Gyumri is a 2nd largest city and the center of the province of Shirak, located 126 km from Yerevan.

Armenians comic, but lovingly say, Yerevan is our mother-city and Gyumri is a father. And in fact, the antiquity of the city is evidenced by the findings from the Bronze and Iron Age, made in various parts, as well as many monuments of great architectural, historical and archaeological heritage.

It is supposed that the first settlements in this area were in the period of the Greek colonists in the 5th centenary, about 401 BC.

On the way its history the city had many different names. Initially, as known from the chronicles, referred to as Kumayri, then between 1840 and 1924 became Alexandropol, already during the Soviet era was called Leninakan, and finally, today named Gyumri.

In 1804 Gyumri being the center of Eastern Armenia was vanquished by Russia after the Russian-Persian war, and within this period it was a major center of the Caucasus. In 1837 Nicholas I – the emperor of Russia, during his visit, decided to rename the city in Alexandropol, in honor of his wife.

During the Communist rule, the newly renamed Leninakan became a significant industrial core.

The past of the city was clouded and lying as a heavy stone on the heart of each Armenian indescribable tragedy that befell Gyumri in the earthquake of 6.9 on the Richter scale happened 7 December 1988, when about 30,000 people were killed under the ruins, and more than 400 thousand Armenians were left homeless. Almost all countries of the world shared this great tragedy of the nation and helped the disaster zone. And then, for a long time the city was more like a construction site, and slowly and surely recovered from the ashes.
One of the result of this incident occurred the fact that some hard-hit industries had to shut down completely.

In the subsequent years in the town was erected a monument of French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour, who was actively involved in raising funds to help the affected regions.
Today in Gyumri has an international airport serving the Shirak province and which is located 5 km from the center.

Gyumri is an ancient town of artisans and blacksmiths and the unique customs and traditions preserved to the nowadays.

In Gyumri having 2500 years history, are still preserved old stone houses painted white. You can visit the archaeological site of Horom of the Bronze Age of the kingdom of Urartu. Near Vardakar, you can see the ruins of the magnificent ancient fortress, built of huge boulders of volcanic tuff. Near the citadel are the ruins of settlements and houses circular and rectangular forms, with graves and sarcophagi of polished stone. Archaeological excavations have revealed numerous artifacts, like arrows and iron weapons, bronze necklace belonging to IX-VIII centuries BC.

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