Gizildamir

Gizildamir is a village in the Echmiadzin uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Ashtarak district, in the Aragatsotn province. The provincial centre lies 5 km to the southwest of the town of Ashtarak, at a height of 1,040 m above sea level. It is marked in the works of Armenian authors as “Giziltamur”. The Azerbaijani sources erroneously indicate it as “Gizil Teymur”. It is marked as “Gizildamir village” in “The Iravan Province Comprehensive Data Book” compiled in 1590 and in “The Iravan Province Review Book” dated 1728.

Until 1828 the village had been solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis. The Armenians deported from Iran were settled in the village in 1828–1830. In 1831, along with the Armenians, the village was inhabited by 120 Azerbaijanis. In the early 1870s, the Azerbaijanis were deported by Armenian militants. In 1897 the village was inhabited by three Azerbaijanis. They were also expelled in the early 20th century. Currently, the village is inhabited by Armenians only.

The toponym was coined by combining the word “gizil” (denoting the colour of the soil rock) used to mean “red” and the word “tamir” used in Old Turkic to mean “a canal”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 3 January 1935, the name of the village was changed to “Voskevaz”. According to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative area of the Aragatsotn province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°16’ N., longitude: 44°17’ E.