By Gevorg Tosunyan and Alexander Pracht
The section of the border separating Armenia’s Tavush province from Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district is the most complex and challenging stretch of the frontier. Not only is much of it undelimited, but it also encompasses two abandoned Azerbaijani exclaves surrounded by Armenian territory, lying perilously close to the boundary.
Near one of these exclaves, Barxudarli, stands a mysterious statue of a woman, known to local Armenians as Arevik. The statue has become a unique symbol of the enduring conflict and the fragile hope for peace between the two nations.
The residents of neighbouring villages recall how the statue once served as a meeting place for Armenians and Azerbaijanis back in Soviet times. It was a venue for celebrations, where people sang songs together, a symbol of a shared past that now feels almost unimaginable. The statue originally had a metallic arch spanning above it, but it was destroyed by a strong wind ten years ago.
Today, with the Azerbaijani exclave abandoned, the area has transformed into a network of trenches, and the statue stands as a silent landmark of a divided region. Over the past 30 years, this area has witnessed numerous exchanges of prisoners of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“When they took me out of the car, the first thing I saw was that silvery statue. Then I noticed Armenian troops in the distance,” an Armenian serviceman who was captured during the 2020 war recalls his exchange, his name withheld at his request.
An important detail about the statue is that it remains uncharted and absent from all official records. Its architect is unknown, as is the year of its creation. CivilNet reached out to Armenia’s Union of Architects and relevant agencies for information on the statue’s history but received no response.
Not far from the statue lies an abandoned and partially destroyed railway that once connected Soviet Armenia with Soviet Azerbaijan. Unlike the residents of the southern town of Meghri, the people of neighbouring town of Ijevan support the idea of reopening transport links with Azerbaijan, though they doubt the government’s ability to allocate the necessary funds. The city, which is the birthplace of the current prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has no railway connection to Yerevan, and its local station is also abandoned and in ruins.
The railway, constructed in 1973 and abandoned since 1989, was briefly mentioned in discussions held by the trilateral working group of deputy prime ministers from Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan, aimed at reopening regional transport routes. While the Armenian side raised the issue, it quickly slipped from the agenda, leaving the railway to remain a relic of a bygone era.
Residents of Kayan and Azatamut, Armenian villages near the mysterious Arevik statue, largely support signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. They view the ongoing border delimitation process, criticized by many across Armenia, as a potential step toward lasting stability. However, a significant challenge lies in addressing the Azerbaijani exclaves near these villages, which complicate any resolution. Critical highways pass through these exclaves, recognized internationally as Azerbaijani territory.
One potential solution, floated in public discourse, involves a territorial exchange: the Azerbaijani exclaves could be swapped for Artsvashen, a large historically Armenian exclave within Azerbaijan’s borders. Artsvashen, now populated by Azerbaijanis, is internationally recognized as part of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province. Such a land swap would simplify the border and eliminate exclaves, creating a contiguous boundary beneficial to both nations without necessitating the resettlement of populations. However, such a step would likely require a national referendum in Armenia, adding another layer of complexity to an already fraught process.
For now, the normalization efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain unstable and chaotic, requiring enormous diplomatic effort and political will to address these intricate issues. In the meantime, residents of border villages like Kayan and Azatamut await peace and hope to reclaim their lands. Amid this uncertainty, the Arevik statue stands resolute, a symbol of hope and a poignant reminder of a time when harmony between the two nations felt within reach.
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