Spitak ( ) , is a town and urban municipal community in the northern Lori Province of Armenia . It is north of the capital , Yerevan , and west of the provincial centre , Vanadzor . Spitak was entirely destroyed during the devastating 1988 earthquake , and it was rebuilt in a slightly different location . As of the 2011 census , the population of the town is 12,881 . Currently , the town has an approximate population of 11,000 as per the 2016 official estimate
1988 earthquake
1988 Armenian earthquake
Spitak