Comprehensive information and links about Armenia Gyumri

Gyumri ), is the capital of the Shirak province in northwest Armenia. It is located about 50 miles (90 km) from the Armenian capital Yerevan and, with a population of 150,917 (2001 census), is the second-largest city in the country.

The first settlement at the location occupied by the modern city of Gyumri is believed to have been founded some time in the 5th century BC, perhaps ca. 401 BC, by Greek colonists span . 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 span . The settlement existed sporadically during the next two millenia until a major Russian fortress was built on its site in 1837. In 1840, the town that was quickly growing around the fortress was named Alexandropol (sometimes transliterated as i). The name was chosen in honor of Emperor Nicholas I's wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia, who had changed her name to i after converting to Orthodox Christianity. In 1924 the name was changed to Leninakan after the deceased Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. The current name was chosen in 1990 at the time of the Soviet breakup.

Gyumri is the second largest city in the Republic of Armenia. It suffered major damage in the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, which devastated large parts of the country.

table Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for Over 5000 Natural Features, Countries, Capitals, Territories, Cities and Historical SitesPlacenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for Over 5000 Natural Features, Countries, Capitals, Territories, Cities and Historical Sites