page_title: Meghri
section_title: Modern history
hierarchical_section_title: Meghri / History / Modern history
caption_attribution_description: Հայերեն: Մեղրու Փոքր թաղի Ս. Հովհաննես Մկրտիչ եկեղեցու ընդնաւոր տեսքը
context_page_description: Meghri is a town and the center of the urban community of Meghri, in Syunik Province at the south of Armenia, near the border with Iran. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 4,580. According to the 2016 official estimate, Meghri's population is around 3,500.
  Meghri is located 376 km south of the capital Yerevan and 73 km south of the provincial capital Kapan. A nearby Russian military base houses around 2,000 soldiers, who along with Armenian soldiers guard the border with Iran.
  As a result of the community mergers in 2016, the municipality of Meghri was enlarged to include the surrounding villages of Agarak, Alvank, Aygedzor, Gudemnis, Karchevan, Kuris, Lehvaz, Lichk, Nrnadzor, Shvanidzor, Tashtun, Tkhkut, Vahravar, and Vardanidzor.
context_section_description: With the establishment of the Republic of Armenia in 1918, Meghri was included within the Zangezur region of the newly-founded republic. However, after the fall of the republic in December 1920, the 2nd Pan-Zangezurian congress held in Tatev on 26 April 1921, announced the independence of the self-governing regions of Daralakyaz (Vayots Dzor), Zangezur -including Meghri-, and parts of Mountainous Artsakh, under the name of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia (Lernahaystani Hanrapetutyun). However, the self-proclaimed republic had a short life, when the Red Army conducted massive military operations in the region during June–July 1921, attacking Syunik from the north and east. As a result of fierce battles, the Republic of Mountainous Armenia capitulated on 13 July 1921, following Soviet Russia's promises to keep the mountainous region of Syunik as part of Soviet Armenia.
  The Soviets established the Meghri raion in September 1930, and the settlement of Meghri became the centre of the newly-formed raion. In 1959, Meghri was given the status of an urban-type settlement. In 1984, Meghri was granted with the status of a town. It was developed as a centre of food industry based on the local agricultural products of the region.
  After the independence of Armenia, Meghri was included within the newly-formed Syunik Province, as per the administrative reforms of 1995.
caption: Surp Hovhannes Church overlooking Meghri
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