Celebration of Vardavar in Karabakh village of Agavno held under peacemakers' control

For the second year, the community of Agavno of the Kashatag District of Nagorno-Karabakh has celebrated the Vardavar holiday. The security of the event was ensured by Russian peacemakers. The Agavno villagers believe that the coverage of the mass events held in their village will draw attention to the problem of their forced eviction.

The Feast of the Lord's Transfiguration (Vardavar) is celebrated by residents of Armenia and Karabakh with street games, dancing and pouring water over. Some residents of Yerevan treat Vardavar as one of the most joyful holidays.

The community of Agavno, together with the dwelling settlements of Berdzor and Sus, is part of the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor and is under the control of the Armenian party.

According to Andranik Chaushyan, the head of the Agavno community, various events had been also held before the 2020 war, but after that they have acquired a symbolic character.

Astkhik Isakhanyan, the mother of five children, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that "we continue living in Agavno because we are guarded by peacemakers, and because we have nowhere to go – we don't want to become refugees."

Arshak Smbatyan, a pensioner, has been living in Agavno since 1992. He believes that "if the peacemakers abandon Berdzor Corridor, and the Stepanakert-Berdzor (Lachin)-Goris highway is handed over to Azerbaijan, then not a single Armenian will remain here to live in fear of violent death."