HEARTH AND HOME

We were deciding our first stop to start the working day in the Martakert region, when the driver stopped the car on a small hill, next to several dozen old gravestones.

We all got out of the car and started studying the inscriptions on the tombstones. It's stone silence, we were all thinking back to old times...

After exchanging ideas with each other, we decided to start our work from Kichan itself. Why from Kichan, because from the very first seconds from that small hill of gravestones, the panorama of Kichan opened in front of us and several people of Kichan approached us and, knowing the purpose of our visit to the Martakert region, suggested choosing Kichan as the first stop. A little later, we were in front of the Kichan community hall. While the people of Kichangathered there were enthusiastically telling about the heroic history of the village and its past good and bad days, a half-ruined church right next to the community hall attracted my attention with its humble silence...

Even from its half-destroyed walls, it was clear how magnificent it once was. The modest but at the same time unique architectural features have preserved all their charm until now, although the church itself is in a very poor condition.

I could have stood for hours under its unbeaten arches from the blows of history, if my partner had not broken the silence.

-The village head has come, come here.

The mayor of Kichan, ArtoHakobyan, was going to go to the military unit with his friend to visit his friend's son, but when he found out that, as he says, there are guests from the city in the village, he immediately rushed to us.

The conversation with the head of the community was quite sincere. He attracted us all with his directness. ArtoHakobyan talked about many things, about the heroic history of the village, community routine and, in general, today's problems that Kichan is facing.

- It is a good village. Good is not the word, it is a wonderful village. We are a striving people. Even today, the village continues to live its normal life, although after the last war, obstacles appeared to implement agricultural work and, especially, in the field of animal husbandry. But, as they say, when there is no way out, crazy people find a way. We try to adapt to the new reality and do everything so that life does not fall out of its rhythm. And we succeed, let me tell you.

There is a very good school in our village, good in all respects. Soon we will have a kindergarten, for the construction of which will be the foundation of the former building of the Kitchan municipality. This is a very important event for us; everyone in the village is looking forward to the construction of the kindergarten.

Then the children of the village offered us a walk in the village. We could not refuse, because we ourselves had a great desire to go for a walk and get to know the daily life of Kichan and the people of Kichan. And the school-aged childrentold how old Kichan's history is and that there are many khachkars, monuments and monasteries in the territory of the village.

We had reached the upper part of the village, when we noticed a young man coming up from below, in distinctive, classic clothes, coming towards us. Before reaching us, we tried to find out who the young man was. It turned out to be the director of the school.

I wouldn't be wrong if I say that we are probably the same age.

Unbuttoning his jacket, the young director ZoriAbrahamyan walked towards us.

We had an interesting conversation with ZoriAbrahamyan.

Today, Zori is in charge of his own educational center, where he studied not long ago, if not just a few years ago.

Abrahamyantold about the school routine.

- After the war, we are working at a more active pace; we are trying to fill in what was left out. We have very good students, I am sure that our future is in good hands.

We regretted that the day was over, but it was getting dark.

And we will return to Kichan, because there is still a lot to write and tell.

Sergey Safaryan