The Amrakits village is located in the Lori region of the Republic of Armenia, 2 km east of Stepanavan city. The distance from the village to the regional center of Vanadzor is 30 km. The village was founded in the place of the historical village Amrak and was named Nikolayevka or Novonikolayevka. It was renamed into Kirov in 1938 and into Amrakits in 1991. The village is located on the right bank of the Dzoraget River, on the northern slope of the Bazum Range, at an altitude of 1380 m above sea level. It was included in the enlarged Gyulagarak community in 2017.
The Amrakits village was populated by Russians before the 1960s. Currently, it is inhabited predominantly by the Armenians. The village is rich in cultural and historical monuments, including the medieval settlement of Amrak, but gained fame thanks to the Russian church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in 1848 (according to other sources in 1879) for the Orthodox Russians in Nikolayevka village founded by the Ukrainian Cossacks. In 1910-14s, the church was reconstructed and received its present appearance. It has operated until 1988. As a result of the Spitak earthquake, it was significantly damaged and is now in an accident-prone state. In 2009, the icons of the church were transferred to the Russian church in Gyumri city. A bell tower adjoins the church from the south. The construction was made of stone with a log roof and was built in the neo-Russian style by the project of architect Andrey Aplaksin. Now the church is not operating. It is a mute witness of the history and the Russian life that was once in full swing here.
