Gyumri (Page Two)

Verzhine, me, & Narine in front of the Lord Byron School, where our class is held.

Also in my class is a mother-son team, Narine and Hovik. Narine's husband was supposed to be in the class, but was unable to take the time away from his job at City Hall, so Hovik, who is 12, took his place. He is a very good student (and so is his mother!). His sister, Verzhine, just spent a year as an exchange student at a high school in Michigan, and she offered to be my tour guide. Hovik, in true little brother fashion, tagged along. He is very interested in the history and culture of Gyumri, and is doing an online guide as his web design project.

Gyumri is an interesting small city. Its history goes back to ancient times, and it flourished under Russian influence in the 19th century. During this time, the city was named Alexandropol for one of the Russian tsarinas, and Leninakan in the 20th century. You can see many different cultural influences.

You might remember that there was a horrible earthquake in Armenia in 1988. The epicenter was near here (Spitak), and Gyumri suffered much destruction and lost lives. They are still rebuilding, and cranes dot the cityscape. Seeing all the collapsed building facades really gives you a stark reminder how life is subject to drastic changes.

Go to Gyumri/Page 3