Iskui Abramyan, 25 years old
From Artsakh, I brought with me half of this belt. It holds great value for me. I don't know when it appeared in our house or which century it dates back to, but it was already in our family when I was born.
As a child, I played with it. I even asked my father once where it came from. He couldn't remember the details either. I think the belt is very, very old. And wherever I was, it was always in my bag. Sometimes people would ask what I had in my bag, and I would show them the belt, saying, "You can't even imagine what this is."
There's a very interesting story connected to it. I suspected it was an old and precious item, but I didn't know how old. Sometimes I feared discovering it wasn't Armenian. I don't know why, but that thought crossed my mind. When I was in Yerevan, the belt was with me everywhere, including there. After university classes, a friend suggested we go to the Abovyan Historical Museum. Once inside, we looked at the exhibits and started talking to a museum employee, who began telling us stories. I interrupted him and asked, "Excuse me, can you look at something? I'd like to know its history or at least something about it." I took out the belt and showed it to him without mentioning that I brought it from Artsakh or what it was. He began explaining, "The belt has a typical Artsakh pattern and comes from there. Artsakh women used to embroider such patterns on tapestries and carpets." He mentioned the pattern "braid", "Sevada", and others. I felt relieved and happy that it turned out to be from Artsakh. The museum employee confirmed that the belt dates back to around the 16th-17th centuries.
Interestingly, museums in Artsakh refused to take it because it was missing the other half. But here, it was highly valued. When crossing the border, I feared there might be an issue with it, so I hid it in my clothes and smuggled it across. It's always with me, in my bag. Sometimes I take it out and tell its story. It's my talisman.
Iskui Abramyan, 25 years old
From Artsakh, I brought with me half of this belt. It holds great value for me. I don't know when it appeared in our house or which century it dates back to, but it was already in our family when I was born.
As a child, I played with it. I even asked my father once where it came from. He couldn't remember the details either. I think the belt is very, very old. And wherever I was, it was always in my bag. Sometimes people would ask what I had in my bag, and I would show them the belt, saying, "You can't even imagine what this is."
There's a very interesting story connected to it. I suspected it was an old and precious item, but I didn't know how old. Sometimes I feared discovering it wasn't Armenian. I don't know why, but that thought crossed my mind. When I was in Yerevan, the belt was with me everywhere, including there. After university classes, a friend suggested we go to the Abovyan Historical Museum. Once inside, we looked at the exhibits and started talking to a museum employee, who began telling us stories. I interrupted him and asked, "Excuse me, can you look at something? I'd like to know its history or at least something about it." I took out the belt and showed it to him without mentioning that I brought it from Artsakh or what it was. He began explaining, "The belt has a typical Artsakh pattern and comes from there. Artsakh women used to embroider such patterns on tapestries and carpets." He mentioned the pattern "braid", "Sevada", and others. I felt relieved and happy that it turned out to be from Artsakh. The museum employee confirmed that the belt dates back to around the 16th-17th centuries.
Interestingly, museums in Artsakh refused to take it because it was missing the other half. But here, it was highly valued. When crossing the border, I feared there might be an issue with it, so I hid it in my clothes and smuggled it across. It's always with me, in my bag. Sometimes I take it out and tell its story. It's my talisman.
