Gyumri

Gyumri is the second largest city in Armenia, after the capital, Yerevan. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. Located in Shirak Province in the northwest part of Armenia, it is close to the border with Turkey, and not too far from Georgia either.

A brief history

The city has gone by many names. The first evidence of Gyumri was inscriptions from the time of the Urartian kingdom referring to “Kumayri”. This was its original name as far as we know. In the time of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, it was called Alexandrapol, named after Tsar Nikolas’ wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna. Later, Armenia became a member of the Soviet Union. Alexandrapol was then renamed Leninakan, after Vladimir Lenin. After the dissolution of the USSR, the First Republic of Armenia officially named the city Gyumri.

Gyumri has a historical reputation as being a center for arts.  Some of Armenia’s most famous writers were from Gyumri. Poets Avetik Isahakyan and Hovhannes Shiraz were both native Gyumretsis. There are museums in the city dedicated to these poets. The city has also been home to many painters, and still is. These days there are musical groups such as the Gohar Ensemble, and other orchestras and choirs, and a famous rock group called Bambir is from Gyumri.

Russia perhaps has a stronger influence in Gyumri than in other cities in Armenia. In 19th century Russian was already very widely spoken by the people in the city, and Russia had a military presence there. Even today, Russia’s military base in Armenia is located in Gyumri. Russian soldiers thus make up a small part of the population. Many kids go to Russian schools. Still, though, Armenian traditions and cultural values are just as strong in Gyumri as in any other place in Armenia.

The City Today

Today’s Gyumri, while still visibly damaged, nevertheless has beauty that shines through. You can see that there is still much leftover destruction from the 1988 earthquake, as a large percentage of its buildings were destroyed. However, you can still see how significant a city Gyumri was. The architecture is very unique and noteworthy. A main building component of the city’s structures is tuff, a volcanic rock. Many old significant buildings are made from black, red, or pink tuff. The designs and material appearance of the buildings is beautiful. Surprisingly, some of the areas in Gyumri that withstood the earthquake the most were streets of old buildings made in the traditional Gyumri style. You can learn a lot about how old Gyumri looked by walking around the streets. You can also visit the architecture museum and get a very detailed history.

A particularly impressive build in Gyumri is the Black Fortress, known in Armenian as Sev Berd. This was a Russian military base built in the 1830’s, shortly after Gyumri became part of the Russian Empire and was renamed “Alexandrapol”. It rests on top of a hill, very close to the border with Turkey. From Sev Berd, Russian troops defended Alexandrapol from several attempts by the Turks to besiege the city. Today the fortress is abandoned as a military outlet, and the inside is like a museum in which you can learn all about the time during the Russian Empire. Nowadays Sev Berd is used for many events including wedding receptions, parties, and even theater and musical performances.

The historical sites are not the only attraction of Gyumri today. There are also some very nice places that tourists can visit. On Rijkov Street, just off of the main Vardanants Square, has a number of restaurants, cafes, and shops. Herbs and Honey is a nice place to have tea and lunch. There is also a restaurant right in Vardanants Square called Old Armenia, in which they serve traditional food. Ponchik Monchik, a cafe restaurant, is found in two places in Gyumri. Locals enjoy going to these places, as well as the movie theater, right in Vardanants Square.

Traditionalism is strong here. Christianity is prevalent in all of Armenia, but especially in Gyumri. Churches make up some of the city’s largest and most significant structures, some of them in operation. Traditional Armenian customs are preserved by the citizens, who regularly practice hospitality, modesty, family values. People are very hard working, as this is required when living in this city. There is not a lot of work to be found right now, which is why many people move to Yerevan. But Gyumri still has many hard working citizens.

What does the future hold for Gyumri?

There is room for economic growth in Gyumri. One of the leading industries in the Armenian economy right now is IT. Gyumri is home to the Gyumri Technological Center (GTC), which holds the office of many tech companies working with people internationally. There are many talented and educated young people in Gyumri. There are youth centers that offer both younger and older kids to have a place to go to learn another language, take music lessons, and do things like poetry recitations, often for free. Many kids go to university, get a degree in a good profession and learn English. The people in general have an optimistic attitude. Many people find it easier to leave Gyumri and find opportunity elsewhere, but those who stay have strong characters. They have a lot to offer the rest of Armenia, and even other parts of the world.

Gyumri has gone through a number of difficult periods. Two earthquakes happened in the 20th century, and the effects of the 1988 one are still very evident. The city suffered from mass migration due to unsustainable living conditions and insufficient housing, plus a separation from Russia with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Despite all these recent hardships, there is hope for the city of Gyumri, as it is quite a significant and historical place. There is a lot of opportunity for tourism that is not being utilized at the moment. There are places ready to visits from foreigners, like Sev Berd and the museums, and there are places which will be interesting for visitors once they are ready, like the large, beautiful, old orange and black church in Vardanants Square.

What makes a city? Optimistic people, a willingness to support each other, and a strong sense of cultural values. This trumps the difficult recent history of destruction, migration, and poverty. It is still evident that the city is a solid society and can improve, and even thrive as an Armenian city.

One Day Cultural Tours in Armenia