Gyumri, the administrative hub of Shirak Province, is the second-most populous city in Armenia, situated in the country’s northwestern region. In the late 19th century, when it was referred to as Alexandropol, it matched the population size of Yerevan and was one of the principal cities in the Eastern Armenia region under Russian rule. It was later renamed Leninakan during the Soviet era. The city’s population had exceeded 200,000 before being severely affected by the 1988 Spitak earthquake. The 2011 census reported a population of 121,976, a decrease from the 150,917 recorded in the 2001 census.