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Yeghegnadzor ( ) is a town and urban municipal community in southern Armenia, serving as the provincial capital of Vayots Dzor Province and the Yeghegnadzor Municipality. It is located at a road distance of south of the capital Yerevan, on the shores of Srkghonk River (), at a height of above sea level.
As per the 2016 official estimate, Yeghegnadzor had a population of around 6,600. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 7,944 and as of the 2022 census, the population of the town was 6,912. Yeghegnadzor is the seat of the Diocese of Vayots Dzor of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
According to historical records from the 1st quarter of the 9th century, when Syunats Prince Philip, son of Vasak, moved his residence from Sisian to Vayots Dzor and fortified in Yeghegis, the name Yeghegnadzor or Yeghegyats Dzor' spread across the entire province. During the Middle Ages, the Silk Road passed through the area of Vayots Dzor, particularly the road that currently links the town of Martuni with Yeghegnadzor. Many significant churches, monastic complexes, bridges and were built in the region between the 10th and 13th centuries, when Yeghegnadzor was part of the Kingdom of Syunik under the rule of the Siunia dynasty.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Eastern Armenia fell under the Safavid dynasty rule. The territory of Yeghegnadzor became part of the Erivan Beglarbegi and later the Erivan Khanate. The period between the 16th and 17th centuries is considered to be the darkest period in the history of Yeghegnadzor. The region was turned into a frequent battlefield between the invading troops of the Turkic and Iranian tribes. As a result, many significant monuments and prosperous villages were destroyed and the population was displaced. In 1747, Yeghegnadzor became part of the newly-formed Nakhichevan Khanate. By the beginning of the 19th century, Yeghegnadzor was known as Keshishkend.
As a result of the Russo-Persian War of 1826–28 and the subsequent Treaty of Turkmenchay, much of historical Eastern Armenia – including Vayots Dzor – became part of the Russian Empire. In 1870, Keshishkend became part of the newly-formed Sharur-Daralayaz uezd of the Erivan Governorate within Russian Transcaucasia. Between 1918 and 1920, the town was included in the short-lived First Republic of Armenia. After Armenia's Sovietization, it became the center of the Daralagyaz uezd of the Armenian SSR.
The name Keshishkend remained until January 3, 1935, when the town was renamed Mikoyan after the Soviet Armenian statesman Anastas Mikoyan. On December 6, 1957, the town was renamed Yeghegnadzor, restoring its historical name. Notably, Mikoyan himself visited the town with Anton Kochinyan and other Soviet Armenian leaders in the 1960s.
Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, Yeghegnadzor became the capital of the newly-formed Vayots Dzor Province as per the 1995 administrative reforms.
The town has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) and large diurnal temperature fluctuations with the average annual rainfalls of 400 mm and mountain-valley winds. The average air temperature in January is 5-6◦C, with a coldest temperature of -22◦C and highest of +35◦C in July. The climate is mild with snowy winters and warm summers.
The surrounding areas of the town are home to some mammals including bezoar ibex, wolf and fox; reptiles including adder and viper; and birds including partridge and sparrow.
As in other parts of Armenia, the people of Yeghegnadzor celebrate traditional Armenian religious festivals, such as Trndez and Vardavar. However, the most popular celebration in the town is the harvest festival, taking place every year on the second Sunday of October. Locals from all villages take part in the parade on cars decorated with flowers, bringing their own crops, berries typical to their territories. Theatrical shows and concerts are held during the festival.
Yeghegnadzor is also known for its cheese. Yeghegnadzor cheese is made from pasteurized cow's or goat's milk (or both) and mixed with local greens. It is stored in individual clay pots, then buried in the mountains and left to mature for at least 6 months before consumption. The flavors are strong, sharp, and salty, while the addition of mountain greens gives the cheese even more unique flavors. The texture is semi-soft, and crumbly.
On the other hand, Yeghegnadzor is domestically connected with other parts of Vayots Dzor through the H-40 and H-47 Roads.
The town is also home to many other industrial firms including the "Rafelgrig" for electrical products founded in 1968 and the "Izoton" company for oak-wood made barrels for wine and brandy aging founded in 2003. Light productions of building materials, textile, hand-made carpet and jewellery are also found in the town.
During the Soviet period, Yeghegnadzor used to be one of the industrial centres of the Armenian SSR. The relay factory of Yeghegnadzor used to accommodate 1100 workers, the knitwear factory used to accommodate more than 500 workers, while the shoe factory had around 200 workers.
Agriculture, including farming, cattle-breeding and bee-keeping are found in the suburbs of Yeghegnadzor.
The Yeghegnadzor campus of the Armenian State University of Economics is operating since 2008.
As of 2016, there are 4 public schools as well as 3 kindergartens operating in Yeghegnadzor.
The Royal Victorian University Educational Foundation of Armenia (RVU) is based in Yeghegnadzor.
The Yeghegnadzor City Stadium opened in 1985, is able to accommodate around 500 spectators.
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