Vanadzor

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Vanadzor
Վանաձոր

Seal

Location of Vanadzor in Armenia

Coordinates: 40°47′60″N 44°28′60″E / 40.8, 44.48333

Country
Marz

Armenia
Lori

Government

- Mayor

Samvel Darbinyan

Elevation

1,424.6 m (4,674 ft)

Population (2002)

- Total

170,800

Time zone

GMT+4 (UTC+4)

- Summer (DST)

GMT+5 (UTC+5)

Website: www.vanadzor.ru

Vanadzor (Armenian: Վանաձոր) previously known as Karakilisa, which in Turkish means "black church," and later named Kirovakan (after Sergey Kirov) is a city in northern Armenia. It is the capital of the Lori province, and the third-largest city in Armenia with a population of 107,394 (2001 census). The city is considered to be one of the most picturesque in the entire country, having beautiful summer homes or dachas. The city is dominated by a large chemical plant.

Vanadzor's history dates back to the Bronze Age, with interesting tombs and other material finds now, in principle, housed in the local museum. The town received its name possibly as early as the 13th century, from a black stone church on a nearby hill. Totally destroyed in 1826 by Hasan Khan during the Russo-Persian war, the city enjoyed considerable uplift from the opening of the railroad to Tbilisi in 1899. In May 1918, General Nazarbekian's outnumbered troops fought the Turkish Army to a creditable tie, pushing them back a few days later at the crucial battle of Sardarapat. On the North side of the Spitak-Vanadzor highway, about 2 km West of the city, there is a little shrine in the ruins of a church, site of a planned monument to that battle.