Gyumri ( , , ) , is an urban municipal community and the second largest city in Armenia , serving as the administrative centre of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country . By the end of the 19th century , when the city was known as Alexandropol , it was one of the largest cities of Russian-ruled Eastern Armenia with a population similar to that of Yerevan . It was renamed to Leninakan during the Soviet period . The city 's population grew above 200,000 prior to the 1988 Spitak earthquake , when it was devastated . As of the 2011 census , the city had a population of 121,976 , down from 150,917 reported at the 2001 census
1988 Spitak earthquake
1988 Armenian earthquake
Gyumri