Gonaggiran is a village in the Alexandropol uezd of the Iravan [İrəvan] governorate, later in the former Duzkend (Akhuryan) district, and currently in the Shirak province. The provincial centre lies 5 km to the northeast of the town of Gumru, at a height of 1,650 m above sea level. Until 1937 it had been subordinated to the former Gumru (Leninakan) district. It is marked as “Gonaggiran” in “The Iravan Province Review Book” and as “Gonakh Gran” on the five-verst map of the Caucasus.

The toponym was coined by combining the word “gonag” used in Turkic to mean “a place for temporary stay”, “a resting place”, and the word “kuren/kran” used to mean “a camp”, “a place for temporary stay of cattle-breeders”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 2 March 1940, the village was renamed “Shirak”. According to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative territory of the Shirak province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°50’ N., longitude: 43°55’ E.