Alexandria-Gyumri Sister Cities Committee
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About Gyumri
Alexandria’s sister city in Armenia is located in the northwestern corner of that country, some 126 km from the capital city of Yerevan. Gyumri was first settled in the 5th century BC and existed as a small settlement until the mid 19th century, when it began to grow and prosper as a result of its role as a military garrison for expansionist Russian Imperial military activities in the Transcaucasus region. Its appointment in 1837 as a major outpost precipitated one of a few name changes, as the city was named Alexandropol by Tsar Nicholas I. In the 19th and early 20th century, the city grew to include over 30,000 citizens and became one of the most notable hubs of trade and culture in the entire Caucasus. During the Soviet era and following the death of Soviet Leader Vladimir Lenin, the city changed its name to Leninikan and continued to build its prosperity as a major industrial center for the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the restoration of Armenian independence, the city yet again claimed its ancient name of Gyumri. Despite its proud history as one of Armenia’s oldest towns, Gyumri has struggled economically since the 1988 earthquake, even given the efforts of the international community to assist with reconstruction and development. Temporary homes were provided in the form of metal containers that were supposed to last a couple of years, but even today there are still thousands of people living in them, and the legacy of the disaster persist in terms of unemployment, substandard infrastructure and housing shortages.
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