Anush Mkrtchyan

The Ghost Village on the Map: Tanahat

The village of Tanahat in Sisian is now completely abandoned. A decade ago, it had 77 registered residents. Today, only the village name remains on the map, while on the ground, all that’s left are the ruins of houses, a school, and a few barns.

April 14/2025

The Uncertain Future of the Forgotten Villages of Syunik

The documentation of Armenia's depopulating villages led us to Syunik.

March 3/2025

A Handful of Homeland: Andokavan

Gagik Patvakanyan, born in a mining region, earns his living at the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine and wants to develop agriculture and tourism in Syunik.

January 6/2025

Eight People, Ten Houses, and a Patched Bridge: Ajabaj

Ajabaj is connected to the outside world by a crumbling road. No signs indicate the village, and no people are seen coming or going.

November 26/2024

The Village of Locked Houses on the Edge of the Tailings Dam: Chapni

In Chapni, the trend is different. Since 2019, Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine has been providing financial support to Chapni residents due to the presence of the Artsvanik tailings dam in the village.

October 29/2024

The flavor and aroma of Nagorno-Karabakh in the "Bokhcha" of Armenia

“We want to recreate everything we had back home, here in Armenia,” says Heghush Tarkhanyan.

May 3/2024

There is no alternative; we need to make a Knight's move

The Tovmasyan family of four has made their home in Tavush village, located in Tavush Province.

April 2/2024

Life Now: Bardzravan

After being displaced in 2023, Zoya and Larisik's family of eight settled in the village of Bardzravan, Goris community.

March 28/2025

The Present is the Closing School, the Future is the Opening Mine: Lichk

The Meghri community has a village called Lichk that has no young people. The village has a school but again has no students. Yet, there is hope for the future—if the mine opens, it will create jobs, attract families, and bring new life to the village.

February 17/2025

Live Where You Earn Your Living: Arevis

In the country, “stretching from Noragavit to Masives," lies a village named Arevis.

December 30/2024

The Last Bell of the Village: Tavrus

Sixth-grader Vache is one of the 45 residents of Tavrus. He has decided to become the village head, build a new school, raise a large Armenian flag on it, and bring prosperity to the village… If, of course, a population remains in Tavrus and the village does not become just a name on the map.

November 12/2024

The Uncertain Future of Shurnukh Residents, Caught Between Their Lost and Newly Received Homes

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan handed over the keys to the newly built houses in Shurnukh to the residents two years and seven months later than initially planned.

June 29/2024

The Power of Small Steps to Cope with Great Loss

After being forced to leave their home in Karmir Shuka, Nagorno-Karabakh, Anush Grigoryan and her family resettled in Movses, a border village in Tavush Province.

May 1/2024

The Large Family in a Small Village: Nzhdeh

Violeta Azaryan, a mother of nine, has faced displacement twice in her life. She now lives in the village of Nzhdeh in the Sisian community, where she raises livestock and plans for the future.

March 17/2025

The End of the Week is the Beginning of Joy: Antarashat

On weekends, Antarashat comes alive as its residents, who live in Kapan, return to the village.

January 21/2025

The Pride and Poverty of the Neglected Village: Nrnadzor

Getting to Nrnadzor was a challenging journey, requiring the permission of the Russians and navigating a bumpy road leading to the pomegranate orchards of the south neglected by Yerevan.

December 17/2024

Vahravar: A Privileged Status, Empty Homes

"After 4 or 5 years, these last Mohicans will eventually leave, and no one in this village will open his doors during the winter. Isn't it a pity to leave behind this beauty, such a miracle, such nature? Who will take care of all this? Why should we leave? Where would we go?" says Arusyak.

November 5/2024

The Midwife-Doll Maker

Larisa's profession and craft combined make her a kind of doll midwife. Displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, she has found a new home in Yerevan.

May 8/2024

With the Threads of Memory: from Norapat to Shosh

Every single day, the threads of memory weave a path back to Shosh, a village in Nagorno-Karabakh, where Karine Aghasyan was forced to leave behind the most precious thing imaginable: her husband's grave.

April 6/2024