Thirty-three years ago, on December 7, 1988, one of the most terrible tragedies in the modern history of Armenia took place.
33 years passed since Spitak earthquake
STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: At 11:41 on that day, the northern regions of the Armenian SSR were shocked by a devastating earthquake, which was named after the epicenter as the Spitak earthquake.
Within a matter of seconds, the second and third largest cities of Gyumri and Vanadzor (Leninakan and Kirovakan at the time), the town of Spitak and settlements in the Akhuryan, Gugark, Aragats and Stepanavan regions were leveled.
More than 25 thousand people died, 514.000 people remained homeless. 17 of the housing resources broke down (over 8 million square meters of living area). 230 industrial objects with 82 thousand workplaces were ruined due to the quake. The economic damage of Armenia amounted to 13 billion RUB.
A day after the earthquake, a delegation led by Nikolay Ryzhkov, the chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, arrived in Armenia.
More than 113 world countries and seven international organizations offered their comprehensive support to Armenia.
Hundreds of rescuers and doctors arrived in the Republic of Armenia. All the republics of the USSR started to transport medication, medical equipment, construction equipment, tents, food etc. to Armenia.
The Armenians of the Diaspora united from the first hours of the earthquake to provide assistance to their compatriots, creating many organizations for that aim. Many of them; doctors, psychologists, constructors, architects stayed in Armenia to personally participate in rescue and restoration works.
