Yeghegnadzor resident Hayk Isakhanyan, a former Soviet engineer, shows his wine and brandy barrel workshop equipped with machinery he reconfigured from old Soviet equipment. Having served as chief engineer and later director of the Yeghegnadzor knitwear factory, Hayk recalls overseeing up to 1,000 employees. He now owns this facility, a legacy from the Soviet era.

The factory is fully equipped but has no staff or jobs. The owner states, "If we get an order, we can start immediately." For example, during the 2020 Artsakh War  , they produced warm gloves for soldiers by quickly putting several machines to work.

Isakhanyan knows he can't compete with outdated equipment but can't get new ones yet.

He says, "If our goal is to create lots of jobs, we can begin this project, but the rewards will be limited. However, if we want to run a substantial business and aim for significant profits, we should invest in modern equipment."

In 1995, the UN program in Vayots Dzor studied the prospects for the development of the region. Horticulture and winemaking were considered priority sectors. At that time, he decided to start producing wine and brandy barrels.

“Knitwear isn’t a priority for us, as imported pieces are sold by weight at extremely low prices. I can’t compete,” says Isakhanyan.

The new workshop stands opposite a former factory bearing the inscription "Glory to Labor."

Isakhanyan organizes tours of the factory premises for foreign tourists, presenting the production capacities of the Soviet past. He remembers that he had a German guest, asked what was written, and I said, “Arbeiten sie schnell, schnell, arbeiten sie sehr gut.” (Work quickly, quickly, work very well.)

I picked up some German in school, so I managed to convey that working is something positive.