In Hadrut I was looking for people with interesting background. I learned about the one growing fir-trees of whom the people of Hadrut used to tell smilingly – “Yes, he is our occupant”. The word “occupant” sounds unpleasant and I could not imagine whom I was going to meet there. I expected to see a man with a gloomy face, tired eyes, and husky voice, but I found a cheerful and a kind “occupant” by the gate of his own house. He introduced himself – “Alexander Baghdasarian, they call me an “occupant” as well. It's my war-time nickname.”

The land in front of Alexander's two-storey house is entirely green. I saw the rows of unknown plants among the straightly lined beds. “These are fir-trees and I have brought them from Russia,” said Alexander.

“I would like to write an article about you,” I explained the purpose of my visit. “do you accept?” “Sure,” he said with a smile, “I have been long waiting for you. People should know what we are doing here.”

Before the Karabagh movement, Alexander Baghdasarian's family lived in the town of Feodosiya of Crimea, with a quite active Armenian community. Feodosiya is Hovhannes Ayvazovsky's birth-place. He worked as a photographer on the sea coast. “I had a house and a well-paid job there.”

When he Heard about the Karabagh movement, he and his family set on leaving for the homeland, to Hadrut. “When the war began, I decided to take part in it. I sold my house, my property and came here.”

“People usually try to stay far from war. Why did you decide on coming to Hadrut?” I asked. He was surprised at my question. He looked round as if searching for evidence. “A shell was blown up in this place. As for coming here, how could I have not? How could I stay at the seaside and continue to photograph while my brother, my friend, and my father were spilling their blood here?

Alexander explains that even when you live well in a foreign country, you feel lonely – like in a desert. “Here we have land, this is our land, our grandfathers are buried here, one has built this spring and some other has planted this tree.”

In Hadrut it was impossible to earn a living through photography. One of his friends suggested that he grow vegetables and plants; to be more exact, he engaged in dendrology.

“When I returned from Russia, I put a greenhouse here to grow tomatso, cucumbers, and in the winter – greens and radishes. This way, I could support my family.”

Alexander Baghdasarian believes that the soil and climatic conditions of Hadrut create a favorable opportunities for agriculture. “In Hadrut, potato costs 250 Drams, it's a shame. The price must be no more than 50 Drams.” In his opinion, the lack of water is a devastating problem. “We have many springs in Hadrut. There is a big one called Bear Spring, and others too. It would be useful to utilize them and deliver them to the people. The solution is not a difficult one, it simply needs to be considered and worked out.” He believes that the working man is able to create everything here since Hadrut gives all the opportunities. For example, he has dug a well in his yard and reached to the underground waters.

Alexander begins his work in the botanical garden early in the morning. Tens of thousands of seedlings are to be seriously cared for: watered, fertilized, and replaced in time preventing overgrowing. “I never leave my yard. I like my work, I am fond of my children and grandchildren and I try to do everything well,” says the botanist from Hadrut.

At first, the family didn't like Alexander's occupation, they looked at it with distrust, and couldn't imagine that one can earn money in such a way. However, after the first batch of seedlings had been sold and money brought home, his wife and children began to help him. Now they all work in the garden, even the little grandchildren. Alexander is not a sole manager and works on the level with everybody since he can't imagine his life without plants. He isn't educated appropriately, however he has studied the plant world so deeply that now he is even able to write a textbook. “I speak to the plants, and I have read that one should display love in that way. Once I was away for a month and when I came back the trees seemed to be offended. Many people don't want to believe me but the trees feel who their real master is.”

And such relations exist not only between a man and a tree, but also between the state and its citizens. If the people don't make efforts and don't work to improve the country's life, nothing will come out of shouting about independence and statehood. “I say: let's plant trees and gardens. I am saying things I know. If others know some other taits, then let them say it and do it.”

Alexander is showing the pine and cypress seedlings he brought from Russia. He says that pine trees grow quickly and give high quality wood. People can grow pines and use them as construction material rather than cut old oaks and planes. “Many people laugh at me and say, “Why are you doing it? You are not going to live a hundred years in order to make use of it”, - “This way of thinking is wrong. We have fought and liberated our land, and we have no other place to go. We must live here and take care of our environment.”

There are tens of thousands of walnut seedlings in Alexander's garden. “This year I have focused my attention on the walnut. If supported, I will plant one million walnut trees in Karabagh,” says Alexander Baghdasarian. For now, he is assisted and valued only by the members of his family while he needs much more support because great things can't be realized without great support. He calls out all his family members for a family photo.

At the coffee table, Alexander reminded me the words he had said at the beginning of our meeting. “You know, when I said that I had been long waiting for you, I meant that this scale of work couldn't be carried out alone. Many people must learn about it and appreciate its importance. It's not the business of the “Occupant” only. This is the future of Karabagh and, why not, of Armenia, too.”

During our good-byes, Alexander Baghdasarian asked me to send a copy of this article to the international Green Peace organization. “Let them know that Karabagh is doing great work.”

Translated by Armine Ghazaryan, Karine Miletbashyan