Vartanli is a settlement in the Lori-Pambak uezd of the former Iravan governorate, later in the former Boyuk Garakilsa (Gugark) district, and currently in the Lori province. The provincial centre is located on the left bank of the Pambak River which is at a distance of 1 km from Boyuk Garakilsa and at a height of 1,500 m above sea level.

The village was previously solely inhabited by Azerbaijanis, later Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived together in the village. According to the statistical data of 1873, there lived 600 people (330 men, 270 women) in 88 households, out of which 343 were Azerbaijanis in 58 households and 257 Armenians in 30 households, respectively. In 1886, 849 people lived in 108 households – 550 Azerbaijanis in 72 houses and 299 Armenians in 36. In 1918 the inhabitants of the village of Vartanli were gathered in a sheepcot and set on fire by Andranik’s order. On 26-27 November 1988 the inhabitants of the Vartanli village suffered a dreadful fate; 600 Azerbaijanis from 180 households were exposed to the massacre committed by Armenians. Joining with local Armenians, the armed groups from Kirovakan brutally killed 14 Azerbaijanis, and dozens received bodily injuries. Those who survived hid in forests during the daytime and walked 13-14 nights to get to the Gazakh district. In general, about 30 people were brutally killed in those days in the Gugark province.

The toponym was coined from a personal name.

The name of the village Vartanli was initially renamed “Khndzorut” in 1953, then “Shaumian” in 1955. It was integrated into the administrative area of the Lori province according to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995.

Geographic coordinates: latitude 40°47’ N., longitude 44°31’E.