ottoman Empire settled in Gyumri.

Russian poet Alexander Pushkin visited Gyumri during his journey to Erzurum in 1829.

In 1837 Russian Czar Nicholas I arrived in Gyumri and renamed the town Alexandropol. The name was chosen in honor of Czar Nicholas I's wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia, who had changed her name to Alexandra Fyodorovna after converting to Orthodox Christianity. During the Soviet era Gyumri was renamed Leninakan in Lenin's honor A major Russian fortress was built on the site in 1837. In the 1840s, Aleksandrapol (a town since 1840) was quickly growing. It was an important outpost for the Imperial Russian military in the Transcaucasus, where their military barracks were established (Poligons, Severski, Kazachi Post).

Main sights

There are five churches, one convent, and one Russian chapel in Gyumri. One of the most important historical churches is the Church of the Holy Saviour of All (Sourb Amenaprkich), resembling Ani Mother Cathedral. Construction of the church began in 1859 and was completed in 1873. It was greatly damaged by the 1988 Spitak earthquake and is currently being reconstructed. A restoration project has since been spearheaded by Earthwatch to preserve the city's unique architecture.^[3]

Geopolitics

During the Turkish-Armenian War, Turkey attacked Gyumri and occupied the city on November 7, 1920, after winning the Battle of Alexandropol. After the battle, the Turkish forces were headquartered in Gyumri. From this city the Turks presented the Armenians with an ultimatum that Armenia was forced to accept—otherwise Turkey would have invaded Yerevan, Armenia's capital, from their headquarters in Gyumri. Armenia was forced to sign the Treaty of Alexandropol to stop the Turkish advance towards Yerevan, the capital of Democratic Republic of Armenia, thus ending the Turkish-Armenian War. Turkish forces withdrew from Alexandropol after Treaty of Kars.

In 1924 the name was changed to Leninakan after the deceased Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. Leninakan was a major industrial center for the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and its second largest city, after Yerevan, the capital. The city suffered major damage during the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, which devastated large parts of the country.

The current name of the city was chosen in 1990, at the time of the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Russian 102nd military base is located in the city. Today, Gyumri is Armenia's second largest city.

Demographics

Population of city of Gyumri by years.^[4]

1829: ~600

1830: 4,000

1850: 15,000

1873: 20,000

1886: 24,000

1897: 30,600

1914: 51,300

1923: 58,600

1926: 42,400

1939: 67,700

1959: 108,400

1970: 164,966

1980: 210,000

1984: 222,000

1989: 122,587

2001: 150,917

2006: 147,823

Culture

During the centuries Gyumri, the "city of trades and arts", has been famous for its schools, theatres, gusans and ashoughs. The first opera performance in Armenia took place in Gyumri in 1912, and the first Armenian opera theatre was also opened here in 1923^[5].

Gyumri is also considered as the capital of Armenian humour.^{[citation needed]}

Transportation

Trolleybus lines in Gyumri

Alexandropol was considered to be the third most important trade and cultural center in the Trans-Caucasus after Tiflis and Baku (Yerevan would not rise to prominence until being proclaimed the capital of the independent Republic of Armenia in 1918 and Armenian SSR in 1920). At the end of the 19th century, the population of Alexandropol reached 32,100 residents, mostly Armenians. From 1858-1876, St. Prkich (Saviour) church was erected, designed to resemble the Cathedral of Ani. The first rail link to Alexandropol was finished in 1899, which was the Tiflis-Alexandropol railway. The rail line was then extended from Alexandropol to Yerevan, Jolfa (in 1906), and Tabriz. As a result, Alexandropol became an important rail hub.

Air transportation

Gyumri is served by the Shirak Airport, located about 5 km from the center of town. The airport offers regular flights to Moscow, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don. It also serves as an alternate airport to Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport.

Shirak airport was closed for renovations from June 20 til October 20, 2007, during which time the runway was repaved and work was done on the airport lighting and the main terminal.

Sports

Gyumri is home to the Armenian football (soccer) team FC Shirak. They play their home games at Gyumri City Stadium, built in 1924. Other teams from Gyumri are Aragats and Kumairi.

Sister cities

• Alexandria, United States
• Kutaisi, Georgia
• Kars, Turkey
• Nardò, Italy
• Osasco, Brazil
• Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Famous natives

• Anania Shirakatsi, medieval Armenian scholar
• G.I. Gurdjieff, mystic and philosopher
• Sergey Merkurov, sculptor
• Sheram, gusan, poet and composer
• Avetik Isahakyan, poet
• Armen Tigranian, composer ("Anush" opera)
• Olga Chekhova, actress
• Khachatur Avetisyan, composer
• Shushanik Kurghinian, poet
• Ruben Zaryan, Art historian
• Hovhannes Shiraz, poet
• Frunzik Mkrtchyan, actor
• Albert Mkrtchyan, film director
• Svetlana Svetlichnaya, film actress
• Edmond Keosayan, film director
• Artavazd Peleshyan, film director and theorist
• Levon Mkrtchyan, film director
• Vazgen Manukyan, politician, Armenia's former Prime Minister
• Yurik Vardanyan, Hero of the Olympics
• Robert Emmiyan, European long jump record holder
• Manvel Gamburyan, mixed martial artist (UFC)
• Ara Abrahamian, wrestler
• Bambir, folk-rock band
• Arthur Sarkissian (artist)

Gallery

Church of the Holy Saviour before the 1988 Spitak earthquake	Church of the Holy Saviour after the 1988 Spitak earthquake	View from steps of Gyumri	Shirak regional governmental building
The statue of Charles Aznavour in Gyumri	Renovated buildings in Gyumri	Surp Hakob Church	Winter in Gyumri

See also

• List of Honorary Citizens of Gyumri

References

• Gyumri at GEOnet Names Server
• Report of the results of the 2001 Armenian Census, National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia

• World Gazeteer: Armenia – World-Gazetteer.com

Footnotes

• ^  See: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Adrian Room, Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for Over 5000 Natural Features, Countries, Capitals, Territories, Cities and Historical Sites, McFarland, 1997, ISBN 0-7864-1814-1 (pbk) p. 192
• ^  See http://www.gyumri.am/eng/history.html

External links

• City website (English)
• Gyumri Video
• Shirak
• Flash Gallery of 2005 Gyumri
• Surp Amenaprkich cathedral in Gyumri
• FallingRain Map - elevation = 1546m (Red dots are railways)