Domiks have already decayed: new hope in Gyumri (video)
The family of Geghetsik Gevorgyan lives in a temporary shelter (domik) in one of the outskirts of Gyumri, and her three grandchildren spend their childhood in such conditions. Geghetsik Gevorgyan lost her house during the earthquake in 1988. The woman has health problems and speaks with difficulty. “After the earthquake we have lived on old stuff,” she says. Mrs Geghetsik, who once lived in a large and bright flat, lives in a domik and even doesn’t hope that one day they will live like in the past, “I will be thankful for anything.” Arpenik Ghazaryan’s three-member family also lives in the same district. “The roof has already decayed, water penetrates inside; we cannot afford to build a new roof,” she says. They came here temporarily but stayed. For the family, which lives on disability benefit and pension, appropriate living conditions are just memory of the past, and the only means to be protected from the rain is buckets on the floor and they even don’t think about heating. Ten days ago jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan gave colors to this colorless district of Gyumri; he joined his fellow citizens in order to support the initiative of a group of young people. Gyumri photographer Hayk Barseghyan’s initiative to provide flats to 13 families has given hope to the homeless families. 28 years after the earthquake in Gyumri still 11 000 families are homeless and 3000 families haven’ been included in the list of families, which must be given flats by the state.
