Golkend is a village in the Novo-Bayazid uezd of the former Iravan governorate, in the former Ashagi Garanlig (Martuni) district, and currently in the Gegharkunik province. The provincial centre is located 30 km to the southeast of the town of Gavar, on the shores of Lake Goycha, at a height of 1,940 m above sea level. It was marked in “The Iravan Province Review Book”, on the five-verst map of the Caucasus. In the works of Armenian authors the geographical nomen “kend” (village) within the oeconym “Golkend” was later abbreviated and it was marked as “Gol” (lake).

Historically, the village was inhabited by Azerbaijanis. After the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay, in 1829–1830 Armenians from the Turkish provinces of Alashkirt and Mush were settled in the village and the Azerbaijanis were expelled. Along with the Armenians, the village was inhabited by 23 Azerbaijanis in 1897. As a result of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in 1905–1906, the Azerbaijanis were deported by Armenian forces. At present, Armenians live there.

The toponym was coined by combining the Azerbaijani words “Gol” (lake) and “kend” (village), meaning “a natural water basin with no direct connection with the sea”.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated 26 April 1946, the village was renamed “Lichk” through a loan translation into Armenian. According to the law “On the administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia” dated 7 November 1995, it was integrated into the administrative territory of the Gegharkunik province.

Geographical coordinates: latitude: 40°09’ N., longitude: 45°14’ E.