Sevan (city)
Encyclopedia
Sevan is a city and a popular resort in Armenia
, in the Gegharkunik Province, lies on the northern shores of Lake Sevan
. The town is founded on a height of over 1900 meters above sea level, 66 kilometers north-east of the capital Yerevan
, and 40 kilometers north of Gavar
, the administrative centre of Gegharkunik region. It was founded in 1842 as the Russian village Yelenovka and was known under this name until 1935. Sevan is surrounded by the Sevan National Park which is extended from the north-eastern side of the city to the south-west, while the Lake Sevan forms the natural borders of the town from the east.
, and was. The town remained all Russian until the end of the 19th century. Only 1 kilometer north of the town, the cyclopean fortress of "Metsep" stands. On a hill just south of the village of Tsamakaberd, to the east of Sevan's centre, a cyclopean fortress is found.
The Sevan peninsula, which is located 3 km east of the town is home to one of the most notable samples of medieval Armenian architecture
, the Sevanavank
Monastery of the 9th century. The monastery was mainly intended for those monks from Echmiadzin
who had sinned. Today, the monastery consists of two churches: Surb Arakelots (Holy Apostles) and Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) with many types of khackars (cross-stones). Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the Joseph Stalin
era, the water level fell about 20 meters, and the island was transformed into a peninsula.
Another important religious structure in the peninsula is the Vaskenian Theological Academy
of Sevan which was opened in 2004.
. During the brief summer Sevan is a popular beach resort. Many professionals and amateurs visit the city to practice their favourite types of sports on the shores including beach soccer
, beach volleyball
, wind-surfing and other types of water sports through numerous swimming beaches and facilities along the entire Sevan shore, such as the aqua-park, the horse club, the tennis
courts, the mini football and basketball fields.
was established in 1978 to protect Lake Sevan and the surrounding regions. It occupies the territories of the Lake Sevan comprising the bed of intermontane concavity of Sevan and those freed from its bed. The area comprises 1501 square kilometers, of which 24.9 thousand hectares are lakeside land. It is surrounded with the slopes of mountain chains of Areguni, Geghama, Vardenis, Pambak and Sevan. Some 1600 plant and 330 animal species are found here. The park is divided into 3 zones: a reserve, a recreation zone, and a zone for economic use.
The village of Gagarin
with its 1,200 dwellers, is also considered a part of the Sevan community, although being formed as a separate village, thus making the population of all the community around 23,200.
The community of Sevan has 8 public education schools with one of them operating in the village of Gagarin. As of 2008, there were 4 nursery schools in Sevan and 1 in Gagarin.
One of the Human Rights Library Network (HRLN) libraries of the Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre (ACRPC) is located in Sevan.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, in the Gegharkunik Province, lies on the northern shores of Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1,900m above sea level...
. The town is founded on a height of over 1900 meters above sea level, 66 kilometers north-east of the capital Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, and 40 kilometers north of Gavar
Gavar
Gavar , is a city and the provincial capital of the Armenian province of Gegharkunik. It was known as Nor Bayezet or Novyi Bayazet until 1959, then Kamo until 1996...
, the administrative centre of Gegharkunik region. It was founded in 1842 as the Russian village Yelenovka and was known under this name until 1935. Sevan is surrounded by the Sevan National Park which is extended from the north-eastern side of the city to the south-west, while the Lake Sevan forms the natural borders of the town from the east.
History
The town was founded as Yelenovka in 1842 by exiled Russian schismatics. Since its foundation until 1935, the town of Sevan was known as Yelenovka, named after the wife of Tsar Nicholas INicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
, and was. The town remained all Russian until the end of the 19th century. Only 1 kilometer north of the town, the cyclopean fortress of "Metsep" stands. On a hill just south of the village of Tsamakaberd, to the east of Sevan's centre, a cyclopean fortress is found.
The Sevan peninsula, which is located 3 km east of the town is home to one of the most notable samples of medieval Armenian architecture
Armenian architecture
Armenian architecture is an architectural style developed over the last 4,500 years of human habitation in the Armenian Highland and used principally by the Armenian people.- Common characteristics of Armenian architecture:...
, the Sevanavank
Sevanavank
Sevanavank is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, not far from the town of Sevan. Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island...
Monastery of the 9th century. The monastery was mainly intended for those monks from Echmiadzin
Echmiadzin
Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is a 4th century Armenian church in the town of Ejmiatsin, Armenia. It is also the central cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church....
who had sinned. Today, the monastery consists of two churches: Surb Arakelots (Holy Apostles) and Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) with many types of khackars (cross-stones). Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
era, the water level fell about 20 meters, and the island was transformed into a peninsula.
Another important religious structure in the peninsula is the Vaskenian Theological Academy
Vaskenian Theological Academy
Vaskenian Theological Academy is a theological academy of the Armenian Apostolic Church on the Sevan peninsula on the shores of Lake Sevan in Armenia...
of Sevan which was opened in 2004.
Sports and recreation
Sevan is home to soccer club Akhtamar SevanAkhtamar Sevan
Akhtamar Sevan was an Armenian football club from Sevan. The club dissolved in early 1994 and is currently inactive from professional football.-League Record :-References:*...
. During the brief summer Sevan is a popular beach resort. Many professionals and amateurs visit the city to practice their favourite types of sports on the shores including beach soccer
Beach soccer
Beach soccer, also known as beach football or beasal, is a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand. The game emphasises skill, agility and shooting at goal....
, beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
, wind-surfing and other types of water sports through numerous swimming beaches and facilities along the entire Sevan shore, such as the aqua-park, the horse club, the tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, the mini football and basketball fields.
Sevan National Park
Sevan National ParkSevan National Park
Sevan National Park in Armenia was established in 1978 to protect Lake Sevan and the surrounding areas. Sevan National Park falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Nature Protection, and is managed as a research center, which monitors the ecosystems, and undertakes various conservation...
was established in 1978 to protect Lake Sevan and the surrounding regions. It occupies the territories of the Lake Sevan comprising the bed of intermontane concavity of Sevan and those freed from its bed. The area comprises 1501 square kilometers, of which 24.9 thousand hectares are lakeside land. It is surrounded with the slopes of mountain chains of Areguni, Geghama, Vardenis, Pambak and Sevan. Some 1600 plant and 330 animal species are found here. The park is divided into 3 zones: a reserve, a recreation zone, and a zone for economic use.
Population
The official census of 2001 showed a decline in the population of Sevan, which went down from 27,000 as was reported in the 1989 census to 21,422. Nowadays the population is around 22,000, most of which are involved in agricultural activities, fish-hunting and some tourism services, especially during the summer season.The village of Gagarin
Gagarin, Armenia
Gagarin is a town in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. The town was founded in 1955 and named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
with its 1,200 dwellers, is also considered a part of the Sevan community, although being formed as a separate village, thus making the population of all the community around 23,200.
The community of Sevan has 8 public education schools with one of them operating in the village of Gagarin. As of 2008, there were 4 nursery schools in Sevan and 1 in Gagarin.
One of the Human Rights Library Network (HRLN) libraries of the Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre (ACRPC) is located in Sevan.