Travel to Gyumri in a tour of the Caucasus

Gyumri is the second in scale after Yerevan city and also the center of the province of Shirak; disposed 126 km from the capital.

It has been approved as a result of archaeological excavations that the city territory has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and its rich historical past, evidenced by various monuments and cultural sites from different eras.

The town for its existence has been renamed several times, and was originally called Kumayri, then became Alexandropol, Leninakan during the Sovietic era, and today is known as Gyumri.

In the consequence of the Russian-Persian war, it passed into the rule of the Russian Empire, and thus became the first place of Eastern Armenia, conquered by Russians. Name Alexandroupoli just been given at this time by Tsar Nicholas in honor of his wife.

In the communistic period Leninakan became a center of industrial development.

The tragic circumstance of the earthquake in 1988, claimed the lives of 30,000 residents and left homeless about 400 thousand Armenians.

In the city center is erected a monument in honor of the French-Armenian songster Charles Aznavour, who actively collected the funds to help the affected population.

Gyumri served by an international airport, 5 km from the city center, which is a convenient circumstance for tourists wishing to start their journey to the Caucasus from here.

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In Gyumri preserved the unique traditions, as it has always been a place of artisans and Hammersmith.

Here, almost at every step you can see a variety of museums dedicated to famous personalities who lived and worked in this region in different periods.

So, for example museum dedicated to the life and work of the most popular and loved far beyond the borders of Armenia, actor Frunzik Mkrtchyan. The actor was known for his large nose and comedic roles, but nevertheless, his personal life was full of tragic moments.

Not far from here you can visit the house of Avetik Isahakyan, one of the celebrated poets of Armenia, who was famous for his lyrical style. The poet traveled a lot to abroad.

Also interesting museum of Shiraz, of 1860, dedicated to writer Hovhannes Shiraz, of classical poetry of the 20th century. He was born at a difficult period for the Armenians, in the days of the genocide. Shiraz has grown almost on the street, running barefoot and almost living hand to mouth. For his work Shiraz has not published a lot of books, but mostly he wrote quatrains, parables and made transfers. He had a great recognition both in Armenia and abroad, and today is considered amongst the greatest poets of the twentieth century. In his poems always sound patriotic notes and devoted mainly to Ararat and Motherland.