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Vanadzor (, ) is an urban municipal community and the third largest city in Armenia, serving as the capital of Lori Province in the northern part of the country. It is located about north of the capital Yerevan. 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 75,186 as of the 2022 census. Vanadzor is the seat of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The town enjoyed a considerable uplift through the opening of the railroad towards Tbilisi in 1899. The vicinity of the town was the site of the Battle of Karakilisa in May 1918, when General Tovmas Nazarbekian's outnumbered troops, led by Garegin Nzhdeh successfully defended the region against the invading Ottoman Army, pushed them back just a few days after the crucial Armenian victory in the Battle of Sardarapat, 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 Union 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. 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. ՎԱՆԱՁՈՐ-ԿԻՐՈՎԱԿԱՆ-ՂԱՐԱՔԻԼԻՍԱ
In March 1962, the city was visited by Anastas Mikoyan, who received a massive welcome from local residents. Behind the scenes, Mikoyan provided Armenian leaders with support for the Kirovakan Acetate Silk Plant, a major source of local employment. In addition to the plant, the 15th Motor Rifle Division of the Soviet 7th Guards Army of the Transcaucasian Military District was based at Kirovakan.
Along with Gyumri and Spitak ( west), Kirovakan suffered a considerable amount of damage from the 1988 Armenian earthquake, which claimed the lives of 564 city residents. However, unlike the two other northern Armenian cities, the majority of Kirovakan's buildings were unscathed from the earthquake.
After Armenia gained its independence, Kirovakan was renamed Vanadzor after the Vanadzor River that flows through the city.
At an average height of above sea level, Vanadzor is located in the valley of Pambak River, on the point where the rivers of Tandzut River and Vanadzor River 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 warm summers and cold winters. The average temperature in winter is , while in summer it reaches up to . Vanadzor's climate is classified as warm summer humid continental (Köppen: Dfb). The amount of precipitation 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.
The population of Kirovakan-Vanadzor increased significantly after World War II, when Joseph Stalin allowed open immigration to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic with the promise of a better life for the arriving Armenians in the historical homeland. Armenians from different parts of Europe and the Middle East, most of them survivors of the Armenian genocide, immigrated and settled in Kirovakan. Due to the harsh conditions imposed by Soviet intelligence and the Ministry of Interior, many of the immigrants were sent to in Siberia 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, 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, Lebanon, Syria, Greece, France and the United States. 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:
, The city is home to 4 churches and 2 chapels:
Many residents of Vanadzor are traditionally members of the Armenian Evangelical Church, 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.
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 bands including Lousnelius, Lav Eli and Vordan Karmir.
, the city is home to 4 public libraries as well as 4 children's libraries.
Vanadzor has a railway station with a South Caucasus Railway service that connects the city with Yerevan via Gyumri, and Tbilisi 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. President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a working visit to Lori and Tavush Marzes president.am A new railway link between Vanadzor and Fioletovo (west of Dilijan) has also been proposed.Vanadzor 'construction prospects' ru.wikipedia.org
Stepanavan Airport, located north of Vanadzor, is the nearest airport to the city.
Many small plants for the production of building materials, mainly tufa, basalt and clay are also operating in Vanadzor.
The city is home to the Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant opened in 1961.
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.
The following educational institutions are currently operating in the city:
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.
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.
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 FC was founded by Tovmas Grigoryan; a native businessman of Vanadzor. The club made its debut at professional football through the 2017–18 Armenian First League competition.
Handball and volleyball 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.
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