In a series of three blogs, Tatev captures the thoughts and feelings of people in Syunik’s borderline communities. Tsav village was the third and final stop on Tatev and Lilit’s road trip.
In November 2022, Leadership Development Manager Tatev Karapetyan and Alumni-Ambassador Lilit Petrossian set out on a road trip to visit three Teach For Armenia school communities in the Syunik region of southern Armenia. In a series of three blogs, Tatev captures the thoughts and feelings of people in Syunik’s borderline communities.
Their trip took place in the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia’s eastern border from September 13–14th. At least 23 localities in the Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik regions were hit by Azerbaijani missiles and shelling. These were the worst hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the 44-day Artsakh war in 2020.
Localities Hit
Communities in Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik regions struck by shelling
Lives Lost
Armenian service members killed in the September 2022 attacks
Civilians Displaced
Residents forced from their homes along the eastern border
Villages Isolated
Communities cut off when Azerbaijan took control of a highway section
After Aghitu and Tasik, Tsav village was the third and final stop on Tatev and Lilit’s road trip.
First stop — a village where residents shared stories of resilience in the face of border tensions
Second stop — meeting community members and Teacher-Leaders working to sustain education under pressure
Overnight in the city at the foot of Mt. Khustup, running errands before the final leg of the journey
Final stop — a border village cut off from Armenia in 2021, reconnected by an alternative road in 2022
From Tasik village, we arrived in Kapan just after midnight. Kapan is a small city at the foot of Mt. Khustup. On most days, views of the mountain dominate the city. It is one of my favorite parts about being in Kapan. After a late breakfast and running errands, we continued our journey to Tsav village.
In 2021, Tsav was one of several villages cut off from the rest of Syunik — and Armenia — when Azerbaijan took control of a 4 kilometer section of the North-South highway that runs along the border. As a result, residents of Tchakaten, Shikahogh, Srashen, Nerkin Hand, and Tsav villages had to travel two and a half hours south to Meghri to be able to access the rest of Syunik. In 2022, an alternative road was finally built to reunite these isolated villages with the rest of the region. Except for several Armenian checkpoints, the new road is usually empty. It passes through a beautiful stretch of forest, which stands in contrast to the barbed wire and military equipment lining the opposite side of each border community.
At Tsav Secondary School, seventh generation Teacher-Leader Paloma Rubio was waiting for us. She teaches English and her passion for nature. Several years ago, Paloma moved to Syunik from Spain – with no prior connection to Armenia – and learned the Armenian language. Together, we walked around the village with her students picking berries and discussing the importance of protecting the environment.
Snakes, wolves — all animals are good. They should be loved. There are no bad animals in nature.
Their school is adjacent to the Shikahogh Reserve where many plants and animals are on the endangered species list. Thanks to Paloma, students have learned these local species by name.
At Paloma’s house, we were joined by her partner Mikayel Shelementev Zohrabyan who is a Teacher-Leader in Shvanidzor village about 1.5 hours away. We sat around the coffee table and discussed the many challenges faced by Tsav over the past two years. During the September attacks, younger children were evacuated to villages further away from the border. Both Paloma and Mikayel stayed in Tsav and organized games and activities for the older children who stayed behind. The atmosphere was tense and the sound of gunfire often echoed through the air. Along with other local men, Mikayel guarded the village from a possible attack.
Children Displaced from Nerkin Hand
Since September, three children moved to Tsav from the nearby village of Nerkin Hand — closer to the border and still unsafe for families.
We met with Milena, who is one of those three children. She witnessed Azerbaijan’s bombardment of the border from her home — she described explosions, flashing lights, and what seemed like fireworks. That day, she overcame her fear of blood when she watched wounded soldiers seek refuge in her home. From then on, Milena decided to become a nurse.
To go from village to village — as we did on this trip — is to know, love, and fully embrace Armenia and all of its potential. We were heartened by the resilience and determination of the people that we met and inspired to keep working towards a better future.
Leadership Development Manager, Teach For Armenia
At first glance, Tsav’s pristine nature and village life feels normal. Paloma, Mikayel, Lilit, and I stood in the silence of this contradiction and our peaceful afternoon together. These are small pleasures that we — and all people along the border — do not take for granted.
