The name Lori (Լոռի) is of Armenian origin (from Armenian "quail"), first appeared in the 11th century when KingDavid I Anhoghin founded the fortified city ofLori.[6] The fortress-city became the capital of theKingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget in 1065. The name Lori later spread through the region and replaced the original name of Tashir.[7]
Situated at the north of modern-day Armenia, Lori covers an area of 3,789 square kilometres (1,463 sq mi) (12.7% of total area of Armenia). It is bordered byTavush Province from the east,Kotayk Province from the southeast,Aragatsotn Province from the southwest andShirak Province from the west. The province is bordered by theKvemo Kartli region ofGeorgia.
Historically, the territories of modern-day Lori are associated with the cantons ofTashir, Boghnopor and Dzorapor ofGugark province of Ancient Armenia.
Lori is a mountainous region, dominated by the ranges ofJavakheti, Bazum, Pambak, Gugark, Halab and Somkheti. The highest point of the province isMount Achkasar of the Javakheti range with a height of 3196 meters. The lowest point is 380 meters in the valley of Debed in the northeast of the province.[8]
The main water resource of the province is theDebed river with its tributariesDzoraget,Pambak and Martsaget.
The climate is characterized with extremely cold snowy winters and mild summers. The annual precipitation level is between 600 and 700 mm (24 and 28 in).
Excavations conducted in 1931 testify that the region of modern-day Lori was most probably settled during the 1st half of the 2nd millennium BC. Later, the region became part of the Urartu Kingdom between the 8th and 6th centuries BC. After theAchaemenid invasion, the region became part of the 18th Satrapy of Persia.[9] With the establishment of theKingdom of Armenia in 331 BC, the region became part of the kingdom within the historicGugark province, the 13th province of Greater Armenia.[7][10] In the course of the 4th century, the region was ruled by members of theHouse of Mihran.[11]
Following the partition of Armenia in 387 between theByzantine Empire andSassanid Persia, and the subsequent collapse ofArsacid Armenia in 428,Eastern Armenia including Gugark province became under the rule of Sassanid Persia. In 658, Armenia was conquered by theArab invaders. At the end of the 9th century, most of the Gugark province became part of the newly establishedBagratid Kingdom of Armenia. In 979, KingKiurike I founded theKingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget under the rule of the Kiurikian dynasty and the protectorate of theBagratid kings of Armenia. The capital of the kingdom was Matsnaberd (until 1065) and theLori fortress. The Kiurikians ruled the kingdom until 1118 when Tashir-Dzoraget became part of theKingdom of Georgia.
TheSeljuks invaded the region in the early 12th century, but their rule did not last long and in 1118–1122 the Georgian kingDavid the Builder conquered Lori and granted the rule to theHouse of Orbeli. TheOrbeli's revolted unsuccessfully in 1177, after which aKipchak named Kubasar was appointedspasalari of Lori. Later in 1185, the province became ruled by theMkhargdzeli dynasty after QueenTamar of Georgia appointed the Sargis Mkhargrdzeli as its governor.[7] However, the region was devastated by theMongol invasion of 1236, and the Zakarian dynasty declined by the 2nd half of the 14th century.[7] After fall of theKingdom of Georgia in 1490, Lori remained part ofKingdom of Kartli until the 16th century.
In 1862, Lori was transferred into the jurisdiction of theTiflis Governorate. In 1880, Lori became part of theBorchali uyezd of the Tiflis Governorate. In the early 20th century, Lori was mostly populated by Armenians, with several Russian and Greek villages.[7] In May 1918, the Ottoman Turkish forces moved towardsYerevan and Karakilisa (nowVanadzor). On 25 May 1918, the Armenians led byGaregin Nzhdeh fought against the Turkish forces led byWehib Pasha, at the vicinity of Karakilisa. On 28 May 1918, the Turks retreated fromKarakalisa,Abaran andSardarabad, paving way towards the declaration of theRepublic of Armenia on the same day.
In late 1918,Armenia andGeorgia fought aborder war over Lori. Lori was claimed by both countries after 1918, when both declared its independence from Russian empire. Initially, Georgia controlled Lori. After turning down Armenian ultimatum, Georgian forces were attacked by Armenians and pushed back to river Khrami. Georgians consolidated and counterattacked, pushing Armenian forces out of the contested area. In January 1919, the British brokered a peace agreement which left northern Lori as aneutral zone between the two countries. Once the British had left the region and the Caucasus as a whole, Armenian forces took control over the region. When Armenia was invaded by Turkish forces in November 1920, Georgia occupied the whole province, with permission by the Armenian government. Following Armenia's Sovietization in December 1920, Lori was incorporated intoSoviet Armenia on 6 November 1921.[7]
During the Soviet period, modern-day Lori was divided into the raions of Kalinino, Tumanyan (Alaverdi until 1969), Kirovakan, Aragats, Spitak and Stepanavan. After the independence of Armenia, the 6 raions were merged as per the 1995 administrative reform, to form the Lori Province.
According to the1989 Soviet census, the Lori Province (then part of the Gugark, Tashir, Spitak, Stepanavan, and Tumanyan districts in 1930–1995)[14] had a population of 229,459. 116,180 or 50.63% of which was urban, distributed in the cities of Alaverdi (26,930), Kirovakan (75,616), Spitak (3,740) and Stepanavan (9,894), and 113,279 or 49.37% were rural, distributed in the districts of Gugark (20,368), Tashir (30,645), Spitak (8,613), Stepanavan (17,474), and Tumanyan (36,179).[15]
According to the 2011 official census, Lori has a population of 235,537 (111,675 men and 123,862 women), forming around 7.8% of the entire population of Armenia. The urban population is 137,784 (58.5%) and the rural is 97,753 (41.5%). The province has 8 urban and 105 rural communities. The largest urban community is the provincial center of Vanadzor, with a population of 86,199. The other urban centres are Alaverdi, Stepanavan, Spitak, Shamlugh, Tashir, Akhtala and Tumanyan.
With a population of 4,578, the village ofMetsavan is the largest rural municipality of Lori.
According to the Diocese of Gougark, as of February 2016, Lori is home to 259 places of worship, of which 3 monasteries, as well as 36 churches and 23 chapels, are active.[17]
The 793 individuals of theYazidi community are found in the southern villages of the province including Lermontovo andLernantsk.
Lori is also home to a tiny Greek community of 655 individuals who speak thePontic dialect. Small Greek communities could be found in the towns of Alaverdi, Akhtala, Stepanavan, Noyemberyan and Vanadzor. The majority of theYaghdan village is Greek.
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2023)
Lori Province administration in Vanadzor
As a result of the administrative reforms in November 2017, Lori is currently divided into 57 municipal communities (hamaynkner), of which seven are urban and 50 are rural:[18][19][20][21][22]
Lori is connected to other parts of Armenia through a railway, national highways and a network of regional roads. The M-3 and M-6 highways passing through the province, connect the capital Yerevan with the Georgian capitalTbilisi. The M-8 highway connects Lori with Tavush Province to the east
The provincial centre Vanadzor has a railway station with aSouth Caucasus Railway express service that connects the city withYerevan viaGyumri, andTbilisi viaAyrum. In April 2012, a replacement bridge over the Zamarlu gorge just west ofVahagnadzor was opened in order to secure the safe ongoing use of the line to Ayrum,[23] but not before the all station service between Gyumri and Ayrum was discontinued leaving the likes ofSpitak andAlaverdi without a passenger service. A new railway link between Vanadzor andFioletovo (west ofDilijan) has also been proposed.[24]
Stepanavan Airport, located 44 km (27 mi) north of Vanadzor, is the nearest airport to the city.
The agriculture of Lori forms around 7.5% of the annual total agricultural product of Armenia.[25] Approximately, 40% of the population in Lori are involved in agricultural activities, including farming and cattle-breeding. Almost 66.3% (2,511.5 km2) of the total area of the province arearable lands, out of which 17% (421 km2) are ploughed. The main crops of the province are grains, followed by potato and vegetables.[26]
There is a large poultry farm in the town of Spitak.
As of 2016, the province has a contribution of around 6% in the annual total industrial product of Armenia. Lori is a major centre for metallurgical business, building materials production, as well as dairy products.
The Alaverdi copper smelter owned the "Armenian Copper Programme" company is the only smelter in Lori that is still in operation since the Soviet days. The largest copper mines are located in Alaverdi, Akhtala, Shamlugh andTeghut.
The city of Vanadzor is the main industrial centre of the province. The industry of the city is quite diversified with many firms specialized in garment manufacturing, chemical products, building materials, and dairy products. The largest garment manufacturers of the city are the "Dav-Gar" garment factory founded in 1962, the Darbbag's Sewing Factory founded in 1977 (privatized in 1996), the "Sarton" Sewing Factory founded in 1990, "Ruz-Dan" garment factory founded in 2000. The largest chemical plants of Vanadzor include the "Vanadzor ChimProm" founded in 1929, the "Gipk" enterprise for polymeric materials founded in 1967, and the "Gary Group" for polymeric materials founded in 1998. The "Beton" enterprise founded in 1988, the "Bionik" plant founded in 2004, and the "Karaberd" plant are specialized in building materials. The "DIET LLC", the "K&K" factory, and the "Katnagorts" plant are specialized in dairy products. Other major industrial plants of Vanadzor include the "Ardvin" electromechanical plant founded in 1956, the "Gems De Luxe" precious stone processing enterprise founded in 1996, and the "Jerutsogh" factory for heating equipments. The Vanadzor Thermal Power Plant is operating since 1961.
The town of Spitak is home to the "Spitak-1" organization for construction and building materials founded in 1985, the "Sev Kakach" cooperative for bakery production founded in 1987, the "Bee Art" plant for honey, and the "Vanuhi" garment factory.
Lori is famous for its cheese and other dairy products. The town Tashir is home to many firms for dairy products including the "Daughter Melania" cheese factory (since 1996, the "Dumikyan Brothers" cheese factory), the "Kalinino Kat" plant, and the "Tashir Kat" plant.
Other notable industrial plants in Lori include the "Bhez-Plazma" Electrical Products Manufacturing Enterprise founded in 1960 in Stepanavan, the "Titanyan Brothers" plant for building materials founded in 1964 in Alaverdi, the "INSI-NTK" plant for cosmetics and perfumes founded in 2006 inHobardz, the "Katnarat Dairy Factory" founded in 2009 inKatnarat, the "Tutyan" linseed oil manufacturing enterprise founded in 2010 inHartagyugh, the "Grig Stone" mining and stone-processing plant in Stepanavan, the "Hoosh" stone-processing plant in Tashir, and the "Sanasar Janjughazyan" plant for carbonated soft drinks inVardablur.
TheDzoraget Hydroelectric Power Station (Armenian:Ձորագետի հիդրոէլեկտրակայան) is located in theDzoraget village of Lori, on the shores ofDebed River. It is in operation since on 15 November 1932 with the full installed capacity of 22.32 MW.[27] As of 1980, the plant uses three generators with an installed capacity of 26.2 MW.[28] The Dzoraget Hydro Power Plant is considered to be small size power plant.[29]
The mountainous nature, the mild summer climate and the green forests of Lori attract a large number of visitors during the summer season. Many sanatoriums, hotels, resorts and spas serve the province, mainly around Vanadzor, Stepanavan, Alaverdi, Dsegh and along the rivers of Dzoraget and Deped.
Lori has three nature protected areas, including the Gyulagarak Sanctuary, the Margahovit Sanctuary, and the Rhododendron caucasicum Sanctuary near Aghstev river.
Gugark was one of the major educational centres throughout the history. The historic University of Sanahin opened in 966 AD by the efforts of the Bagratuni queen Khosrovanush, was located in the area of modern-daySanahin.
The State College of Alaverdi offers an opportunity in pedagogical studies with a duration of two years, while theTumanyan branch of the "Northern University" offers degrees in nursing and dental prosthesis.
As of the 2015–16 educational year, Lori was home to 162 schools.[30]
The Vanadzor Technological Center is operating since October 2016. It is intended to promote the business and technology environment in the entire region of Lori.[31]
TheChildren of Armenia Fund (COAF), anon-profit NGO that is focused on child-centered development of rural Armenia, opened the first COAF SMART Center in Debet village of Lori in May 2018.[32]
Football,handball andwinter sports are popular in Lori. There are football stadiums in Vanadzor, Alaverdi, Akhtala and Tumanyan.
Lori Vanadzor,FC Vanadzor,Debed FC andFC Akhtala had represented the province in the domestic football competitions. However, they were all dissolved due to financial difficulties.
^(in Russian)http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/HE1/he129.хтм[permanent dead link] "Северо-Восточная Армения, продолжавшая называться Урарту, составляла 18-ю сатрапию и в то время, по всей вероятности, еще не вполне арменизировалась по языку; в ее состав входили наряду с армянами, урартами-алародиями и хурритами-матиенами также и восточные протогрузинские племена - саспиры."
^(in Russian)Акты собранные Кавказской Археографической Коммиссиею. Том 1. Тифлис, 1866. С. 436–437.Грузия разделяется на 5 уездов, из коих 3 в Карталинии: Горийский, Лорийский и Душетский, и 2 в Кахетии: Телавский и Сигнахский.
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