Ao Longo das Fronteiras Fechadas

In Chambarak -- a town located on the border with Azerbaijan -- people built a cross overlooking the village. Many crosses like this appeared within the last decades, especially in rural areas. They are visible from the road and shine only at night. Some locals of Chambarak say that they always drive past this cross first before heading to their homes.

Ao Longo das Fronteiras Fechadas é um projeto sobre a vida nas regiões rurais fronteiriças da Armênia, cujos residentes viveram através de duas guerras e potencialmente enfrentam a ameaça de uma terceira à medida que as tensões aumentam novamente entre Armênia e Azerbaijão.

Nasci na Armênia durante a primeira guerra de Nagorno-Karabakh. Quando era pequena, visitava minhas avós na aldeia. Brincava com as crianças dos vizinhos, bebia água da nascente, colhia flores e subia as montanhas para ver nossa aldeia de cima. Lá, além das montanhas, estava a fronteira fechada com o Azerbaijão e a cidade natal do meu pai, Artsvashen, ocupada pelo Azerbaijão em 1992, no dia em que nasci.

Em 27 de setembro de 2020, a guerra em Nagorno-Karabakh recomeçou. Durou 44 dias, ceifando milhares de vidas e deslocando ainda mais pessoas. Pouco depois, comecei a ouvir a palavra “fronteira” por toda parte: na mídia e em conversas com minha família. Comecei a refletir sobre o significado das fronteiras e como sua proximidade afeta a vida das pessoas e as paisagens. Viajei para a Armênia, documentando a vida cotidiana nas áreas rurais ao longo das fronteiras fechadas com o Azerbaijão e a Turquia.

The village of Vahan is located near my father's hometown of Artvashen, occupied by Azerbaijan in 1992. My father used to commute through Vahan every day to his work. He dreams he could make this commute again to see his hometown again.

Mery Danielyan lives in Chambarak. She is a social worker and elementary school teacher. Mery recently got engaged to a young man from her village. Young people like Mery's sister, leave rural areas after graduating high school. However, Mery decided to stay in the village with her family.

Many people in rural regions don’t have drinking water in their homes. Some don’t have any running water at all. This forces rural residents to rely on springs. Here, a man is helping his neighbor construct a pipe that is supposed to transport the mountain water directly to his neighbor’s home. Once neighbors have drinking tap water, they often share it with others.

After losing their loved ones during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, many families began to set up memorials, both in cemeteries and in their homes. Zhirair (Zhiro) Balyan was one of three children in his family. He died on the last day of the war. The family often visits his grave and brings fresh flowers into the living room - for him. Zhiro's mother says she never closes the door to the room for fear of leaving her child there alone. Tutujur, Armenia

In the summer, the children of Chinari, a bordering village with Azerbaijan, spend a lot of time playing outside together. Here, they are pictured at one of their favorite spots, on the top of the steep hill that overlooks the entire village. On a clear day, the homes of the Azerbaijani people can be visible from afar.

View from one of the abandoned sanatoriums on the way to Chambarak.

Aygedzor is a village in Tavush province, located on the border with Azerbaijan. A local school is building a cement wall to protect the children from potential cross-border shootings. Despite the threat and a lack of resources in border areas, teachers and school administration in Aygedzor engage children in many artistic performances. Here, a concert hall in Aygedzor school is pictured. The sign on the stage says, Farewell to the ABCs. The Last Bell.

Locals of a border region of Ttujur, Armenia. Future mother-in-law (right) is posing next to her daughter-in-law (left).

Landscapes of Chambarak. Villagers point to the mountains when talking about borders.

Most people in rural Armenia keep sheep. They use sheep's wool to make blankets. It is a sustainable practice because the materials are used over and over again. The photo shows the attic where the washed and processed wool is dried. The next day, a neighbor will come over and help make a wool blanket.

Kamo Gevorkian has been working as a shepherd for nearly 40 years in a bordering village of Chmabarak, Armenia. He leaves his house before dawn and returns right before the sunset. Despite his second-degree disability, he goes to the mountains every day during the season. In the 1990s, Kamo accidentally crossed the Armenia-Azerbaijani border because of foggy conditions in the mountains. He was taken prisoner. Kamo said that before the First Nagorno-Karabakh war, he used to graze his cows and sheep alongside Azerbaijani shepherds. They often ate lunch not far away from each other. When Kamo was captured, one of the Azerbaijani shepherds recognized him. He spent a week tied up, after which he was released.

Locals of the border village of Ttujur are celebrating their neighbor's return from the army. Military service in Armenia is mandatory for male citizens aged 18 to 27. Families and neighbors gather for a meal and send off the young men leaving for a two-year service. When they return, they gather again. The celebration after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh was especially important to all families who had children serving in the army and fighting the war.

In the village of Bagaran, located right next to the border with Turkey, many people’s source of income comes from the fruit season. Bagaran is famous for its juicy and sweet apricots. The apricot season is short but labor-intensive. People work long hours to gather and sort the best fruits for export to Russia. The rest of the apricots are dried in the sun or used for making homemade vodka.

A view from Bagaran village, Armenia. Armenian homes and a cemetery are in the foreground. Turkey is in the background.

Children of Ttujur, Armenia are posing in front of the camera during the last day of their summer camp.

Still life with apricot pits in the village of Aygedzor, Armenia.

Levon Balyan is posing on the grave of his son who died during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Levon is a farmer. Taking care of poultry and livestock helps him survive his son's passing. Otherwise, Levon says, it would have been impossible for him to grieve.

On the river in Aygedzor, Armenia.

In a village school of Chambarak, Armenia.

Mane and her brother Andranik are searching for ripe berries on the side of the road near their house.

Interiors of one of the schools in Aygedzor, Tavush Province.

Along the Closed Borders Project. Lilit Danielyan | photographer| filmmaker | teaching artist

Viver perto da fronteira trata-se de ansiedade e preocupação diária. Mesmo os residentes mais jovens de regiões como a província de Tavush sentem a tensão de viver em proximidade da fronteira de uma forma ou de outra. São construídos cercas de cimento ao redor das escolas. Retratos de soldados caídos — a maioria dos quais tinha apenas dezoito anos — penduram nos corredores.

Desde o colapso da União Soviética e o fechamento das fábricas de manufatura, o desemprego tem sido elevado nas regiões rurais da Armênia. Uma grande parte da população vive na pobreza. Na ausência de empregos, muitos homens partem para trabalhar em países vizinhos. Após o serviço militar, muitos jovens acabam trabalhando em postos militares por falta de outras opções. É um dos poucos empregos remunerados nas regiões fronteiriças. Quase todas as famílias que conheci em minha jornada tinham perdido alguém na guerra.

A proximidade das fronteiras fechadas, no entanto, também envolve a comunidade. Vi vizinhos apoiarem e cuidarem uns dos outros. Eles ajudam a construir memoriais para famílias que perderam seus entes queridos.

Esta história mostra as consequências cotidianas de viver com a guerra em áreas ao redor da Armênia menos conhecidas no cenário mundial, mas que ainda carregam cicatrizes de várias guerras