Aghavno to Soon Lose Power as Residents Face Uncertainty

Residents of Aghavno village in Artsakh are preparing to leave their homes, but their future remains uncertain. This was stated by Aghavno’s village head, Andranik Chavushyan, in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

According to him, the village will soon be cut off from electricity, and telephone connections will also be disconnected. Approximately 200 people, including more than 70 children, currently live in Aghavno.

It was previously announced that the residents of three settlements—Berdzor, Aghavno, and Nerkhin Sus—must leave their homes by August 25. According to some information, the territories are to be handed over to Azerbaijan, although it is officially stated that residents are being evacuated as part of “civil protection measures.” These settlements are adjacent to the Lachin Corridor, which will soon come under the control of Baku.

Chavushyan mentioned that villagers are encountering certain difficulties, needing to transport household and personal belongings, while freight carriers are asking for large sums, taking advantage of the high demand. It will be particularly challenging for those who decide to move to Yerevan due to the long distance and increased transportation costs.

Villagers primarily intend to relocate to the Syunik Province of Armenia and Yerevan, with around 7-8 families wanting to settle in the Askeran region of Artsakh, but no final decision has been made yet.

Chavushyan learned that residents must leave the village a few weeks ago during a meeting with Artsakh President Araik Harutyunyan. The day before, the village administration had purchased construction materials to renovate part of the school building, but they later learned about Azerbaijan’s demand for Aghavno’s evacuation.

“Since Harutyunyan announced that we could not keep Berdzor but Aghavno would remain, we decided to renovate the school. But then what happened, happened,” he says.

He views the situation as the state’s responsibility, which should have ensured the army’s presence to protect its people but failed to do so.

Chavushyan also mentioned that before leaving Aghavno, the church’s khachkar (cross-stone) will be removed, as the residents fear that Azerbaijanis will desecrate them.