The decision to move from Yerevan to the distant Bnuni materialized when it was necessary to regain the strength and desire to live and look forward after the death of her only son, Edgar. 44-year-old Arsine Sahakyan has decided to live by h example in this and the four surrounding villages, which are empty day by day, on the border of Nakhichevan.
Bununis is located 13 km from the city of Sisian, at an altitude of 1830 m above sea level. The village, shriveled by the February cold, seems to have merged with the snow-laden mountains. As the day sets in, the thickening clouds light up from the sun’s last smile, gradually turning into bluish-gray shadows. The last footsteps in the village are mixed with the sound of stray cattle.
The tricolor waving in the wind, the soldier’s smile waving at the flag suggest that it is “Edgar’s house”, and the smoke billowing from the chimney tells about the warmth and hospitality inside. From the energetic barking of the dog, the hostess appears in the doorway, with an active and hospitable demeanor.
She still managed to put the first floor in order more or less, but during that time she had no shortage of guests. They came from different corners of the world to cultivate land equal to her, make bread, enjoy the fresh mountain air. They learned about her story from social networks, expressed their desire to come and have their part in the establishment of “Edgar House”. Ms. Arsine also does not hesitate to show every time on the same platforms, to tell how donations give life to her and Edgar’s dream little by little…
The living room is full of Edgar’s breath. Here are his son’s photos, relics, everything that can tell about him. “He loved photography, although he decided to study at the directing department of the pedagogical university after his service, he even had scripts written,” says his mother. Also on the walls are landscapes captured by Edgar’s camera.
“He served in Hadrut. Already 1 year 8 months… He was supposed to be discharged in January. On September 27, on his 20th birthday, the war began. We received the news on October 3. He was killed on the 1st of October during the hottest battles of the first days,” Arsine remembers the hard days of the war.
She was in Artsakh at that time, volunteered to go to Stepanakert to bake bread for the soldiers…
She wipes the tear on her eyelid and directs her steps to the adjacent room, which is both a bedroom and a sewing workshop. Soon there will be more judges. She will teach the women and children of the village how to make carpets. And although here and there there are various pieces, sewing accessories, various handicrafts, and it seems that there are no conditions to add anything, she says: we will be accommodated.
For as long as she can remember, she has been doing sewing and handicrafts, and she also makes a living with them. Even now, she participates in festivals and sells on the Internet.
After getting married, she left her education incomplete (she was supposed to become a specialist in French), to take care of children. In 1997, daughter Suzy was born, in 2000, son Edgar. Since 2011, after the divorce, she had to take all the care on his shoulders.
They lived in a rented apartment for 20 years, dreaming of owning their own. “Besides, the house had to with a small plot of land, Edgar loved the garden, farming, nature was his element, his photos will also prove it. And after leaving for the service, he said that our house should be near the border. We also discussed the option of Artsakh.”
The talk turned into action when she saw the deplorable state of the school in the village of Nzhdeh in Sisian via a live broadcast on Facebook. She immediately decided to move to Nzhdeh. “It was an impression that I was going to save Nzhdeh. After a week, I made a collage about how I should develop the village, what I should do. There is a school for social entrepreneurs, I became a third -generation graduate. I decided that if I want to move to the village, then I should better imagine what to do. And as a social entrepreneur, I should contribute to the development of the community, raise the issues,” she says.
She started getting to know the problems in detail when she was already in Nzhdeh looking for a house. She found her future guest house not in Nzhdeh, but in Bnunis. But that didn’t stop her from starting the implementation of her plans in Nzhdeh before the sale.
Through active Facebook posts, they tried to remind that there is life in this area, and they created opportunities to organize visits. Such were the lighting of tonir, the cooking of harissa and other ceremonies. And it was also a way to remind the locals that it is possible to receive guests in their house and earn money with it. “I am trying to change people’s way of thinking by my example, people do not believe that there can be a positive change in their life. Especially women are passive, with their daily worries…”
Ms. Arsine is ready to talk endlessly about her plans. There are many of them, Bnunis and “Edgar’s house” filled her life and everyday routin.
Her daughter got married, lives in Egypt, her parents are in the capital. She is alone here, but she hardly stays alone. Her father often visits and helps with construction work. The neighbor, Astghik, is always by her side, ready to support.
She often goes to border positions She says that the border is strong not only with soldiers, but also with border guarding villages. “Edgar’s House” also fulfills that mission of the border guard.
