Tumanyan, Armenia
- For the nearby town formerly called Tumanyan, see Dsegh.
Coordinates: 41°00′10″N 44°38′54″E / 41.00278°N 44.64833°E
| Tumanyan Թումանյան | |
|---|---|
|
From top left: Tumanyan Central square Kobayr monastery • Debed River House of culture • Statue of Hovhannes Tumanyan Debed River gorge • Tumanyan landscape | |
  Tumanyan Թումանյան | |
| Coordinates: 40°59′12″N 44°39′21″E / 40.98667°N 44.65583°E | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Marz (Province) | Lori |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Levon Zavaryan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1 km2 (0.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 810 m (2,660 ft) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
| • Total | 1,710 |
| • Density | 1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | (UTC+4) |
| Sources: Population[1] | |
Tumanyan (Armenian: Թումանյան), is a town in the Lori Province of Armenia, located 149 km north of the capital Yerevan, and 38 km north of the provincial centre Vanadzor. As of the 2011 census, the population of Tumanyan is 1,710, declining from 2,864 reported in 1964.[2] The nearby village of Kober kayaran is also part of the Tumanyan community.
Etymology
By its foundation in 1926, town was known as Dzaghidzor (Armenian: Ձաղիձոր). However, it was renamed Tumanyan in 1951, in honour of the famous Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanyan.
History
Historically, the area of modern-day Tumanyan was included in the Dzorapor (Armenian: Ձորափոր) canton of the historic Gugark province, the 13th province of Greater Armenia. Prior to the foundation of the Republic of Armenia in 1918, the area was part of the Borchali uyezd of Tiflis Governorate within the Russian Empire. In late 1918, Armenia and Georgia fought a border war over the region of Lori. In January 1919, the Lori neutral zone was established by the British forces. Following Armenia's sovietization in December 1920, Lori was finally incorporated into Soviet Armenia on 11 February 1921.
In 1926, the village of Dzaghidzor was founded on the right bank of Debed river. In 1947, the village was granted the status of an urban-type settlement. In 1951, the settlement was renamed Tumanyan. During the 1950s, the Kober railway station was opened on the left bank of Debed river, around 1 km northwest of Tumanyan.[3]
In 1995, the government of independent Armenia reaffirmed the status of Tumanyan as an urban settlement granting it the status of a town. Currently, the Tumanyan community also includes the nearby village of Kober kayaran along with its train station.
A ruined fortress known as Avanakar dating back to the 14th century, is at the southern outskirts of the town.
Geography
Tumanyan is situated on a plateau on the right bank of Debed river at a height of 810 meters above sea level. It occupies an area of around 1 km².
Tumanyan is characterized with a Subtropical climate. The weather is relatively hot during the summer season and mildly cold during winter.
The annual precipitation level ranges between 500 and 600 mm.
Demographics
The resident of Tumanyan are entirely Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. The population of Tumanyan reached its peak during the 1960s when the town had around 3,000 people. However, the population is declining since the 1970s, due to the quick decline in the economy of the region.
Here is the population timeline since the foundation of Tumanyan in 1926:
| Year | 1926 | 1959 | 1964 | 1980 | 2001 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42 | 2640 | 2864 | 1881 | 1909 | 1710 |
Culture
Tumanyan has a cultural palace located at the central square. It also has a public library, ethnographic museum and an art academy.
The statue of poet Hovhannes Tumanyan at the northwestern entrance to the town.
The 12th-century Armenian Monastery of Kobayr is located at the northern outskirts of Tumanyan. Many kahchkars (cross-stones) are also found in the town, dating back to the 9th, 13th and 14th centuries.
Transportation
Tumanyan is located on the on M-6 Motorway that connects the Yerevan with Tbilisi via Vanadzor.
Economy
The residents of the small town are mainly involved in agriculture and cattle-breeding. However, there are many small industrial plants as well, including food-processing, dairy products, garments and building materials production.
Education
The town has 2 public education schools as well as a kindergarten.
Sport
Football is the most popular sport in the Tumanyan. The town has a municipal football stadium with a small capacity of seats.
Other popular sports are martial arts, wrestling and chess.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tumanyan. |
