Village Life in Armenia

by John Hughes Far from the manner by which it is demonstrated in Yerevan, and farther still from most outsiders' appreciable comprehension, life for a third or more of all Armenians is metered out in the daily struggle that is the reality of post-Soviet rural existence. The republic's (arguably inflated) population of about three million is mostly accessible in its 47 urban communities. But it is in its 942 villages where, in habitat and in habit, the average Armenian's daily living is more common to 19th century prairie life than to 21st century metropolitan expansion.

by Gayane Mkrtchyan

by Aris Ghazinyan

by Ian Lindsay "Take a close look because you'll probably be the last Westerner to see these petroglyphs. They'll probably be gone tomorrow," Dr. Pavel Avetisyan told me, shaking his head. Dr. Avetisyan, an archaeologist at the Armenian Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, had taken me on a field trip to the Armavir region to see a breathtaking example of 6,000-year-old rock art near Aghavnatun.

by Arpi Harutyunyan TAVUSH Administrative center: Ijevan (population 20,200) Education: 82 schools of general education, 14 schools of music and art, 3 institutes of higher education (1 private). Healthcare: 13 out-patient polyclinics, 3 health centers and 7 hospitals. Industry: Carpet making, woodworking, mining (limestone, clay, lithographic stone, dolomite). Agriculture: 93,754 hectares, mostly producing grains. In Ijevan, the governor of Tavush is asked a question about living conditions in her province.

by Zhanna Alexanyan Administrative center: Gyumri (population 149,900) Population: 282,500 (8.8 % of republic's total population) Education: 193 state and 3 non state schools of general education, 23 music and art, 41 sport, 56 pre-schools, 9 state and non-state secondary specialized, 6 state and 2 non-state universities Healthcare: 37 out-patient polyclinics and 19 hospitals Industry: Production of construction materials including tuff and pumice Agriculture: Grain farming and cattle-breeding

by Marianna Grigoryan

by Vahan Ishkhanyan

by Gayane Abrahamyan Hardly an hour's drive from Yerevan's metered service and expanding varieties of bottled water, the 750 residents of the Ararat province's Yeraskh village get their water every two days from a two-ton truck, filling canisters and jugs and pots and buckets 40 liters at a time for about 35 cents. Yeraskh resident Albert Petrosian spends about $2 a week on water - that's $8 a month out of his $14 pension.

by Julia Hakobyan

by Julia Hakobyan and John Hughes Editor's Note: An issue of stories devoted to village life cannot avoid unpleasant reality; many Armenian villages tolerate sub-standard living conditions. But neither should highlights be overlooked, especially if the success of one village encourages perseverance by others. Here, then, is a look at how some revival efforts are paying off, with a hope of many more to be repeated.

by Varant Yessayan Perhaps the oddest moment during my trip to Armenia came when Stepan, our guide, spiced up the already bumpy drive in his Lada Niva 4x4 by popping a cassette into the car stereo. The chugging riff to Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" punched its way out of the speakers, Robert Plant's inimitable wail filling the cab with electrifying treble. "Live at the Royal Albert Hall," Stepan informed us.