Gyumri is the second largest city in Armenia and the capital of the Shirak Province. It is located in the northwestern part of the country, 158 kilometers from the capital Yerevan. The city has a population of 121,976 as of the 2011 census, down from 150,904 reported at the 2001 census.
The city is first mentioned as Kumayri in a 12th-century Armenian inscription on the wall of the Katoghike Church in the Akhurian district of Yerevan. The inscription refers to the city as a fortified town and the residence of the Bishop of Shirak.
The town grew in importance as a major trade center and the capital of a large province in the early 19th century. In 1829, after the last Russo-Persian War and the resulting Treaty of Turkmenchay, Kumayri became part of the Russian Empire as part of the Armenian Oblast. The province was dissolved in 1840 and