Vanadzor is the third-largest city in Armenia with a population of 107,394 (2001 census) and the capital of the Lori province. It was previously known as Kirovakan (Armenian: Ô¿Õ«Ö€Õ¸Õ¾Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶, after Sergey Kirov) during the Soviet era and as Karakilisa ("black church" in Turkish) during the Tsarist period. The city is considered to be one of the most picturesque in the entire country, having beautiful summer homes or dachas. Vanadzor 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 city 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. The vicinity of the city was the site of the Battle of Karakilisa when in May 1918, General Tovmas Nazarbekian's outnumbered troops successfully defended it from the invading Turkish Army, pushing them back just a few days after 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. |
