GYUMRI. – Russian president Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the Memorial to the Spitak earthquake victims.

Russian leader is on a state visit to Armenia that kicked off in the second largest city Gyumri.

The monument was made in Moscow and brought to Gyumri on December 2008.

On December 7 Armenia will mark the 25th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Spitak city on December 7, 1988.

As a result of the earthquake, Spitak was destroyed virtually completely. Also, 21 cities and townships and 324 villages were ruined. Eighty percent of the country’s second largest city, Gyumri—Leninakan, at the time—, was annihilated. There was destruction in Armenia’s third largest city, Vanadzor—Kirovakan, at the time—, as well.

According to official figures, the disaster claimed 25,000 lives, 140,000 people became disabled, and 530,000 residents were left homeless.

But the ex-USSR and the world entire lent a helping hand to Armenia in trying to heal the wounds of this great calamity.