independent Armenia in May 1918. After 2 years of brief independence, Armenia became part of the Soviet Union in December 1920. Hrazdan is among the towns that were founded and developed during the Soviet rule. The former village of Akhta (or Nerkin Akhta) -covering the southern parts of present-day Hrazdan- was the centre of the Akhta raion; an administrative territory of the Armenian SSR formed in 1930. In 1959, The village of Akhta was incorporated into an urban-type settlement known as Hrazdan. Akta raion was also renamed as Hrazdan raion. The original urban development plan of Hrazdan was introduced in 1961-63 by architects M. Grigoryan and E. Altunyan. Upon the January 12, 1963 decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR on the territorial changes in the state, the villages of Vanatur, Jrarat, Kakavadzor and Makravan have been merged within Hrazdan to become a town of republican subordination. In fact, the town of Hrazdan was formed through the merger of a group of separate villages and settlements. Hrazdan has gone through major development during the 1960s and 1970s when many large industrial plants were opened by the Soviet government, including the "HrazdanMash" machine tool plant, cement factory, Jrarat milk factory and the prefabricated concrete panels plant. Another urban development plan was introduced in 1978-80, where it was envisaged to accommodate 120,000 residents in Hrazdan by the end of 2010. However, the plan was eventually abandoned with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Modern-day Hrazdan is divided into 3 major parts: Northern, including the districts of Jrarat and Mikroshrjan, as well as the Hrazdan industrial district. Central, including the districts of Kochor, Vanatur, Kentron, and Makravan. Southern, including the districts of Spandaryan and Aghbyurak along with the Hrazdan reservoir. In December 1995, Hrazdan became the centre of the newly formed Kotayk Province. Geography and climate The town of Hrazdan is located in the northeastern part of Armenia, within the Kotayk Province. It is bordered by the Pambak mountains range from the north and the Tsaghkunyats Mountains from the southwest. The borders of the town extended east across the Geghama mountains reaching up to the top of Mount Gutanasar. While passing through the town, Hrazdan River receives its tributaries; Marmarik and Aghveran rivers. Hrazdan town has an average elevation 1675 meters above sea level. The town has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The average temperature is 4,8