Vanadzor

Vanadzor (in Armenian: Վանաճոր ), is the third plus big city of Arménie after Erevan, the capital, and Gumri. It counts 107.394 inhabitants with the census of 2001. The city was called before Karakilisa , which means black church in Turkish, then Kirovakan, in the honor of the leader Bolchévique Sergueï Kirov. She is located in the area of Lorri, in the center-north of the Arménie.

The city is regarded as “picturesque”, with beautiful houses, called Datcha S. Vanadzor is dominated by a chemical plant.

Geography

Vanadzor, capital of the province of Lorri, is located at 128 km in the north of Erevan and at 64 km in the east of Gyumri. With 1424 meters of altitude, the city is built in length, according to the valley Pambak and is surrounded by mountains culminating with more than 2500 meters. In the south and the east, they are very wooded and point out certain landscapes of the Suisse, on the contrary, in north and the west, they drier and are often only covered with grass and plants.

Vanadzor, like the cities close to Gyumri and Spitak (25 km in the west), underwent full whip the Séisme of December 7th, 1988 with 564 victims but of the altogether relative damage compared to its neighbors. Indeed the majority of the buildings, the broad avenues, and especially the central park resisted the force of the earthquake.

Since the Years 1930, the basements of the commune are exploited for the Granite and the quartz.

History

The first traces of human occupations in Vanadzor date from the Bronze Age. The archeologists found there tombs and objects of the daily life (these objects are with the local museum). A church out of black stone, perched on a close hill would have given its name to the city at the 13th century.

The city is completely destroyed in 1826 by Hasan Khan, during the war opposing the Russians to Persians. In May 1918, the troops of the Nazarbekian general fought against the Turkish army, and pushed back it a few days later in the Bataille of Sardarapat.
Meanwhile, the city was seen equipped in 1899 with the railroad which connected Erevan to Tbilissi.

Administration

Schools

School n°1 Vazgen Ier
School n°2
School n°3
School n°4
School n°5 Vahan Teryan

List mayors

Twin towns

since 1968

Tourism

The town of Vanadzor in itself is not a real tourist curiosity. Indeed, it corresponds to the architectural standards of the cities Soviet S with its broad shaded avenues and its large buildings in typical Tuf pink of the beginning of the XXe century. On the other hand, surrounding nature is remarkable: Canyon, mountains timbered or not, river, rapids, etc the city has even a Botanical garden.

As in all the towns of Arménie, there are a church - or its vestiges - to visit. The Russian church of Vanadzor is remarkable.

Erevanais like to come to rest there in secondary houses or Datcha S for the softness of the climate and the picturesque landscapes.

Lodging

The hotel " mytique" city is located on the public garden in downtown area, but from many modern hotels and respecting the international standards have come to compete with it for a few years. The other solution of lodging is the YMCA of Vanadzor.

Restaurants

There exist several restaurants, famous, in downtown area but also of other anecdotic restaurants, in particular at the edge of a lake outside the city.

Gallery

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