YOU HAVE TO WEAR WELLINGTON BOOTS AT HOME
Anahit Danielyan

KarabakhOpen
31-01-2008 19:11:15

The family of Shmavon Hovanisyan lives in the village of Moshkhmahat,
Askeran region. Standing outside their house, it would never occur to
you that people live there. Inside the building one can count each
stone in the wall which the house was built many decades ago. The
floor is the ground.

"You can grow herbs here," Shmavon’s son jokes.

"We have lived here since the war in Karabakh. We earn our living. We
keep cattle, work the land and we are not going to leave this place. We
have everything except a house. We have turned to different agencies
but we cannot solve our problem. I am not complaining, I am only asking
the government to help us build a house," Shmavon Hovanisyan says.

Shmavon Hovanisyan says many years ago when the ex-president
Arkady Ghukasyan arrived in their village, they told him about their
problem. Soon specialists arrived who studied the house. The architect
did not even enter the place. He had a look at the house and advised
to move from this dangerous place. "Where shall we move to? We have an
apartment in Stepanakert but we cannot afford to live there. Here in
the village we earn our living. We cannot move also because my mother
has been confined to bed for many years," Shmavon Hovanisyan says.

In answer to their requests they hear the same thing: "We cannot build
a house for you because you already have an apartment in Stepanakert."

Shmavon’s two grandchildren study at the agricultural college in
Stepanakert but they spend most of the time in the village. The little
grandson goes to school. He does homework in the dark and humid room.

"We have to wear Wellington boots in the house. Stones fall off the
ceiling almost every day. One day the roof will come down, and nobody
will be saved," says Shmavon’s wife. Shmavon, his mother, his wife,
his son, his son’s wife and three children live in a single room of
the two-storey house. The son Varujan lives in the village three days
a week.

For the rest of the time he lives in Stepanakert where his work is.

"We cook, wash, sleep and live here," says Shmavon’s wife.

"We are not holidaymakers, we live here and we are not going to move.

Maybe our new president will do something for us," Margo says. Evelina
Hovanisyan, her daughter-in-law, has written a letter to the president
and is full of hope.