Metsamor (, ), is a town and urban municipal community in the

Armavir Province Armavir (, ), is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz'') in the western part of Armenia. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by Mount Ararat from the south and Mount Aragats from the north, the province's capital is the tow ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. It is famous for being home to Armenia's

Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) (), also known as the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, (Armenian: Մեծամորի ատոմային էլեկտրակայան) is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus, located 36 kilometers west o ...

, the only nuclear plant in the

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

n region. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of 9,191. As per the 2016 official estimate, Metsamor has a population of around 8,000. As of the 2022 census, the town had a population of 8,472.

Etymology

The name of the town is derived from the nearby river of Metsamor. It is composed of 2 Armenian words: ''mets'' () meaning ''great'', and ''mor'' () meaning ''mother's'', being the

genitive In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can ...

singular form of the word ''mayr'' () meaning ''mother''. The name is most probably refers to the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

as the Great

Mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer ...

History

The construction of the settlement of Metsamor was launched in 1969, within the ''Hoktemberyan'' raion of the

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia ...

. It was mainly founded as the residential settlement of the employees of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The residential district was completed in 1972, and given the status of an

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...

. The construction of the town was designed by the chief architect Martin Mikayelyan, assisted by architects G. Hovsepyan and K. Tiraturyan. It was first known as the ''Residential settlement of the Armenian nuclear power plant'' until 1972 when it was renamed ''Metsamor'' after the nearby river. Panoramic view of Metsamor town

The construction of the nuclear power plant was launched in 1969. Unit 1 plant was commissioned on December 22, 1976, while unit 2 was commissioned on January 5, 1980. However, it was temporarily closed in 1989 after the

1988 Armenian earthquake The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake (), occurred on December 7 at with a surface-wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (''Devastating''). The shock occurred in the northern region of Armenia (then ...

for environmental reasons. Energy shortages caused by its closure forced the Armenian government to reopen the plant in 1993. Unit 2 reactor was brought back into operation on October 26, 1995. Nowadays, the Metsamor plant generates 40% of Armenia's energy needs. The plant was heavily modernized and redeveloped between 2003 and 2015. The construction of a 3rd unit is planned to replace the old reactors by 2026. Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Metsamor retained its status as an urban settlement within the newly formed Armavir Province, as per the 1995 administrative reforms.

Geography

Metsamor is located at the west of central Armenia in the Ararat Plain, at an average height of 855 meters above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. Surrounded with fertile farms of grapes, the town is at a road distance of 35 km west of the capital

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

and 6 km east of the provincial centre Armavir. The nuclear power plant is located around 4 km north of the residential area of the town. According to the major urban plan, the residential area of the town is divided into 3 districts, with the central district being home to the town hall, the central park, the cultural house, the post office, along with other service and municipal buildings.

Demographics

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

is the predominant religion in Metsamor. The town's Saint Lazarus Church (built in 2002–05) was opened in 2005 through donations from the US-based Armenian benefactors Zaven and Azatuhi Dadekian. The church is regulated by the Diocese of Armavir based in the nearby town of Armavir.

Culture

The archaeological site of ancient

Metsamor Metsamor (, ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Armavir Province of Armenia. It is famous for being home to Armenia's Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear plant in the Transcaucasian region. As of the 2011 census, the t ...

is located about 4 km southeast of the town, near the village of

Taronik Taronik (, ) is a village in the Armavir Province of Armenia. The Iron Age settlement of Metsamor site is located only 1 km southwest of Taronik. See also *Armavir Province Armavir (, ), is a administrative divisions of Armenia, provinc ...

. The site been populated starting from the 5th millennium BC until the 18th century AD, based on excavations conducted in 1965. Neolithic

stone circle A stone circle is a ring of megalithic standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially Stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being ...

s dating back to ca. 5000 BC stand within the historical site. Currently, the town of Metsamor is home to a cultural house, a public library, as well as a school of music.

Transportation

Metsamor is located on the M-5 Motorway that connects Yerevan and

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Armenia, 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border ...

at the east with Armavir town and the northwestern Armenia-Turkey borderline near the village of

Bagaran Bagaran () was a city in ancient Armenia founded during the reign of the Orontid dynasty. It is one of the historical capitals of ancient Armenia. History Ancient and medieval According to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, Bagaran was ...

. Metsamor is also connected with the surrounding villages via a network of regional roads. Mini bus vans facilitate the transport between the town and the nearby urban settlements, including the capital Yerevan.

Economy

Metsamor is a major center of energy in Armenia. The economy of the town is solely based on the operation of the

, providing 40% of the country's electricity (as of 2015). Being situated in the fertile Ararat plain, many of the Metsamor citizens are involved in agriculture. The town is surrounded with grape farms, something that greatly contributes in the development of wine-making in the town.

Education

Metsamor is home to 2 public education schools as well as many pre-school kindergartens. In 1972, the town's first school named after Saint Gregory of Narek was opened. The second school of the town was opened in 1986 and moved to its new building in 1996.

Sport

Metsamor is home to a large sports complex opened in 1980, including 2 swimming pools and indoor sports halls. The Metsamor sports school, run by the municipality since 2008, is housed in the complex, with youth teams of football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, weightlifting, kick-boxing, karate and athletics. However, the complex has never been renovated since its inauguration.

Notable people

Mardjan Avetisyan Marjan Avetisyan (, born on July 9, 1982), is an Armenian actress. She is known for her roles as Miss Tamara on ''Full House'', Lilith on "Vorogayt" (Trapped). Filmography Discography Songs * 2015 Dec — "New Year" (featuring with Full H ...

, renowned actress *

Lianna Haroutounian Lianna Haroutounian is an Armenian operatic soprano. She studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan and the Centre de Formation Lyrique of the Opéra Bastille. She made her debut with The Royal Opera in 2013, and is considered by some t ...

, opera singer

References

External links

Metsamor portalMetsamor Nuclear Power Plant
{{Cities and towns in Armenia Populated places in Armavir Province Populated places established in 1969 Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union