Nerkin Khndzoresk, a border village in South-East Armenia, lies in Armenia’s Syunik Marz region. The small village is located 21 km from Goris off the Stepanakert highway. The village lies 7 km from the upper Khndzoresk village connected by farm fields and one bumpy dirt road. The remote village is positioned below the larger village and surrounded by rolling hills, gorges, and scenic mountains.
Population and infrastructure
The village of Nerkin Khndzoresk has approximately 320 people. The majority of the population is of Armenian descent, including ethnic Armenian refugees who settled in the area after fleeing Azerbaijan during the Karabakh War. The citizens mainly identify as Armenian Apostolic Christians and speak Armenian and often Russian. The area is impoverished with little employment outside of self-sufficient farming and gardening. Substance farming and animal breeding are the main sources of livelihood. Throughout the village the social relationships are harmonious and the area is not segregated by class or occupation.
History
The village was founded in 1983 as a result of resizing of the bigger village of Khndzoresk. After the foundation of the village of Khndzoresk, the lower Nerkin Khndzoresk was established to strengthen the southeastern borders of Armenia, and was strategically placed below the larger village to prevent enemies from attacking. However, any expansion and maintenance of the area ceased after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Cultural heritage
Government and politics
Education
The village has one school and one kindergarten. Nerqin Khndzoresk Secondary School has approximately 50 students, small but quite beautiful. The school is surrounded by swaying, tall grass fields, sunflowers, and fruit bearing trees. The school was founded on March 10, 1989. The classes began in small cottages and continued to be held in modest areas until the renovation of the school in 2004. The school contains all grades 1-12. The class sizes range from 1 student to 9 students. The following subjects are taught: Armenian, Armenian Literature, Russian, Russian Literature, English, History, Armenian History, Armenian Church History, Math, Algebra, Geometry, Strategy, Biology, Physical Education, Art, Music, Healthy Lifestyles, Law, and Geography. School begins September 1 and goes through May 25th. The school’s vacation schedule is consistent with that of the rest of Armenia:
Autumn Break: Usually last week of October
Winter Break: Usually end of December to mid-January
Spring Break: Usually last week of March
Summer Break: Usually end of May to end of August
The daily school schedule begins at 9 am and ends at 3 pm with five-minute breaks between each class and one 15-minute break after the third lesson. There are generally up to six classes within a day. Classes are attended Monday through Saturday.
Climate
The village has four distinct seasons. The summertime is generally quite hot, dry, and relatively humid. The fall often brings thick fog and rain. The winters are mild. The spring is relatively warm and rainy. The weather allows for a plethora of fruits and vegetables to be grown throughout the community. Most citizens have large gardens containing the following, but not limited to: potatoes, cucumber, tomato, squash, green beans, garlic, onion, peppers, cabbage, greens, sunflowers, apples, grapes, pineapples, cherries, plums, figs, apricots, pears, peach, watermelon, melon.
