page_title: Sevan, Armenia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Sevan, Armenia / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Sayat Nova Street, Sevan
context_page_description: Sevan, is a town and urban municipal community, as well as one of the most and popular resorts in Armenia, located in the Gegharkunik Province on the northwestern shores of Lake Sevan. The town is built at a height of more than 1,925 metres above sea level, 65 km northeast of the capital Yerevan, and 35 km north of the provincial centre Gavar.
  Sevan is surrounded with the Sevan National Park, a natural protected area extending from the northeastern parts of the town to the southwest, while Lake Sevan forms the natural border of the city to the east.
  As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 19,229. However, as per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Sevan is 19,200.
context_section_description: The territory of modern-day Sevan has been populated since the 3rd millennium BC. The cyclopean fortress of Metsep dating back to the 3rd millennium BC stands just north of the city. Another cyclopean fortress known as Mashtotsner is located in the Tsamakaberd neighborhood of Sevan.
  After the establishment of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia, the territory of modern-day Sevan was included within the Mazaz and Varazhnunik cantons at the east of the historic Ayrarat province of Armenia Major.
  The Sevan peninsula, located 3 kilometres (2 miles) east of present-day Sevan, 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 monks from Echmiadzin who had sinned. Currently, the monastery consists of two churches: Surp Arakelots (Holy Apostles) and Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God). The monastery is famous for its variety of the medieval Armenian Khachkars (cross-stones). Initially the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island, that later turned into a peninsula during the 1st half of the 20th century, as a result of the artificial draining of Lake Sevan under Joseph Stalin's rule, causing the water level to fall around 20 meters.
  Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire in 1828 as a result of the Treaty of Turkmenchay. In 1842,  members of Russian Molokan religious sect escaping prosecutions in mainland Russia, arrived in the region and founded the village of Yelenovka. The village remained Russian-populated until the end of the 19th century.
  After World War I, Yelenovka was included within independent Armenia from 1918 until its Sovietization in 1920.
  In 1930, Yelenovka became the centre of the newly-formed Sevan raion of Soviet Armenia. In 1935, the settlement was renamed Sevan after the nearby lake. In 1961, Sevan was granted the status of an urban settlement. In 1965, the nearby villages of Tsamakaberd and Gomadzor were included within the territory of the town of Sevan. In 1967, Sevan became a town of republican subordination.
  The 1st urban development plan of Sevan was introduced in 1954, with the purpose of accommodating around 11,000 residents in the town until 1970. The 2nd plan introduced in 1967, was envisaged for a population of 20,000 until 1980. However, the new plan of 1974 was designed for a population growth up to 40,000 until 2000.
  Under the Soviet rule, Sevan was turned into an important industrial hub within the Armenian SSR. In 1958, the Sevan factory of mechanical devices was opened, followed by the Sevan glass insulators factory in 1962. In 1978, the Sevan flour mill and bakery factory was opened, followed by the fish-processing factory in 1981. Many other small plants for dairy products and building materials were also founded in the town. As a result of the industrial growth, the population of the town has grown 3 times between 1959 and 1979, jumping from 6500 to 20,500.
  However, after the independence of Armenia in 1991, most of the development plans were abandoned and the majority of the industrial plants were closed. In 1995, Sevan was included within the newly-formed administrative province of Gegharkunik
  In 2004, the Vaskenian Theological Academy of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was opened in the Sevan peninsula. The peninsula is also home to the summer presidential residence of Armenia.
caption: Sayat Nova Street, Sevan
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