Armenian SSR city of Leninakan. Open the left menu of Gyumri. Climatic conditions of the city

In December, the film "Earthquake" is released. Sarik Andreasyan dedicated to the tragic events in Armenia. 28 years ago, almost half of the country's territory was affected by a powerful blow of the elements, thousands of people died, being trapped in stone captivity of destroyed houses. Then this trouble, without exaggeration, rallied the whole world. Help for the victims came not only from the Union republics, but also from other countries. It was a common grief, one for all.

Under the rubble

The main blow of the elements fell on the city of Spitak, which was at the epicenter of the earthquake; Leninakan, Kirovakan, Stepanavan and about 300 other settlements also suffered. Eyewitnesses of those terrible events said that in the first seconds, from strong vertical shocks, the houses literally jumped into the air, and then folded into a reinforced concrete pile, burying everyone inside. Those who were on the street at that moment could hardly stand on their feet, the ground was shaking. In a panic, many crowded in open squares and squares, afraid of being buried alive under the ruins of houses. After 30 seconds, the roar of collapsing buildings was replaced by silence, and a huge cloud of dust hung in the air.

When the aftershocks ended, someone could not recover from the shock, someone hurried home, hoping to find relatives and friends. But it was not possible to free people from the rubble on their own. The help of professional rescuers was needed. Alas, it did not come immediately, because the infrastructure of the republic was also badly damaged. And when the incident was announced on television, a huge number of people rushed to Armenia who wanted not only to help, but also to cash in on someone else's grief. As a result, all roads were clogged, which only aggravated the situation. Civil defense regiments could not get through to the scene of the tragedy.

City streets. Photo: RIA Novosti / Igor Mikhalev

The hardest thing was for those who were trapped in the stone captivity of their own homes. Some people remained completely immobilized under the rubble for several days. They didn't know what had happened or if help would come. history Emma Hakobyan and her three month old daughter Mariam knows the whole world. A woman with a child spent seven long days under the ruins of her house and only miraculously survived. At first she breastfed her daughter, but when the milk was gone, she pierced her finger, and maternal blood was used. Emma was taken out from under the rubble for 6 hours. But this story with a happy ending is rather an exception to the rule, in most cases people died without waiting for help.

Mass graves of victims of the earthquake. Leninakan, 1988 Photo: www.globallookpress.com

One sorrow for all

While most of the people were overwhelmed with grief and mourned the dead, the marauders were in a hurry to enrich themselves. They robbed savings banks and shops, without a twinge of conscience appropriated other people's things. They did not disdain anything: they tore earrings straight out of the ears of the dead, cut off fingers with rings. To stop this arbitrariness, 20 thousand military personnel came to the aid of the victims.

Along with egregious cases of looting, there were absolutely opposite stories. So, in Leninakan, relatives of the victims and the dead were released from colonies and prisons to help in excavating the rubble. They released 250 people - they returned a week later, only one escaped. Soon he was arrested.

Two days after the tragedy, he flew to Armenia General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Mikhail Gorbachev. The news of the earthquake caught him during an official visit to the United States. Gorbachev urgently returned to the Union, he arrived in Armenia with his wife. According to eyewitnesses, seeing the scale of the disaster, Raisa Maksimovna burst into tears.

Rescue work. Photo: RIA Novosti / Alexander Makarov

The first days were especially difficult for Armenia, the number of deaths was in the thousands. The elimination of the consequences of the earthquake was carried out not only by professionals, but also by many volunteers. These people worked for days, with little or no sleep and rest, they lost their health, and sometimes they simply went crazy, unable to cope with their own emotions.

Assistance to the affected republic was provided not only by the entire Union, but also by many foreign countries. Doctors and rescuers from France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany and America arrived in Armenia. More than 100 states provided humanitarian support. It seemed that the tragedy united the whole world. However, the collapse of the USSR broke plans to restore the destroyed cities.

New life

Almost immediately after the tragedy, an operation to restore them began in the affected settlements. 45,000 builders from all the Union republics left for the disaster areas. Already on January 7, the first house was laid in Leninakan, and at the end of the year its new residents celebrated their housewarming.

Of course, it is reasonable to ask why the 1988 earthquake became so devastating and destroyed entire cities. The answer was simple: construction in the republic was carried out in violation of technology, and the quality of the materials used was very low. It is for this reason that the elements left over five hundred thousand people without a roof over their heads in a matter of seconds.

Restoration of housing in Leninakan, 1989 Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The earthquake in Armenia was a kind of impetus for the republics of the USSR to have a system for preventing and eliminating the consequences of various emergencies. Previously, there was not even an elementary plan of action in extreme conditions. Many leaders gave orders intuitively, for example, Head of the Internal Affairs Directorate of Leninakan Levan Galastyan at his own peril and risk, he ordered to completely shut off the gas. Subsequently, it became clear that if he had not turned off the gas without permission, the city would have burned, and the number of victims would have increased significantly.

Alas, a person often forgets what should never be forgotten. If in the first years after the tragedy, every December 7, the country mourned the dead, then over time everything came to naught. Today, the new generation does not even know what happened back in 1988.

Leninakan, or Gyumri, as this city is now called, was the very starting point of my trip to Armenia. More precisely my desire to go there. Neither Armenian cuisine, nor ancient temples, nor ripe armenian fruits and even the people that exist in this country, namely the tragedy of December 7, 1988, the Spitak earthquake, which destroyed this city, like many others, settled forever in my childhood memories.

We arrived in Leninakan (I can’t call it Gyumri, and many older Armenians also use the old names) already at the end of our journey through Armenia from the town of Ayrum, which is located almost on the border with Georgia. But if you fly to Armenia from Moscow or St. Petersburg directly to Gyumri, or arrive in Armenia through Tbilisi, then you can’t just take it and immediately leave for Yerevan. It is more logical to start the tour from the north of the country, including Gyumri. And then go to Yerevan. How to do this is written at the end of the article.

You can see the route in the north of Armenia here, and in this article my guide to this amazing country and the route for 7 days.

Freedom Square in Gyumri

On the square in the very center stands a monument to St. Vardan Mamikonyan and his associates. With a sword and a cross, he is embodied in bronze and it is not difficult to guess where such a neighborhood comes from. The national hero of Armenia is canonized as a saint. He defended Christianity and fought against the Iranians.

Near the square is the Church of All Saints and the memorial of the tragedy of 1988.

Church of All Saints

The temple was badly damaged after the earthquake. It is being restored, but the matter is not being argued very quickly. As you can see from the photo on the information board, only two walls survived after the earthquake.

But the temple is not entirely new. It is literally collected from the wreckage, like a valuable broken vase. The photo below shows that what is with the relief, these are old particles, but what is smooth is already a remake. We decided to restore like this, and not literally copying the missing parts. I think this is correct. So the memory will live longer.

Nearby lies the old dome of the cathedral. Since this is a roof, and badly damaged, it was decided to make a new one.

Now the cathedral looks like this. We were not inside.

Memorial to the victims of the 1988 earthquake

Memorial plaque to the victims of the earthquake.

Statue of the lifeguards.

I was most touched by the dog here, well, that's obvious. In general, thousands of people from all over the country, our former common one, took part in rescuing the victims.

In the summer of 2016, the memorial looked abandoned. Perhaps in December on the 30th anniversary, things will be different.

And then we went to wander through the streets of the old city, which started right from the Freedom Square. If it were not for cars and people, then the city in some places looks like from the last century. Paving stones, low houses made of black tuff.

Old Gyumri

Abovyan street.

Looking closely, you can see the cracks left by the earthquake.

Intersection of Abovyan and Mayakovsky streets: Drampyanov House, XIX-XX centuries.

And such old houses, at least partially, survived.

Doors of an old house on Abovyan street.

Forging on the balcony also survived.

The house at the intersection of Abovyan and Teryan streets is the building of a former hospital later turned into a luxurious house for fun. And now here.

We turned the corner and looked into a typical courtyard in Gyumri.

Only the wall remained.

And right next to it.
And people live in the neighborhood.

Some houses were partially destroyed. Where you can live, people live. For example, the second floor is destroyed, but they live on the first.

And this is already 30 years old. It is most likely impossible to demolish these houses, they are monuments. But, of course, there are no funds to repair and rebuild while preserving history.

And these are residential buildings. So that they do not collapse, unstable and weak walls are supported so that the house remains standing. Because on one side it can be destroyed, but on the other side everything has more or less resisted that it is possible to live. And where to go...

Here are the remains of the house on one side.

I looked through the door of the abandoned and abandoned house, inside.

In general, the old Gyumri is a mixture of Art Nouveau, houses made of red and black tuff and wood. How handsome he must have been then.

Well, at the end of the walk through the old city of Gyumri, here is such a neighborhood.

Hospital on Shirakatsi street

And then we went to Shirakatsi Street, where the remains of the destroyed children's infectious diseases hospital still stand. To imagine what it was here in those days is simply scary, even after 30 years.

How to get to Gyumri from Yerevan and from Gyumri to Yerevan

I wrote in detail about how and what to travel throughout Armenia and transport from Yerevan around the country.

Bus or minibus

From Yerevan to Gyumri, there are no official city buses, but minibuses, or private traders, will be happy to take you. In Yerevan, minibuses can be found on a patch, the so-called "Bus Station", next to the Yerevan railway station. The cost varies from 1200 to 1500 AMD depending on the type of car.

electric train

An electric train runs between Gyumri and Yerevan three times a day: at 8-25, 11-45 and 18-05. Travel time 3 hours 10 minutes. During the tourist season, from April to October, additional trains and schedule changes are possible.

Taxi or transfer

If for some reason you are afraid to communicate with the locals and that you will be deceived or you will need to bargain, and this will certainly be the case, you will have to bargain, then you can order a transfer in advance.

Car for rent or with a driver

If you have rights and love freedom of movement, then rent a car, for example, in. The road to Gyumri is not the best, but in any case, whether it’s a bus or a minibus, I’ll go along it. And if you are by car, then along the way you can see many beautiful views and stop.

How to get to Gyumri from Georgia

Another option for how to get to Armenia cheaply, in principle, is by plane to Tbilisi.

The cheapest tickets from Moscow to Tbilisi and back

And then take a minibus on the spot, or a taxi, or pre-order a transfer from Tbilisi airport to Armenia. Gyumri is located near the border. This route has already been run by many tourists and just Armenians. Georgia is friends with Armenia, and the border crossing (we were there on a “kindred” excursion) is not very stressful.

Also in Armenia there is an opportunity to take a car with a driver. The price in rubles is 2-2.5 thousand for the whole day. You can also take a driver with a car for a few days, while the driver himself decides where he will sleep. But if you didn’t book anything in advance, you can find accommodation on the spot. If you need contacts of "your" drivers - write, I'll throw them off.

Where to stay in Gyumri

Flying here and going to Yerevan on the same day is not the best option. So stay for one night. There are hotels in the city. Traditionally search on roomguru and book on booking.com

Or here, hotels in the center with discounts. Information changes and is updated.

#255#! have their own history, their own traditions and individual historical events, Gyumri is one of those cities.

Climate.

Name.

Religion.

Population.

Army.

Rich city.

Currently, Gyumri is at the peak of its development. Many places destroyed during the 1988 earthquake are being reconstructed and will soon appear in a new glory. For all Armenians, it is important that Gyumri finally find integrity and a generally pleasant appearance, without the destroyed parts of the city. The residents of Gyumri are waiting for everyone to visit them and, better than any guide, they will show picturesque places and tell a huge number of stories so that you still want to return to the city.

To the question City of Leninakan - where is it? How is it renamed and what is it famous for? given by the author Alina V the best answer is According to the founder of Armenian history, Movsesy Khorenatsi (5th century), the grandson of Hayk Nahapet Aramais sent his son of many children, the glutton Shar, along with his whole family and household, to the nearest fertile black earth field. The latter was located at the northern foot of Mount Aragats. There was a lot of water flowing there. That fertile land was named after him - Shirak.
It is known that the settlement, where Gyumri is now located, was called Kumayri in the old days. This name is usually associated with the name of the Cimmerians - tribes that invaded the western shores of the Black Sea from the East European Plain (VIII century BC). Kumayri was already mentioned in the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. famous Greek commander and historian Xenophon.
In the Armenian bibliography, Kumayri (the ancient name of Gyumri) is first mentioned in connection with the uprising of 773-775 against Arab domination. In the Middle Ages Kumayri - a large settlement
In 1804, during the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813, Kumayri became part of the Russian Empire. In 1837, a Russian fortress was laid on the territory of Gyumri, in the same year Nicholas I visited it, the city was renamed Alexandropol in honor of his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In 1840, Gyumri was officially proclaimed a city, in 1850, it became the center of the Alexandropol district of the Erivan province.
Alexandropol, being a border fortress city, soon also became a significant center of trade and handicrafts. In 1899, in connection with the construction of the railway lines Tiflis-Alexandropol, then Alexandropol-Yerevan, continued in 1906 to Julfa and further to Tabriz, Alexandropol became one of the important railway junctions. This was a turning point in the socio-economic and cultural life of the city. In the pre-Soviet period, Alexandropol was primarily a craftsman's city. In Alexandropol there were many shops, large and small shops, markets. By the end of the 19th century, the city was inhabited by 32 thousand inhabitants. After Tiflis and Baku, Alexandropol was considered the third largest and most important commercial and cultural center of Transcaucasia. During this period, about 10 schools and colleges operated in Gyumri.
In the struggle for the establishment of Soviet power in Armenia, a special place is occupied by the May 1920 uprising of the railroad workers and workers of the Gyumri depot. Its leaders were Bagrat Gharibdzhanyan, Yegor Sevyan, Sargis Musaelyan (shot).
In 1924, Alexandropol, which became Soviet, was renamed Leninakan, and after the declaration of independence of Armenia, it regained its historical name - Gyumri.
Heavily damaged as a result of the catastrophic Spitak earthquake in December 1988.
There are five churches, one monastery, and one Orthodox chapel in the city. The most luxurious and historically important of them is the Amenaprkich (All Savior) Church. Construction on the church began in 1859 and was completed in 1873.
Not far from Gyumri, the world famous mathematician and astronomer Ananias (Ananias) Shirakatsi (615) was born. Also in Gyumri were born composers Nikoghaos and Armen Tigranyan, art critic Garegin Levonyan (son of ashug Jivani), People's Artist of the Armenian SSR Shara Talyan, singer and actor Henrik Alaverdyan, academicians of the Armenian Academy of Sciences Gevorg Gharibdzhanyan, Andranik Shahinyan, Alexander Hakobyan, Khachatur Koshtoyan, Sergey Ambartsumyan, Ruben Zaryan. Since the 19th century, Gyumri has been called the city of poets and ashugs, "crafts and arts". Gyumri is a well-known musical and theatrical center, for the first time an Armenian opera (“Anush” by A. Tigranyan) was staged at the Gyumri City Theater. Gyumri is the birthplace of famous jokers, witty heroes of jokes (Poloz Mukuch, Citro Alek, Helar Simon, Serozh, Vardanik, etc.).
The inhabitants of Gyumri are known for their sharp sense of humor (Gyumri can in a sense be called the "capital" of Armenian humor), traditionalism, hard work and ambition.

Answer from Alyona[guru]
Armenia.
Gyumri (until 1840 - Kumayri, in 1840-1924 - Alexandropol, in 1924-1991 - Leninakan) - the second largest city in Armenia, located 126 kilometers from Yerevan, on the Shirak plateau, east of the Akhuryan River

Answer from Youdarynya[guru]
Armenia. It shook him in a terrible way during the earthquake in Spitak!

Answer from Irink@[guru]
In Armenia, now, in my opinion, it is called Gyumri

Answer from Yamara Steshenko[guru]
Gyumri, on the Armenian-Turkish border. If Spitak was completely destroyed, then something remained in Leninakan, but it also got a lot. Under the Soviets, there were more than 100 thousand people, Kirovakan and Leninakan were the two largest cities after Yerevan.

Exactly 30 years ago, on December 7, 1988, at 11:41 am local time, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Armenia, which turned cities into ruins in 30 seconds. What the city of Leninakan (Gyumri) looks like 30 years after one of the worst disasters in the history of mankind

In 2016, the film "Earthquake" was released, which tells about the events of the 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia. The city of Spitak was completely destroyed in half an hour, and with it the settlements of Gyumri, Vanadzor, Stepanavan. This film tells directly about the city of Leninakan, which is now called Gyumri. We came here to see the remains of the ruins and chat with the locals who caught this terrible time. In the center of the city, everything has been rebuilt a long time ago, the city hall is located on Vardanants Square.

And in the center of the square, the monument to Vardan Mamikonyan is the national hero of Armenia, the leader of the Armenian uprising against the Iranian Sassanids, who tried to impose the Zoroastrian religion.

To the question of the locals in the cafe: "What to see in your place?" Everyone answered: "We have beautiful churches." There are even two of them in this area.
Church of the Virgin.

And the Amenaprkich Church, which is still being restored.

By the way, this is how it looked after the earthquake.

But we are not entirely interested. Having learned the direction of movement to the area where the devastation remained after those times, we went to look for the ruins.

To be honest, even without an earthquake, the city is not in the best condition, although it is the second largest city in Armenia.

Electrician's nightmare

Slowly, we got to that area, destroyed, but never restored.

It seems that the earthquake took place here not 30 years ago, but yesterday.

The government set a period of 2 years for restoration, however, after 3 years the Soviet Union collapsed, in connection with which the period was pushed back. Actually, the consequences of the 1988 earthquake have not been eliminated so far. Remarkably, the Union threw all its financial and labor resources to help those affected by the disaster in Spitak: more than 45,000 volunteers came from the republics. Tens of thousands of parcels from all over the Soviet Union arrived in the city and surrounding settlements as humanitarian aid.

During this earthquake, about 30,000 people died and more than 140,000 people became disabled.

And someone dropped everything and left.

It is noticeable here how one strong wall of the house was preserved, and a completely different wall was built up to it from the remains of bricks.

This house just got a wall

There are also beautiful buildings nearby.

This memorial park

There is a memorial sign here, but its meaning is almost impossible to understand.

And on the other side of the square, there is a new monument “To Innocent Victims, Merciful Hearts”, depicting a heap of people and concrete blocks.