Kursk commemorates memory of Spitak earthquake victimsDecember 7, 2009 - 17:00 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Kursk commemorated the memory of Spitak earthquake victims. Armenians of Kursk visited the memorial to fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War to lay wreaths in commemoration of 1988 earthquake victims. "This horror will never be forgotten. There's no family in Armenia, who didn't lose a relative to this disaster," kurskweb.ru cited Stepan Sargsyan, Chairman of Russian Armenians' Union, as saying. 21 years have passed since the devastating Spitak earthquake that shocked Armenia December 7, 1988. At 11.41 a.m. local time a magnitude 10 earthquake destroyed the entire city of Spitak. There was great damage to the nearby cities of Leninakan (now known as Gyumri) and Kirovakan (today Vanadzor) and some 350 surrounding villages. The earthquake claimed lives of 25 thousand people; some 100 thousand were wounded; over 500 thousand became homeless. The earthquake was rated among the most crushing calamities of the world. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. EU still discussing funding Armenia through European Peace Facility Discussions continue in the EU on providing Armenia with funds from the European Peace Facility, Vassilis Maragos says. Greek-Armenian organizations support "Tavush for Motherland" Greek-Armenian organizations have expressed support for the campaign led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. |