Inhabitants of the Empty •

29 Years After the Earthquake in Armenia

Armenia – the smallest mountainous country in the South Caucasus. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent independence of the country in 1991, it was a time of important political and social changes for the country and the region. The transition from the Soviet system to independence was not an easy one. The Armenian nation went through a devastating earthquake, followed by five years of war and many more years of socio-economic hardship that still continues today. For most of the population, every day is a struggle for food, and a struggle for life.

On December 7, 1988, a 7.0 Richter-scale earthquake struck northern Armenia. The earthquake killed at least 25,000 people in the region. Thousands more were maimed and hundreds of thousands left homeless. Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, bore much of the damage. Large-scale war by the early 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet Union, an energy shortage, and a blockade that left landlocked Armenia with just two open borders contributed to exacerbating the region’s already prevalent issues.

A quarter of a century later, Gyumri has the country’s highest poverty rate at 47.7%. The city has lost nearly half of its population since 1988, due in part to migration of the labor force. A few thousand families are still living in makeshift shelters, waiting for help. Many of them are not eligible for new housing since they are not considered direct victims of the earthquake. Twenty nine years later, they are still waiting for urgently needed improvements to their dwellings.

Here in Gyumri, where hope and despair go hand in hand, time is generally measured as “before” and “after” the earthquake.

During the Soviet era, these huge twin dormitory buildings on the outskirts of Gyumri accommodated around 120 families. Today, there are just four families living here, struggling with their own devils and ghosts and slowly going mad. After all these years, they remain imprisoned in these buildings among decaying walls and corridors, chaos surrounding them, which like a grasping monster destroys their conscious.

Syuzanna (9) sitts in a “shelter” made of old car rusty parts in front of the abandoned building she lives in Gyumri, Armenia. Ten days ago Syuzanna's father committed suicide, as people say, because of the debts. 2016, Gyumri, Armenia.
Back in Soviet times these two buildings accommodated 60 families each. Today there are just four families living here, and generations that were born and raised here.
Back in Soviet times these two buildings accommodated 60 families each. Today there are just four families living here, and generations that were born and raised here.
Levon (7) - Syuzanna's brother, enters his world: "Gortsaranayin 2A", on the outskirts of Gyumri in Armenia.
Kitchen in "Gortsaranayin 2A".
Syuzanna’s whole family of 6 lives in the single room apartment in Gyumri. The same room serves as a bedroom for everyone, as a kitchen and playroom for the children.
Karine (11) - the oldest sister of Syuzanna, struggls flu in their single room apartment.
Syuzanna’s brothers - Suren (5) and Levon (7) in their single room apartment, with a neighbour visiting them, few days after their father committed suicide. In Armenia, during the first 40 days after the death relatives, neighbours and other acquaintances visit the family to pay respect and support them during the most difficult days.
Syuzanna (9) with her sister Karine and brother Suren, after the school in their single room apartment. Ten days ago their father committed suicide, as people say, because of the debts.
"The King and the Queen's thrones" in one of the four inhabited apartments.
Levon - Syuzanna's broter looks at his father’s image, who committed suicide few days before. - “I was holding my dad’s jacket and I felt his smell.” Says Levon with a smile...
Lusine - Syuzanna's mother, at the age of 30, a mother of 5, in her single room apartment with no support after her husband committed suicide few days before.
Power socket in "Gortsaranayin 2A".
Sose's (35) - a neighbour from the second twin building, was beaten violently by her husband and step mother, when they discovered about her second pregnancy. They tried to force her to make abortion, but she gave birth to a daughter. Recently her husband left the family.
Knyaz (38) (which means ”Prince” in Russian) - a neighbor from the same floor, is an Assyrian by origin, one of ethnic minorities of Armenia. He payed 300 usd for this apartment years ago. After he lost his wife because of cancer, he couldn’t take care of his daughter alone. His new marriage with Varduhi, who had two sons was arranged by a friend.
Gyumri earthquake survivor Karine Hovannisyan (57), who resides in this building for the last 28 years cleans the area from dry bushes and branches.
Syuzanna takes care of her toddler sister Nareh.
Children’s room in Soseh’s apartment.
Suren - Syuzanna's brother in their tiny apartment.
Children playing in front of their building
Karine lays out her clothes to dry at the entrance of the building in which she resides during the last 28 years.
Levon - syuzanna's brother plays in the entry of their apartment.
Toilet in "Gortsaranayin 2B"
Suren - Syuzanna's brother ready to sleep on the two armchairs attached to each other, that serve him as a bed..
Knyaz washes the dishes at the entry of their apartment.
Alex (11) - the son of Sose in their apartment in Gortsaranayin 2B.
Knyaz prepares dinner for his daughter Astghik (10), who has mental diabilities.
Karine Hovannisyan, who resids in this building for 26 years, launched a fire from dry bushes and branches in front of her house. -"I will burn everything here! Everything!" - she screams with a smile.