We had a conversation with residents of Aygepar village, Berd region, Tavush marz. Retired Aram Atoyan says that he had 8 vineyards, each 80 m long, he was collecting 2.5 tons/year. This year, on August, the vineyard was completely burnt from Azerbaijan bombardments. Locals say that the Azeri bombardments caused complete burning of vineyards of 8 farmers. The villagers could not extinguish the fire because the Azerbaijani armed forces were shooting at the moment. Aygepar resident, Arakel Tonikyan, was telling that his 2,000 square meter vineyard also suffered from fire.
Arakel says, “There is no job in Aygepar, the village has become old, the young people have gone to Russia and Yerevan, but they have no chance to support their parents.” Retired Aram Vardazaryan is very much concerned about the emigration from the border village. He pointed to one of the former residential buildings in workers township, saying “12 families were living in this building, with 5-8 members in each, now a man and a woman are left in the whole building. Rural youth has no occupation, they have left. Others, at the risk of their lives, have enrolled to a contract-based service.”
Voskan SARGSYAN
