Tashir

Tashir was first mentioned by the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi in his 5th-century monumental work History of Armenia as one of the cantons of the lords of Gugark.

Historically, the area of modern-day Tashir was included in the Tashir canton of the historical Gugark province, the 13th province of Greater Armenia. With the Arab invasion of Armenia in 654, the region was granted to the Bagratid dynasty, who founded the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia later in 885. It was the location of a major battle in 1040, part of the Shaddadid–Armenian wars. {{cite journal |last=Bedrosian |first=Robert |title=Armenian Military History and the Battle of 1040 |journal=Journal of Armenian Studies |volume=22 |issue=3 |year=1985 |page=121 |url=https://archive.org/details/rbedrosian_gmail_Aeba/page/n121}}

File:Jorgat harasm.gif at the beginning of the 11th century]]

The region became a prominent centre of the Armenian culture and scholars under the rule of the Zakarid princes of Armenia. However, after the Mongols captured Ani in 1236, Zakarid Armenia turned into a Mongol protectorate as part of the Ilkhanate. After the fall of the Ilkhanate in the mid-14th century, the Zakarid princes controlled over Tashir until 1360 when they fell to the invading Turkic tribes.

After suffering from the invasion of Aq Qoyunlu, Kara Koyunlu, Ottomans and Persians from the 14th to 18th centuries, most of the territories in northern Armenia were annexed from Qajar Persia in favour of the Russian Empire In 1801. The region of Tashir became officially part of the Russian Empire at the Treaty of Gulistan signed on 24 October 1813 between Imperial Russia and Qajar Persia.

File:Tashir town image.jpg

The newly-established settlement was named after the Viceroy of the Caucasus Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov.[http://historyam.ru/index/gorod_tashir/0-74 History of Armenia] In 1846, it was included in the Borchaly uezd of the Tiflis Governorate.

In 1935, during the Soviet rule, the settlement was renamed Kalinino after the Russian Bolshevik revolutionary leader Mikhail Kalinin and was called. In 1961, Kalinino was granted the statues of an urban-type settlement to become the centre of Kalinino raion. In 1983, it was granted with the status of a town.[https://www.dasaran.am/apps/wiki/view/id/7657 Tashir community, Lori Province]

With the independence of Armenia in 1991, the town was renamed Tashir after the historic Tashir canton of Gugark, and was eventually included within the Lori Province formed as per the 1995 administrative reforms of independent Armenia.

File:Achkasar2.jpg at the west of Tashir]]

Situated at the northern part of Lori plain, Tashir is located on the shores of Tashir river, at an elevation of 1500 meters above sea level.[http://tashircity.org/%D5%B4%D5%A5%D6%80-%D6%84%D5%A1%D5%B2%D5%A1%D6%84%D5%A8/ Our Town] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526010041/http://tashircity.org/%D5%B4%D5%A5%D6%80-%D6%84%D5%A1%D5%B2%D5%A1%D6%84%D5%A8/ |date=2015-05-26 }} The town is surrounded with black prairies, alpine meadows and many marshes. The town is dominated by the Javakheti range of the Lesser Caucasus from the west. Mount Achkasar which is the highest point of the range with a height of {{convert|3,196|m|sp=us}}, is located {{convert|25|km|abbr=on}} west of Tashir.

The town is characterized with a continental climate, with an average temperature of {{convert|−4.3|C}} in January, and {{convert|17|C}} in July. The annual precipitation level is about {{convert|770|mm|abbr=on}}.

{{Weather box

|location = Tashir (1991-2020)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan record high C =15.0

| Feb record high C =15.4

| Mar record high C =23.3

| Apr record high C =25.7

| May record high C =27.4

| Jun record high C =29.8

| Jul record high C =34.6

| Aug record high C =32.7

| Sep record high C =29.7

| Oct record high C =27.5

| Nov record high C =22.0

| Dec record high C =19.1

| year record high C =

| Jan mean C =-4.3

| Feb mean C =-3.4

| Mar mean C =1.1

| Apr mean C =6.1

| May mean C =10.6

| Jun mean C =14.5

| Jul mean C =17.0

| Aug mean C =17.0

| Sep mean C =13.0

| Oct mean C =8.3

| Nov mean C =2.0

| Dec mean C =-2.2

| year mean C =

| Jan record low C =-33.6

| Feb record low C =-30.8

| Mar record low C =-23.8

| Apr record low C =-16.0

| May record low C =-6.4

| Jun record low C =-2.4

| Jul record low C =0.1

| Aug record low C =-0.4

| Sep record low C =-6.5

| Oct record low C =-10.5

| Nov record low C =-25.8

| Dec record low C =-27.8

| year record low C =

| Jan precipitation mm =24.4

| Feb precipitation mm =26.6

| Mar precipitation mm =45.9

| Apr precipitation mm =88.0

| May precipitation mm =128.4

| Jun precipitation mm =146.6

| Jul precipitation mm =85.2

| Aug precipitation mm =62.7

| Sep precipitation mm =57.8

| Oct precipitation mm =50.6

| Nov precipitation mm =32.1

| Dec precipitation mm =20.4

| year precipitation mm =

| unit precipitation days = 1 mm

| Jan precipitation days =4.5

| Feb precipitation days =5.1

| Mar precipitation days =7.7

| Apr precipitation days =11.9

| May precipitation days =16.3

| Jun precipitation days =14.6

| Jul precipitation days =10.5

| Aug precipitation days =8.5

| Sep precipitation days =8.1

| Oct precipitation days =8.2

| Nov precipitation days =4.8

| Dec precipitation days =3.6

| year precipitation days =

| humidity colour =

| time day =

| daily =

| Jan humidity =73.7

| Feb humidity =74.8

| Mar humidity =73.9

| Apr humidity =74.7

| May humidity =74.9

| Jun humidity =75.7

| Jul humidity =75

| Aug humidity =73.3

| Sep humidity =75.3

| Oct humidity =77

| Nov humidity =76.1

| Dec humidity =74

| year humidity =

|source 1 =NOAA{{cite web |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Tashir-37618 |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Armenia/CSV/Tashir_37618.csv |website=ncei.noaa.gov |format=CSV |publisher=NOAA |access-date=16 March 2024}}

}}

{{Historical populations

|1886|2284

|1897|3076

|1926|4042

|1939|4245

|1959|4766

|2001|9538

|2011|7773

|2022|7424

|align=none|percentages=pagr|graph-pos=bottom|source={{Cite Republic of Armenia Settlements Dictionary}}}}

Currently, the majority of the population in Tashir are ethnic Armenians who belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, regulated by the Diocese of Gougark, based in Vanadzor. The town's Surp Sarkis Armenian Apostolic church was built between 1995 and 2000 through donations from businessman Samvel Karapetyan and his brother Karen.[http://hetq.am/arm/news/65830/ekexecashinutyuny-norankakh-lorium-karapetyanner-valeri-mejlumyan-vladimir-movsisyan-ev-urishner.html Churches of Lori Province] There is also a tiny community of followers of the Armenian Catholic Church.

The healthcare is served through the Tashir Medical Center.[http://tashir-bk.fo.ru/ Tashir Medical Center]

The area of modern-day Tashir was probably settled during the early Bronze Age. A cyclopean fortress, as well as an ancient cemetery dating back to the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC respectively are found near the town. The remains of a 10th-century church are also visible in the town.

Nowadays, Tashir is home to a cultural center, 3 public libraries, as well as a music school.

Tashir is located on the M-3 Motorway that connects on Yerevan with Tbilisi. The town is also connected with eastern and western Armenia through the H-31 Road.

The Stepanavan Airport which is located {{convert|8|km|0|abbr=on}} southeast of Tashir on the halfway to Stepanavan, is currently under renovation and expected to be ready during 2018.

The majority of the residents of Tashir are involved in industry, mainly the production of canned food and dairy. The town is home to a Swiss cheese factory that produces the cheeses Lori and Chanakh. It was one of the largest plants for dairy products in the Soviet Union.

However, the majority of the inhabitants are employed in agriculture. 32% of the lands are privatized, 71% of which are arable lands and 29% of which are pastures. Half of the state importance lands is {{convert|1660|ha|abbr=on}}.[http://lori.mtad.am/about-communities/470/ About the community of Tashir] The lands are also used as arable farms and meadows, which cover {{convert|951|and|581|ha}}, respectively. Other agricultural products and activities include grain, melons and gourds, potatoes and fruits, cattle-breeding, pig-breeding, poultry farming and bee-keeping.

Currently, the town is mainly suffering from its outdated network of regional roads, the sewage system and the water supply network.

Tashir has 3 public education schools as well as many kindergartens. In 2015, the number of the students in the town reached up to 1186.[http://tashircity.org/%D5%AF%D6%80%D5%A9%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6/ Education in Tashir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307052852/http://tashircity.org/%D5%AF%D6%80%D5%A9%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6/ |date=2016-03-07 }}

However, among the main problems of the community are the outdated school buildings and complexes.

There are two sport schools in the town mainly dedicated to individual sports including wrestling, weightlifting, martial arts and chess. There is also a regular-sized football training filed in the town.

As of 2015, the number of children attending the sport schools is around 120 children.[http://tashircity.org/%D5%BD%D5%BA%D5%B8%D6%80%D5%BF/ Sport in Tashir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307052855/http://tashircity.org/%D5%BD%D5%BA%D5%B8%D6%80%D5%BF/ |date=2016-03-07 }}

• Samvel Karapetyan, Armenian-born Russian businessman and owner of Tashir Group{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
• Amar Suloev, was an Armenian mixed martial artist.

{{Commons category|Tashir}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Lori|state=expanded}}

{{Cities and towns in Armenia}}

{{Portal bar|Geography}}

Category:Populated places in Lori Province

Category:Tiflis Governorate