Dear Readers,
The days since September 19, 2023 have been indescribable for the Armenian nation. Following Azerbaijan’s large-scale military attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, the regional Armenian authorities surrendered and the Lachin Corridor opened following a nine-month blockade. Yet the “Road of Life” opened only to allow Nagorno-Karabakh to be depleted of all human life.
More than 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have now fled to Armenia, in one of the most significant mass displacement events in Armenian history. The coming months and years will present an unprecedented number of challenges for Armenia and the global diaspora. It will take lifetimes to grapple with the questions presented over the past weeks, and to some, we might never find answers.
We at Namak remain committed to highlighting the human stories that often get lost in conversations about war and geopolitics. With this goal in mind, we are sharing “The Fall of Nagorno-Karabakh,” a documentary filmed and directed by our co-founder Astrig Agopian. Astrig began following sisters Naré and Nanar over the summer, documenting their story as one of the many families separated by the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. Just a few months later, Nanar found herself in Yerevan as a refugee, holding onto a dream that she may one day return home. The film is an intimate and incredibly raw portrayal of the ways in which conflict impacts real people. We hope you enjoy.
With solidarity in difficult times,
Astrig and Maral
To read: How a community fought for survival amid Azerbaijan's bombs, an openDemocracy article by Olivia Katrandjian and Siranush Sargsyan, about the nightmare that unfolded inside one Nagorno-Karabakh village on September 19, and how residents banded together to survive.
To read: ‘I came to apologise’: Armenian relatives visit soldiers’ graves after ceasefire deal, an article by Andrew Roth in The Guardian, about the grief and anger of families of fallen soldiers, and how their sense of invisibility has fueled protests against the Armenian government.
To read: To Rise, First You Must Burn, an EVN Report piece by Maria Titizian, who argues that the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh represents a complete failure of the rules-based international order. Yet only through shedding the cloak of victimhood can Armenians rise up from this catastrophe and prevent more to come.
To learn: RSF action plan for helping refugee journalists from Nagorno-Karabakh, an overview of how Reporters Without Borders plans to support displaced journalists from Nagorno-Karabakh, featuring interviews with staffers from CivilNet’s Stepanakert office.
To follow: Photographers Anush Babajanyan, Scout Tufankjian and Rebecca Topakian, who have documented the faces behind the refugee crisis with incredible sensitivity and depth.
Questions? Story ideas? An urge to say barev/parev? You can send us a secure email at namaknews@protonmail.com.