More that 340 people of Hadrut Region fell victims during the Artsakh war. Nearly 30% of its area has been ruined and burnt several times, but the people of Hadrut liberated itself through heavy sufferings.

The region lives within its everyday concerns and problems, however they never forget that the war is not over yet. The social, financial and other problems make the life of people living here very difficult but they don't get depressed. “Hence Hadrut must celebrate only its victories, all the difficulties have remained behind, now it is the very time to build,” says 82-year-old Artavazd who drinks tea every day under the well-known plane tree in the center of Hadrut.

The region has 29 communities including the town of Hadrut and 37 villages with a population of 12 070. The most important problems are drinking and irrigation water, and internal communication roads. Some villages are lacking telephone network and some have difficulties with watching Armenian TV channels.

Currently only two villages are provided with natural gas – Azokh and Drakhtik. By the end of 2007, another two villages – Mets Taghlar and Togh will be supplied with gas as well. There is a program for providing Hadrut with natural gas through the villages Tsakuri, Hramadzor, Djirakos, Hover, Kyuratagh, Oukhtadzor, Albulagh, Hakhlu, Melikashen, Aygestan.

The Head of Administration Valeri Gevorgian believes that this year Hayastan Fund will succeed in gathering the required money for the project called Renaissance of Hadrut and after the problems of water and gas supply as well as of roads have been solved, the people's life will essentially improve.

In Valeri Gevorgian's opinion, the most important thing is to create jobs for the people. “Only in that case the people who have left Hadrut will return and the population will grow. I am sure the population will be doubled in a short time.” For the moment, Hadrut administration hasn't got any program for creating jobs, however considers it realistic to establish a winery in the area located between the villages Mets Taghlar and Dzorak. “At one time there was a wine factory, but Azerbaijani burnt it before leaving.” The factory could employ 40-50 people.

“Just in the neigbourhood of winery we intend to re-develop the viticulture. In the Soviet years the annual yield of grapes reached up to 25-30 thousand tons. If cultivated, the region can produce not only wine but also cognac,” says Valeri Gevorgian.

Currently there is a small winery in the center of Hadrut with a capacity of processing only 2 tons of grapes. It's already two months the wines Rosy, Areni, and Vanadzor produced by that factory are sold in the stores of Karabagh.

To develop the economy of the region, a few years ago the administration allocated loans to the residents of Hadrut but now the process is stopped. “The people are not able to return the loans and the banks don't give new ones because the peasants have nothing to pledge. If even the peasant agrees to pledge his house, in future the bank will be unable to sell it. That is why the banks in Karabagh refuse to give credits,” says Mr. Gevorgian.

The town of Hadrut has 3000 inhabitants. Valeri Gevorgian feels difficult to tell exactly how many of them are unemployed. “It will be easier to tell how many of them have work. Today Hadrut needs workers for construction who will get 2000-3000 drams a day. Of course, it is a temporary work and doesn't attract the population. People want to have stable work.”

Recently the entrepreneurs are interested in Hadrut. Armen Ohanian started to be engaged in viticulture and Mikael Baghdasarov –in winemaking. The only wine factory in Hadrut belongs to him. “I am quite sure that in a short time Mr. Baghdasarov can develop winemaking in Hadrut,” says the Head of Administration.

Compared with other regions of Karabagh, Hadrut is in worse conditions since 30% of its area was destroyed and burnt during the war actions and 14 villages were occupied by Azerbaijani.

Before the war, Hadrut was the least populated region of Karabagh though considered as a rich one. “Our region can be restored by developing only the viticulture and cattle breeding. The people can work in the gardens round the year. It will really create stable work for the people.”

The administration pays special attention to the problems of the families of deceased freedom-fighters and those having many children. “We have repaired the houses of all the deceased. Each year we allocate 20-30 mln. Drams to their families. All the large families of the region are provided with houses as well,” says Mr. Gevorgian. In Karabagh the family having 6 children is considered as large. There are nearly 40 of them living in Hadrut and their number is increasing. Most of the large families are refugees from Azerbaijan. There lives also one family with 10 children moved here from Armenia.

Translated by Armine Ghazaryan, Karine Miletbashyan