The last session of the provincial council of Shirak began with a historical moment: the sole resident of the Kharkov village, which has been completely emptied and is only separated from Ani by a canyon, 83-year-old Vahandukht Melkonyan, was presented a letter of acknowledgment from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. In order to reach the border village, one needs permission from the Russian border guards. The village has almost completely emptied with the exception of its sole resident, Vahandukht, who refuses to leave because she is following her mother-in-law’s command. “She told me to turn on the oven even if I do not have flour to bake bread with so that the enemy will see the smoke and know that someone lives in the village. This way, they won’t become happy over the thought that the village has emptied.”
The governor of Shirak, Tigran Petrosyan, said, “Ms. Vahandukht is an example of someone who defends our nation. She has been preserving the border for many years. And I have a very historical mission today to announce on behalf of the Prime Minister that due to activities carried out by our Prime Minister, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, different organizations, other companies, and us, the border near Ani will open for all Armenians and every one of you will have the opportunity to visit. Next year, we will have changes in that part of the border, which is the best evaluation of our province’s and this woman’s mission.” Vahandukht asked the governor to pave the roads.
The sole resident of Kharkov told journalists that she is inspired by the old capital city of Ani and commands from her ancestors to not leave the village, live there, multiply, and not make the enemy happy. “I’ve been living in this village for 60 years. My mother-in-law would tell me that she would take me to the old country, to the Khas village in Mush, to see what kind of village it was, what kind of wealth it had, what kind of harvest… I hope that the residents of Kharkov will return. The village will be rebuilt and we will see one another in the mornings. I have become used to my loneliness, but some people say good morning to me. Soldiers carrying out there service here ask me how I am every morning. If they have time, they stay for a chat. In the summer, my grandchildren come to the village. They love the village. When tourists come, they stay a few kilometers away and they come to the village on foot to see Ani. If they wish, I invite them to my home.”
Vahandukht said that the residents did not all leave at once, but they did so due to different conditions, namely the fact that the village’s school closed. No teachers were allocated for the school. According to the old woman, there were many smart and educated people in the village. The fact that there are border guards did not cause the village to empty. She said that this is the first time the village has garnered any attention. “If they let dear Pashinyan work properly, he will make Armenia flourish. They stole so much money over the past several years…”
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Vahandukht works in agriculture. “I have bees, pigs, and sheep. I do not sit around idly. I may be this old, but I do everything.”
Nune Arevshatyan
