The Armenian city of Meghri will become the Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth in 2026. This decision was made on October 8, 2024, in Moscow at the CIS Heads of State Council meeting.
In 2026, Meghri will be one of the main venues for creative meetings of cultural and artistic figures from CIS countries. The year’s programme includes events with the participation of musicians and artists, writers and painters, scholars and athletes. Residents and guests of the city can look forward to vernissages and creative meetings, music competitions, and tours by renowned pop and classical performers. The first creative delegation will arrive in the ancient Armenian city in April, when the official opening of the “Meghri – CIS Cultural Capital – 2026” programme will take place.
For reference
Meghri is an ancient city founded at the beginning of the 10th century AD by the famous Armenian King Smbat I Bagratuni. The city derives its name from the Meghri River (meaning “honey river”), a tributary of the Araks.
Located on the border with Iran, it sits at an altitude of just 600 meters above sea level. The city is considered the hottest in the country. The territory of modern Meghri was inhabited as early as the Bronze Age. Numerous archaeological sites dating back to the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the period of the Urartu Kingdom, have been discovered in the city's vicinity.