 In 1989, the copper mine of Shamlugh was closed due to ecological reasons.Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, the status of Shamlugh as an urban settlement was reaffirmed in the 1995 administrative reforms of independent Armenia within the newly-formed Lori Province.However, following the November 2017 administrative reforms, Shamlugh lost its status as an urban community to become a village as part of the community of Akhtala.