Lichk is located in the Syunik region of Armenia and is part of the Meghri community. It’s also called Leshkin, Lechkin, Lich, Lichk, and Sheshkert. During the Russian Empire, the village was a part of the Zangezur province of Elizavetpol, and in the Soviet period, it was considered to be part of the Meghri region. There are several lakes in the mountains above the village, which is where locals came up with the name Lichk. In 1781, according to the tax schedule of Tatev monastery, Lichk village paid tax of 3350 dahekan (pennies) per year. There are historical monuments near the village including the 17th century bridge over the Meghri river, the 17th century Zvaravan church, two medieval cemeteries from the 16-18th centuries, and an anonymous fully renovated basilica church. Nearby, there are the villages of Zvar, Taghamir, and Mulk. People celebrated Vardavar in the Monastery with a special enthusiasm and that tradition is still alive. The village is in the alpine zone and is a great place for camping.
Blue Lake
The villagers talk about the blue lake on the opposite mountain, as one of the favorite places for villagers to visit before the Armenian-Azerbaijani war. Today it is very close to the Armenian-Azerbaijan and too dangerous to visit. According to the villagers, during the Soviet period, every August all villagers would visit Blue Lake, sacrificing there and organizing a feast. It was a common custom to write names on the stones around the lake as a reminder of their time there.
Zvaravan Legend
There are several stories about Zvavanavan or Zvari monasteries. "Zvari" means treasure in Persian and according to one legend, there were countless treasures in the monastery. The other explanation for the name is that when the enemy attacked, they brought gold from monasteries of nearby villages. Others relate the story of treasure to the legend of David Beck՛s gold, which was kept here during the liberation war of the 1720s. Today, the monastery is located on a gold mine, and that is probably why, like Gandzasar in Artsakh, this monastery was called the Treasure Monastery.