by Yulia Grigoryants

In 1988 a 7.0 Richter-scale earthquake struck northern Armenia. The quake 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 1990’s, the collapse of the Soviet Union, an energy crisis, and a blockade left landlocked Armenia with just two open borders.

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, also because of the labor migration. 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. 25 years later they are still waiting for emergency improvements to their buildings…

Back in Soviet times these huge twin dormitory buildings on the outskirts of Gyumri accommodated around 60 families each. Today, there are just four families living here... Four families and generations that were born and raised here. Among decaying walls and corridors. Living in this emptiness... Living their hopeless, imprisoned life…

Karine (57) - an inhabitant of Gortsaranayin 2B in Gyumri has been living in an abandoned house for 26 years.

Children playing in the entry corridor of the building.

The kitchen in Karine's house.

Syuzanna's brothers - Suren (5) and Levon (7) in their single room apartment, with a neighbour visiting them, a 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 their most difficult days.

Levon in his apartment in Gyumri.

Lusine, at the age of 30, mother of 5, in her single room apartment with no support after her husband committed suicide.

Power socket in "Gortsaranayin 2A".

Sose (35) - a neighbour from the second twin building, was beaten violently by her husband and step mother, when they discovered her second pregnancy. They tried to force her to have an abortion, but she gave birth to a daughter. Recently, her husband left the family.

One of the two inhabited apartments in the building that once accomodated 60 families.

Levon - the oldest son of Lusine and Syuzanna's brother, is looking 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...

Syuzanna with her toddler sister Nareh.

Suren with his mother Lusine.

The pipes of the handmade ovens inside the apartment.

Syuzanna (9) sitting in a “shelter” made of old car rusty parts. Ten days ago Syuzanna's father committed suicide, as people say, because of debt.

Karine (57) works in front of the building.

The same space usually serves as kitchen, living room, bedroom and kid's room in these apartments.

Lusine's children - Karine, Syuzanna and Suren, after school in their single room apartment.

Alex (11) - the son of Sose in their apartment.

Knyaz (38) (which means ”Prince” in Russian) - a neighbor from the same floor, is an Assyrian by origin, one of the ethnic minorities of Armenia. He payed 300 USD for this apartment years ago. After he lost his wife due to cancer, he couldn’t take care of his daughter alone. His new marriage toVarduhi, who had two sons, was arranged by a friend.

Karine (11) - older sister of Syuzanna, struggling with flu in their single room apartment.

Lusine with her children in their tiny apartment in Gyumri. Theyall sleep in the one room, that also serves as a kitchen and playroom for the family.

Karine gathered dry branches and bushes after the winter and started a fire in between the two buildings.

"I will burn everything here! Everything!" she screams with a smile.

"Gortsaranayin 2A"