gained massive popularity in Armenia, being promoted by Armfighting Professional Federation based in Yerevan. It was founded in 2005 by Hayk Ghukasyan and currently runs several branches throughout the provinces of Armenia and Artsakh with more than 2,000 athletes. With the increased interest in healthy lifestyle and fitness, many large and modern training complexes with indoor and outdoor swimming pools have recently been opened in the city such as the Davit Hambardzumyan Swimming and Diving Olympic School, Orange Fitness Premium Club, DDD Sports Complex, Aqua Land Sports Complex, Gold's Gym, Grand Sport Complex, Reebok Sports Club, and Multi Wellness Sport and Health Center. International relations The city of Yerevan is member of many international organizations: the International Assembly of CIS Countries' Capitals and Big Cities (MAG), the Black Sea Capitals' Association (BSCA), the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC), the International Association of Large-scale Communities, and the International Urban Community Lighting Association (LUCI). Twin towns – sister cities Yerevan is twinned with: Amman, Jordan (2014) Antananarivo, Madagascar (1981) Beirut, Lebanon (1997) Bratislava, Slovakia (2001) Buenos Aires, Argentina (2000) Cambridge, United States (1987) Carrara, Italy (1973) Chişinău, Moldova (2005) Damascus, Syria (1997) Doha, Qatar (2022) Isfahan, Iran (1995) Los Angeles, United States (2007) Marseille, France (1992) Montreal, Canada (1998) Nice, France (2007) Novosibirsk, Russia (2014) Odesa, Ukraine (1995) Riga, Latvia (2013) Rostov-on-Don, Russia (2005) São Paulo, Brazil (2002) Stavropol, Russia (1994) Tbilisi, Georgia (1996) Tehran, Iran (2023) Venice, Italy (2011) Volgograd, Russia (2015) Partnerships Yerevan also cooperates with: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (2014) Athens, Greece (1993) Beijing, China (2009) Bucharest, Romania (2013) Delhi, India (2008) Île-de-France, France (2011) Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia (2014) Lyon, France (1993) Kaliningrad, Russia (2009) Kyiv, Ukraine (1995) Krasnodar, Russia (2014) Minsk, Belarus (2002) Moscow, Russia (1995) Paris, France (2011) Pesaro, Italy (2017) Podgorica, Montenegro (1974) Qazvin, Iran (2014) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2007) Saint Petersburg, Russia (1997) Sofia, Bulgaria (2008) Stepanakert, Artsakh (2012) Tuscany, Italy (1996) Warsaw, Poland (2013) Notable people Terter Yerevantsi (1290–1350), first person from Yerevan with fully known biography; scribe and poet; author of first known poems about Yerevan Voskan Yerevantsi (17th century), printer Simeon I of Yerevan (1710–1780), Catholicos of All Armenians Fazil Iravani (1782–1885), Shaykh al-Islām Khachatur Abovian (1809–1848), writer Irakli Gruzinsky (1826–1882), Prince of Georgia Jabbar Baghtcheban (1886–1966), Iranian educator Hamo Beknazarian (1891–1965), film director Silva Kaputikyan (1919–2006), poet Arno Babajanian (1921–1983), Soviet composer Grigor Khanjyan (1926–2000),