Deprived of everything
The Brnakot village used to be one of the renowned centers of Syunik. The village is known for its monuments, church, history and the people who were born here such as historian Nikoghayos Adonts. The village is known for its 4 heroes who participated in WWII, many scientists, as well as state and cultural figures.
Aramayis Sahakyan, 87, says that the village was once famous, but there are no more hospitable, humanitarian and nationalist villagers. "Nothing has changed for the good in our village. There is no birth rate. There were 90 births and 20 deaths in the village in 1963. A couple of days ago, the village council official Andranik said that there are only 7 births this year. How can the village survive like this?" says Aramayis Sahakyan.
There are 778 families with a population of 2,430 living in the village. Marsfel and Nushik are married and live in a hostel at the center of the village. The wooden hostel was constructed in the 1940s. The two-bedroom home serves as a storage room, bathroom and an apartment.
"We have been living like this for many years now. Nobody has helped us in any way. They even don't let us have gas," says the grandmother Nushik Mikayelyan.
The handicapped husband and wife have been living here for the past 35 years. Their two daughters were raised here. The walls crack every year and run the risk of collapsing.
"Rain pours and destroys the home. You should see our home after the rain," says Mrs. Nushik. The family has appealed to different instances with the request for an apartment. In 1989, the regional committee had granted the family a two-bedroom apartment, which they did not receive.
The family doesn't have the means to build a new house. "We'll live here until we die," says second-degree handicapped Nushik Mikayelyan. She receives 11,400 dram pension for her condition, while her husband Marsfel Arakelyan gets 24,000 drams elderly pension. Mrs. Nushik is a baker and bakes bread with a bag of flour each day. She gets 2,000 drams a day and 10 pieces of lavash. The family is able to keep food on the table, but what they can't solve is the issue concerning their house.
