The energy crisis, popularly known as the "dark and cold years" (Armenian: Մութ ու ցուրտ տարիներ), refers to the energy crisis in Armenia and Artsakh during the 1990s, when the newly independent Armenia's population lived in shortage of energy and basic consumer goods. The crisis was caused by the joint Turkish–Azeri blockade which prevented the transportation of fuel and other supplies to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The blockade was initiated in 1989 by Azerbaijan, originally in response to the Karabakh movement which called for the region's independence from Azerbaijan and reunification with Armenia.
The energy crisis left a deep impact and impression on Armenian society. Local people have dubbed the years from 1992 to 1995 in different ways, such as "hungry", "cold", and "bad", but the most common title used is "the dark". Hospitals struggled to function due to acute shortages of electricity, heat, and medical supplies, which led to many ceasing operations. Electricity in Yerevan was available for only two hours a day, which raised the risk of freezing or starvation. Trees on hospital grounds were cut in order to provide wood for burning to keeping hospitals warm. By 1993, over half of the hospitals in Armenia had stopped operating because they lacked essential resources, leading to the deaths of healthy infants due to the cold and inadequate equipment. The energy crisis forced reliance on unsustainable practices like widespread deforestation and intensive agriculture, leading to risky energy solutions such as the potential reactivation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant which had recently been closed due to the Spitak Earthquake. Lake Sevan, Armenia's largest freshwater body, experienced significant water level drops due to increased reliance on hydroelectric power to compensate for the energy shortfall. This drawdown for irrigation and energy purposes threatened the lake's ecosystem, endangering its flora and fauna.