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  • Dadivank Monastery is an example of Armenian medieval architecture. The Kingdom of Artsakh was founded at around the year 1.000 in the territory which is currently known as Nagorno Karabak. Karabak Armenians still use this name to refer to their country.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Dadivank Monastery is an example of Armenian medieval architecture. The Kingdom of Artsakh was founded at around the year 1.000 in the territory which is currently known as Nagorno Karabak. Karabak Armenians still use this name to refer to their country.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
    DBM_20150819_0645.jpg
  • Agdam was an Azerbaijani city of about 100.000 known for its wine and cheese production. In 1993 Armenian troops forced its citizens to flee and destroyed the entire city fearing that it would be used as a base to take back Nagorny Karabak. The remains of the city were looted for building materials over the following years. Today, Agdam is a ghost town and a buffer zone between Nagorny Karabak and Azerbaijan.© Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • In 1988, el soviet de Nagorny Karabak asked Moscow to integrate the territory into the Armenian Soviet Republic while tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets both in Nagorny Karabak and in Armenia. Moscow rejected the request mainly to avoid the flare up of ethnic conflict in other republics.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Armenian architectural and archeological remains provide evidence that the Armenian people have been present in the Nagorno Karabakh territory for thousands of years. This fact is used by Karabak Armenians as a historical justification for controlling the territory.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Ruins of Shushi’s mosque. Shushi (Shusha in Azeri) was the capital of the Karabakh Khanate, the political entity which governed the Nagorny Karabak territory between 1750 and 1822, when the territory was assimilated into the Russian empire.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Tatik u Papik, the monument to the grandparents, also known as “We are our mountains” represents the Armenian roots of Nagorny Karabak. Even though the Armenians have made up the majority of the population, the Azerbaijanis can also claim a historical presence in the territory. However, unlike the Armenians, they did not leave many monuments behind. This is mainly due to their traditional nomadic lifestyle. The conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis can be interpreted as a conflict between mountain folk and people from the plain, or between sedentary and nomadic folk.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Eric, a local utility employee, spends his free time renovating the old house he bought with a grant given to him by the government upon the birth of his sixth child. The Karabak government provides incentives for large families in order to further populate the territory.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Anna poses with five of her ten kids. The Nagorno Karabakh government gives a free house to each family upon the birth of their 6th child. This family received a second house upon the birth of their tenth child. What Armen and Anna really wanted was a daughter, and they finally got one after nine tries.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Kristian, a war veteran waves the Nagorno Karabakh flag outside the Gandzasar Monastery. The Nagorno Karabakh flag is identical to Armenia's other than for the white gap which symbolizes its separation from Armenia, country with whom they wish to be eventually united.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Ruins of a technical school in Stepanakert, built during Soviet times. In 1923, Joseph Stalin, the People’s Commissar for Nationalities and future leader of the Soviet Union, decided to integrate Nagorno Karabaj to the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan as an autonomous region. This decision was rejected by most of the territory’s population which was largely Armenian.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Soviet-era monument outside Sushi. In 1923, Joseph Stalin, the People’s Commissar for Nationalities and future leader of the Soviet Union, decided to integrate Nagorno Karabaj to the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan as an autonomous region. This decision was rejected by most of the territory’s population which was largely Armenian.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Sose’s tree has been silently witnessing the history of Nagorno Karabakh for over 2.000 years. Hopefully the day will come when a lasting peaceful solution can be found to the Nagorno Karabahk conflict, so that the land that has nurtured it can find serenity far from the geopolitical conflicts exacerbated by the world’s great powers.    © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Halo Trust employees conduct a mine clearing mission in the outskirts of Chartar Village. Nagorno Karabakh has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of accidents caused by mines, and explosive remnants of war (ERW). Halo Trust is an international NGO specialized in the cleanup of minefields and unexploded ordinances. The organization estimates that about 80% of the minefields located in the territory controlled by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic have been cleared. However, they face difficulties financing their activities in the territory due to territorial restrictions placed on a large part of their donor’s funds.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Halo Trust employees prepare for a mine clearing misión in the outskirts of Chartar Village. Nagorno Karabakh has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of accidents caused by mines, and explosive remnants of war (ERW). Halo Trust is an international NGO specialized in the cleanup of minefields and unexploded ordinances. The organization estimates that about 80% of the minefields located in the territory controlled by the Nagorno Karabakh Republic have been cleared. However, they face difficulties financing their activities in the territory due to territorial restrictions placed on a large part of their donor’s funds.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • The Nagorno Karabakh Fallen Soldiers Museum shows photos of all soldiers who died during the conflict as well as other wartime memorabilia. The exhibits are presented in an extremely nationalistic manner with little respect towards the other side as shown by an Azeri flag lying on the ground.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Galya Arustamyan (photo in the background) founded the Nagorno Karabakh Fallen Soldiers Museum to honor the memory of Krikor, the son that she lost in during the war. She dedicated the last 20 years of her life to compile information on all Armenian soldiers fallen during the conflict. Her other son, (pictured) has taken over the responsibility for managing the museum.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • The luxurious “Eclectic Hotel”, was built by Russian-Armenian millionaire Levon Hairapetyan in Vank, his native village. The international assistance sent to Nagorno Karabakh is not limited to military aid. The wealthy Armenian diaspora participates actively in the territory’s economy through financing of infrastructure as well as investments in sometimes unprofitable business ventures.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Zina picks vegetables from her home’s garden in Shushi. The main economic activities in Nagorno Karabakh are mining and agriculture. Most of the workforce works for the government in jobs subsidized by Armenian aid. The salaries are low and range from 100 to 200 USD per month. Families complement their earnings by growing their own food or selling the surplus.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • During the soviet regime, public religious practice was frowned upon, but Christian Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijanis lived together peacefully. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, religion recovered its influential role in society. Nationalism feeds itself with a religious discourse which presents Nagorno Karabakh as a sacred territory for the Armenian Apostolic Church to be defended at any price.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Arthur Harutyunyan is the Director of the Civil Defense Department of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. His department manages the firefighting and ambulance services as well as all civil security affairs in the territory. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic has an extensive bureaucracy to organize the all societal aspects.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • The Nagorno Karabakh legislature declared the territory’s Independence in 1992. Its independent status has not been recognized by any state in the international community, not even by Armenia. In spite of this lack of recognition, the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh has all the trappings of an independent state including a president elected every five years and a national assembly with 33 deputies.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • The war ended in 1994 with the Armenians taking control over the entire Nagorno Karabakh territory as well as 9% of Azerbaijan’s territory. However, hostilities haven’t ended. The borders between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan are closed and the only way of entering the breakaway republic is by land through Armenia. Azerbaijan and Turkey have also closed their borders with Armenia, with grave impact to the Armenian economy. The situation remains tense and every year dozens of soldiers are killed in shootouts between the armies across the border. The conflict has caused more than 30.000 casualties. Karabakh cemeteries are full of tombs for young people who died during the war.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
    DBM_20150820_0779.jpg
  • During the soviet regime, public religious practice was frowned upon, but Christian Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijanis lived together peacefully. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, religion recovered its influential role in society. Nationalism feeds itself with a religious discourse which presents Nagorno Karabakh as a sacred territory for the Armenian Apostolic Church to be defended at any price.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
    DBM_20150819_0609.jpg
  • Childcare center in Shushi built and managed by an American Charity Organization. Much of Nagorno Karabakh’s infrastructure has been financed by the wealthy Armenian diaspora.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Teenagers enjoy a picnic in the Umbrella Waterfalls. Nagorno Karabakh’s inhabitants try to live normal lives in spite of the hardships which result from its economic and diplomatic isolation.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Women sell foodstuffs in Stepanakert’s market. The main economic activities in Nagorno Karabakh are mining and agriculture. Most of the workforce works for the government in jobs subsidized by Armenian aid. The salaries are low and range from 100 to 200 USD per month. Families complement their earnings by growing their own food or selling the surplus.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
    DBM_20150821_0790.jpg
  • Stepanakert, the capital of Nagonro Karabakh, has a population of just under 60.000 people, and can be crossed by foot in about an hour. The city is a strange mixture of soviet buildings, traditional houses and official buildings which seem somewhat oversized for such a small country.    © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Victory is a source of pride for the Armenians due to their military weakness relative to Azeri forces during their war of independence. Nationalism and the humiliation of the enemy are sources of motivation for the population, who has suffered through many years of hardship. This wall in the village of Vank is covered by license plates taken from vehicles left behind by Azerbaijanis who fled the territory. La ultra-nationalistic ideology present in both sides is a major obstacle for finding a lasting peaceful solution to the conflict.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • In 1991 the republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan declared their independence from the Soviet Union. Karabakh Armenians declared themselves an independent republic, which sparked a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Atrocities were committed against ethnic minorities considered hostile by both sides, and around one million people were forced to leave their homes. The war ended in 1994 with Armenians controlling the entire Nagorno Karabakh territory as well as 9% of Azerbaijan’s territory.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • One of Stepanakert Airport’s 120 employees walks through the terminal’s empty hallways. Formerly a military base, the airport was rebuilt at a cost of USD 5 million, but has not received any regular flights since its renovation in 2011. The Azeri government has warned that any flight approaching the airport will be shot down for violation of Azeri airspace. Currently, the only way of travelling to Nagorno Karabakh is by road through Armenia. The trip between Yerevan, Armenia’s capital and Stepanakert takes at least six hours.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • A monument in Stepanakert commemorates the massive wedding held on October 2008, where 700 couples got married thanks to Levan Hairapetian's generosity. The Russian-Armenian Millionaire not only paid for the cost of the wedding and the banquet, but also gave large wedding gifts to the couples, as well as a pledge to give them thousands of dollars for each child they father with the aim of increasing Nagorno Karabakh’s Armenian population. In the meantime, Hairapetian, faces legal problems in Russia, where he has been imprisoned on corruption and tax evasion charges.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Ina, a widow with six children lives in a renovated apartment that she received from the government, but does not have the means to maintain it.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Baroness Caroline Cox is a member of the British House of Lords and a strong supporter of the Nagorno Karabakh cause. She travels to the territory several times a year and finances through the HART foundation, a charity which she founded, a rehabilitation center for the handicapped in Stepanakert.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • While the government and idealistic private investors, spend resources building cultural centers and hotels which remain empty most of the time, many buildings remain in ruins, and there is no funding available to rebuild them or demolish them.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Norah and Raffael Asryan remember fondly the time when Armenians and Azeris lived together peacefuly in Karintak village. However they cannot accept the idea of seeing their former neighbours who fled to Azerbaiyan return to live amongst them.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • The new Stepanakert Hospital was inaugurated in 2013 and built mainly with funds donated by Russian-Armenian millionaire Samuel Karapetian. Much of Nagorno Karabakh’s infrastructure has been financed by the wealthy Armenian diaspora.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Stepanakert, the capital of Nagonro Karabakh, has a population of just under 60.000 people, and can be crossed by foot in about an hour. The city is a strange mixture of soviet buildings, traditional houses and official buildings which seem somewhat oversized for such a small country.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
    DBM_20150820_0758.jpg
  • Hayk Khanumyan, a deputy for the opposition, receives me at his office located in a hotel room. The Nagorno Karabakh National Assembly Building is attached and connected to the Armenia Hotel. The building does not have enough working space for its 33 deputies, so the state has to lease rooms at the attached hotel to be used as offices.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Housing units built during the soviet era. Most urban housing in the territory dates from this period. A large number of buildings are dilapidated but continue to be used as housing.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • The Stepanakert Mall, formerly a trade center, was inaugurated in 2009 financed by foreign funds. Currently, most of its stores are empty. In the mall’s second floor there is a bridal shop. The store employee works 7 days a week for 120 euros per month and sees very few customers.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Firefighters in Stepanakert’s main fire station perform drills or pass the time while waiting for something to happen. Each municipality in Nagonro Karabakh has a firefighting service. Stepanakert, a city of less than 60.000, has several firestations. Firefighters are civil servants and receive a salary from the state.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Women work in a rug-making Factory owned by a Yerevan investor. The factory exports most of its production. The price of a rug ranges between 300 and 400 euros a square meter.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Firefighters in Stepanakert’s main fire station entertain themselves while waiting for something to happen. Each municipality in Nagonro Karabakh has a firefighting service. Stepanakert, a city of less than 60.000, has several firestations. Firefighters are civil servants and receive a salary from the state.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Patients from the Lady Cox Rehabilitation center, financed by Baroness Cox’s foundation, participate in a lunch organized to honor of her visit.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Children sing patriotic songs at a luncheon organized to honor Baroness Cox’s visit. The Rehabilitation Center financed by her charity includes a nursery which mingles handicapped and non-handicapped children.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • An old woman walks through the town of Karintak. Life in rural areas is hard, but it guarantees the possibility to live through subsistence agriculture.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • Silva, mother of 7 children, works 7 days a week for 120 euros per month at the luxurious Shushi Grand Hotel. Harout Atamian, in the background, earns 160 euros per month managing the restaurant, but complements his income by providing tours with his taxi. Many employees in the country use their working time for other activities to complement their meager salaries     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • A teenager cuts wood to be used for heating and cooking in the town of Karintak. Life in rural areas is hard, but it guarantees the possibility to live through subsistence agriculture.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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  • An old woman sleeps while younger members of her rural family enjoy an extended family meal.     © Daniel Barreto Mezzano
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