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Vanadzor ( hy, Վանաձոր) is an urban municipal community and the third-largest city in
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
, serving as the capital of
Lori Province Lori ( hy, Լոռի, ), is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. Other important towns include Stepanavan, Alaverdi, and Sp ...
in the northern part of the country. It is located about north of the capital
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
. 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 76,200. Vanadzor is the seat of the Diocese of Gougark of the
Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
.


Etymology

Vanadzor was previously known as ''Gharakilisa'' (), meaning "black church" in Turkic. In the official records of the Russian Empire, the city was labelled as ''Karakilis Bolshoye'' (). Following the Sovietization of Armenia, the city was renamed ''Martunashen'' (, alternatively ''Martunakan'') in 1926 after Armenian
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
revolutionary
Alexander Miasnikian Alexander Fyodori Miasnikian or Myasnikov; russian: Алекса́ндр Фёдорович Мяснико́в. Also spelled Myasnikyan. His patronymic is variously given as Asatur, Astvatsatur, Fyodor and Bogdan. (28 January February1886 – ...
. On 3 January 1935, it was renamed ''Kirovakan'' (), after the popular Russian Bolshevik leader
Sergey Kirov Sergei Mironovich Kirov (né Kostrikov; 27 March 1886 – 1 December 1934) was a Soviet politician and Bolshevik revolutionary whose assassination led to the first Great Purge. Kirov was an early revolutionary in the Russian Empire and memb ...
. A close associate of Armenian First Secretary
Aghasi Khanjian Aghasi Ghevondi Khanjian ( hy, Աղասի Ղևոնդի Խանջյան; russian: Агаси Гевондович Ханджян, ''Agasi Gevondovich Khandzhyan'') (January 30, 1901 – July 9, 1936) was First Secretary of the Communist Party ...
, Kirov had been assassinated on December 1 of the previous year. On 25 June 1992, after Armenia gained its independence, Kirovakan was renamed ''Vanadzor'' after the Vanadzor River which flows through the city. The name ''Vanadzor'' is composed of the Armenian words (, "
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
") and (, "valley"). Thus, the name of the city means "valley of the monastery."


History

The area of present-day Vanadzor has been settled since the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, 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 Gugark ( hy, Գուգարք, lat, Gogarene, Greek: ''Γογαρινή'') was the 13th province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia. It now comprises parts of northern Armenia, northeast Turkey, and southwest Georgia. Etymology Etymologically ...
, the 13th province of the Kingdom of Armenia. Later, the region was ruled by the other Armenian dynasties of the
Arsacids The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conqueri ...
and the Bagratunis. The area was part of the
Kingdom of Lori The Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget ( hy, Տաշիր-Ձորագետի Թագավորություն ''Tashir-Dzorageti t'agavorut'yun''), alternatively known as the Kingdom of Lori or Kiurikian Kingdom by later historians, was a medieval Armenian kingd ...
from the 10th century until the beginning of the 12th century. With the invasion of the
Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...
, the region came under the rule of the
Seljuk Empire The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turko-Persian, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total area of from Anatolia and the Levant in the west to ...
. The settlement was called ''Gharakilisa'' (meaning ''black church'' in Turkic) 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 The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
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 The Russo-Persian Wars or Russo-Iranian Wars were a series of conflicts between 1651 and 1828, concerning Persia (Iran) and the Russian Empire. Russia and Persia fought these wars over disputed governance of territories and countries in the Ca ...
. 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 Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
. In 1849, it became part of the
Erivan Governorate The Erivan Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its centеr in Erivan (present-day Yerevan). Its area was 27,830 sq. kilometеrs, roughly corresponding to what is now most of central ...
within the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
. Under its new administrative status, Gharakilisa was flooded with many hundreds of migrating Armenian families from
Kars Kars (; ku, Qers; ) is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. Its population is 73,836 in 2011. Kars was in the ancient region known as ''Chorzene'', (in Greek Χορζηνή) in classical historiography (Strabo), part of ...
,
Ardahan Ardahan (, ka, არტაანი, tr, hy, Արդահան, translit=Ardahan Russian: Ардаган) is a city in northeastern Turkey, near the Georgian border. It is the capital of Ardahan Province. History Ancient and medieval Ardaha ...
and
Western Armenia Western Armenia (Western Armenian: Արեւմտեան Հայաստան, ''Arevmdian Hayasdan'') is a term to refer to the eastern parts of Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire) that are part of the historical homeland of the Armenians. Weste ...
n cities of Karin (Erzurum) and Daroynk (Doğubeyazıt). The town enjoyed a considerable uplift through the opening of the railroad towards
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...
in 1899. The vicinity of the town was the site of the
Battle of Karakilisa The Battle of Karakilisa ( hy, Ղարաքիլիսայի ճակատամարտ ''Gharakilisayi chakatamart'', tr, Karakilise Muharebesi or ) was a battle of Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the vicinity of Karakilisa (now Vanadz ...
in May 1918, when General Tovmas Nazarbekian's outnumbered troops, led by Garegin Nzhdeh successfully defended the region against the invading
Ottoman Army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...
, pushing them back just few days after the crucial Armenian victory in the
Battle of Sardarapat The Battle of Sardarabad ( hy, Սարդարապատի ճակատամարտ, translit=Sardarapati chakatamart; tr, Serdarabad Muharebesi) was a battle of the Caucasus campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad, Armenia, from 21 to ...
, 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 The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
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 Sergei Mironovich Kirov (né Kostrikov; 27 March 1886 – 1 December 1934) was a Soviet politician and Bolshevik revolutionary whose assassination led to the first Great Purge. Kirov was an early revolutionary in the Russian Empire and memb ...
. 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 (now Hayk Square) was constructed along with the surrounding government and administrative buildings. After Armenia gained its independence, Kirovakan was renamed ''Vanadzor'' after the Vanadzor River that flows through the city. Vanadzor, along with
Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...
and Spitak ( west), suffered a considerable amount of damage from the 1988 earthquake when 564 residents died in the city. Unlike the two other cities, the majority of buildings in Vanadzor were unscathed from the earthquake.


Geography and climate

Vanadzor, the capital of Lori Province, is located north of
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
and east of
Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...
. At an average height of
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance ( height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. Th ...
, Vanadzor is located in the valley of
Pambak River The Pambak ( hy, Փամբակ), is a river in the region of Lori Province in Northern Armenia and a tributary of the Debed The Debed ( hy, Դեբեդ) or Debeda ( ka, დებედა) is a river in Armenia and Georgia. It also serves as a ...
, 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 cool summers and relatively mild winters. The average temperature in winter is , while in summer it reaches up to . Vanadzor's climate is classified as
humid continental A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
''Dfb''). The amount of
precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
is around . The Vanadzor Botanical Garden located to the southwest of the city is one of the 5 botanical parks within the Republic of 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, when
Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
allowed open immigration to the
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
with the promise of a better life for the arriving Armenians in the historical homeland. Armenians from different parts of
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, most of them survivors of the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...
, immigrated and settled in Kirovakan. Due to the harsh conditions imposed by Soviet intelligence and the
Ministry of Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...
, many of the immigrants were sent to
labor camp A labor camp (or labour camp, see spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons (espec ...
s in
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...
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 , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
, 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 Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
,
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
,
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. 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 , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
. 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 (although it originally dates back to the medieval period). 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. Many residents of Vanadzor are traditionally members of the
Armenian Evangelical Church The Armenian Evangelical Church ( hy, Հայաստանեայց Աւետարանական Եկեղեցի) was established on July 1, 1846, by thirty-seven men and three women in Constantinople. History In the 19th century there was an intellectu ...
, which was first established by arriving protestant Western Armenians in 1946. Although at that time any religious activity was punishable by law, followers of the Evangelical tradition continued practicing their faith and gathered secretly in basements to avoid deportation to Siberia. Particularly Armenians of Musa Dagh (Musa Ler) became pioneers of Evangelical faith and adherence to their traditions despite continuous threats by the police and the neighborhood watch.


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 (founded in 1958), Vanadzor Chamber Music Choir (1989), and Vanadzor Chamber Orchestra (1993). Vanadzor has also produced many famous
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
bands including ''Lousnelius'', ''Lav Eli'' and ''Vordan Karmir''. , the city is home to 4 public libraries as well as 4 children's libraries.


Transportation

Vanadzor is connected to other parts of Armenia through a railway and national highways. The M-6 highway that connects the M-3 towards Yerevan with the Georgian border at Bagratashen passes through Vanadzor. The city is also connected with Tavush Province to the east via the M-8 highway. Vanadzor has a railway station with a
South Caucasus Railway South Caucasus Railway ( hy, Հարավկովկասյան երկաթուղի, ՀԿԵ, russian: Южно-Кавказская железная дорога, ЮКЖД) is the sole railway company in Armenia, owned by Russian Railways, responsible ...
service that connects the city with
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
via
Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...
, and
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...
via Ayrum. In April 2012, a replacement bridge over the Zamarlu gorge just west of Vahagnadzor was opened in order to secure the safe ongoing use of the line to Ayrum. A new railway link between Vanadzor and
Fioletovo Fioletovo ( hy, Ֆիոլետովո) is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia. Toponymy The village was known as ''Nikitino'' until 1936, when it was renamed ''Fioletovo'' in honour of the Russian Communist activist and one of the 26 Baku ...
(west of
Dilijan Dilijan ( hy, Դիլիջան) is a spa town and urban municipal community in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The town is one of the most important resorts in Armenia, situated within the Dilijan National Park. The forested town is home to nume ...
) has also been proposed. Stepanavan Airport, located north of Vanadzor, is the nearest airport to the city.


Economy


Industry

The city of Vanadzor is the main industrial centre of the province. The industry of the city is quite diversified with many firms specialized in garment manufacturing, chemical products, building materials, and dairy products. The largest garment manufacturers of the city are the "Dav-Gar" garment factory founded in 1962, the Darbbag's Sewing Factory founded in 1977 (privatized in 1996), the "Sarton" Sewing Factory founded in 1990, "Ruz-Dan" garment factory founded in 2000. The largest chemical plants of Vanadzor include the "Vanadzor ChimProm" founded in 1929, the "Gipk" enterprise for polymeric materials founded in 1967, and the "Gary Group" for polymeric materials founded in 1998. The "Beton" enterprise founded in 1988, the "Bionik" plant founded in 2004, and the "Karaberd" plant are specialized in building materials. The "DIET LLC", the "K&K" factory, and the "Katnagorts" plant are specialized in dairy products. Other major industrial plants of Vanadzor include the "Ardvin" electromechanical plant founded in 1956, the "Gems De Luxe" precious stone processing enterprise founded in 1996, and the "Jerutsogh" factory for heating equipments. Many small plants for the production of building materials, mainly
tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes. Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less porous) carbonate deposits, which are known as travertin ...
,
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
and clay are also operating in Vanadzor. The city is home to the Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant opened in 1961.


Tourism

Vanadzor is a resort center in northern Armenia due to its mild climate, clean air and mineral springs. Many hotels and spa resorts are built in the city and the nearby countryside. The city is connected with other major cities of Armenia with a railway and a motorway. Vanadzor Armenia Health Resort & Hotel is among the most significant resorts with water treatment procedures (mineral water "Lori") and mud/peat treatment.


Education

Vanadzor is home to many educational institutions serving the population of the city and the residents of Lori and Tavush provinces. The following educational institutions are currently operating in the city: *
Vanadzor State University Vanadzor State University named after Hovhannes Tumanyan (VSU) ( hy, Վանաձորի Հովհաննես Թումանյանի անվան Պետական Համալսարան), is a public university in Vanadzor, Lori Province, Armenia. With 5 fac ...
named after Hovhannes Tumanyan opened in 1969, with 5 faculties: **Faculty of Philology, **Faculty of History and Geography, **Faculty of Pedagogy, **Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, **Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. *Vanadzor campus of the
National Polytechnic University of Armenia The National Polytechnic University of Armenia () is a technical university located in Yerevan, Armenia. Established as the Karl Marx Institute of Polytechnic in 1933, it provides educational and research programs in various fields of technology ...
named after Petros Melkonyan, operating since 1959, including 2 faculties: **Faculty of Technologies and Sectoral economics, **Faculty of Natural sciences and Communication systems. *Vanadzor campus of the Armenian National Agrarian University, operating since 2004. *Mkhitar Gosh Armenian-Russian International University opened in 1995, currently home to 5 faculties, including: Law, Management, Foreign languages, Pedagogy, and Medicine. On 29 October 2016, the Vanadzor Technology Center was opened in the city in an attempt to promote the business and technology environment in the entire region. , 6 technical intermediate colleges, 30 public education schools and 20 nurseries are operating in the city.


Sport


Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
is popular in Vanadzor. The currently defunct football club
Lori Vanadzor Lori may refer to: *Lori (given name) *Lori Province, Armenia *Lori Fortress, a fortress in Armenia *Lori Berd, a village in Armenia *Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget, a historical Armenian kingdom from c. 980 to 1240, sometimes known as the Kingdom of L ...
founded in 1936, was one of the oldest football clubs in Armenia. After the independence of Armenia, the team represented the city in domestic competitions until 2006 when was dissolved due to financial difficulties. The largest sport venue in the city is the Lori Stadium with a capacity of 5,000 spectators. It is mainly used for football matches. A renovation plan was scheduled in order to redevelop the stadium to meet the requirements of the
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs fo ...
. The FFA Vanadzor Football Academy opened its doors on 29 October 2016. It is home to 3 natural grass and 1 artificial turf regular-sized pitches. In 2017, a new football club named Lori was founded in 2017 by Tovmas Grigoryan; a native businessman of Vanadzor. The club made its debut at professional football through the 2017–18 Armenian First League competition.


Other sports

Futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
is among the popular team sports in the city. The VSU futsal team plays at the
Armenian Futsal Premier League The Premier League is the premier futsal league in Armenia. It was founded in 1998. The Premier League, which is played under UEFA rules and is organized by the Football Federation of Armenia, currently consists of 5 teams. 2017-18 teams Curren ...
. The Armenia Sports Arena of Vanadzor is the home venue of the team.
Handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...
and
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
are also popular in Vanadzor. Many sport schools operate in the city under the supervision of the municipality, including the schools of swimming, athletics, weightlifting, chess, artistic gymnastics, table tennis and badminton. Winter sports are also practiced in Lori Province. A ski resort near Vanadzor operates during the snowy season, generally extending between December and March. Vanadzor panorama.jpg, A panorama of Vanadzor city.


Twin towns – sister cities

Vanadzor is twinned with: * Bagneux, France (1967) *
Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), second largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's ...
, Georgia (2006) *
Kislovodsk Kislovodsk (russian: Кислово́дск, lit. ''sour waters''; ; krc, Ачысуу) is a spa city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, in the North Caucasus region of Russia which is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. Population: Histor ...
, Russia (2005) * Pasadena, United States (1992) * Maardu, Estonia (2007) *
Podolsk Podolsk ( rus, Подольск, p=pɐˈdolʲsk) is an industrial city, center of Podolsk Urban Okrug, Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pakhra River (a tributary of the Moskva River). History The first mentions of the village of Podol, ...
, Russia (2004) *
Vitebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest c ...
, Belarus (2012) *
Zhuzhou Zhuzhou (, ), formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is part of the " Greater Chan ...
, China (2001)


Notable people

* Stepan Zoryan, Armenian writer * Suren Aghababyan, literary critic and Doctor of Philology *
Albert Azaryan Albert Azaryan ( hy, Ալբերտ Ազարյան; born 11 February 1929) is a former Soviet Armenian artistic gymnast who competed internationally representing the Soviet Union. He is the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Champion on the still rings. Azarya ...
, Olympic Champion
gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
*
Artavazd Peleshyan Artavazd Peleshyan ( hy, Արտավազդ (Արթուր) Փելեշյան, Artavazd (Art’ur) P’eleshyan; also ''Pelechian, Peleshian''; born February 22, 1938) is an Armenian director of essay films, a documentarian in the history of film art, ...
, film director * Shavarsh Karapetyan, Soviet-Armenian fin swimmer *
Eduard Nalbandyan Eduard Aghvani Nalbandian ( hy, Էդվարդ Աղվանի Նալբանդյան; born July 16, 1956) is an Armenian diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia from April 2008 to May 2018. Biography Edward Nalbandian was born i ...
, former minister of foreign affairs *
Sergei Alifirenko Sergei Gennadievich Alifirenko (russian: Серге́й Геннадиевич Алифиренко, born 21 January 1959) is a Russian pistol shooter, originally from Armenia, specializing in the 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol event. He was born in Kir ...
, Olympic champion pistol shooter *
Tigran Sargsyan Tigran Sureni Sargsyan ( hy, Տիգրան Սուրենի Սարգսյան, born 29 January 1960) is an Armenian political figure who was Prime Minister of Armenia from 2008 to 2014. Previously he was Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia from 1 ...
, former Prime Minister of Armenia * Stepan Sarkisyan,
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestlin ...
Olympic silver-medalist * Armen Gyulbudaghyants, football manager * Gor Mkhitarian, rock-musician and singer * Vic Darchinyan, professional boxer and world champion * Roman Mitichyan, Armenian-American
MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...
fighter *
Nareh Arghamanyan Nareh Arghamanyan ( hy, Նարե Արղամանյան; born in Vanadzor, Armenia, 1989) is an Armenian pianist. She is best known for winning the 2008 Montreal International Musical Competition. Biography Arghamanyan began her piano studies at t ...
, award-winning Armenian pianist *
Hrachik Javakhyan Hrachik Javakhyan ( hy, Հրաչիկ Ջավախյան, born on July 6, 1984, in Vanadzor, Armenian SSR) is an Armenian boxer best known to win gold at the 2010 European Amateur Boxing Championships and bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics. ...
, Olympic bronze medalist and European champion in boxing * Zhirayr Hovhannisyan. professional weightlifter * Stepan Rostomyan, composer *
Rosa Linn Roza Kostandyan ( hy, Ռոզա Կոստանդյան; born 20 May 2000), known professionally as Rosa Linn ( hy, Ռոզա Լին, links=no), is an Armenian singer-songwriter. She started her career by getting signed by Nvak Collective and releasi ...
, singer, songwriter and record producer *Marianna Enfenjyan, professional lecturer and EECCA company owner


References


External links


More information about VanadzorAmerican Corner VanadzorDestination: Vanadzor
{{Authority control Vanadzor, Populated places in Lori Province Erivan Governorate