The Dark Years: Part I

As I've come to experience what amounts to be the mildest winter in Armenia in recent memory, I'm surprised to learn just how rough things were nearly two decades ago.  Under post-Soviet economic collapse, and winters so harsh, arctic climes seem more appropriate, people were forced to survive through a confluence of conditions unbearably difficult.  With electricity unavailable, no running water, gas supplies extremely low, and heat at a premium, it subsequently caused a collective trauma that is still felt across the population.  Those were desperate years that brought both the best and worst in people.  It was a time that often showed to most people who were truly individuals to be trusted, and which ones were the first to turn their backs.

The factors involved in making the early 90's so difficult for Armenia are actually quite extensive, but a few significant ones can be identified.  Before the Soviet Union's dissolution, years of failed economic management policies by Brezhnev and ill advised Gorbachev reforms caused significant problems, especially within those republics that were in the periphery of the country.  The problems with construction equipment, poor building materials, corrupt contractors, and a blind eye from the highest offices to rampant disregard to safety standards eventually conspired together when Armenia was struck by the Spitak earthquake in December of 1988.  This quake, which registered 6.9 in magnitude (on the Richter scale), happened to cause extensive damage to life and property.  Although official casualty figures were artificially kept low, the true number of people who lost their lives is anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 people.  For a country with 3 million people, this is a significant blow.  The epicenter was nearly directly under the town of Spitak, completely leveling it in the process.  In addition, the larger city of Leninakan (now Gyumri) also suffered significant damage.  Although this event led to the loosening of boarder restrictions and international aid pouring into a republic within the Soviet Union, the long-term damage to Armenia by this seismic event is still felt today.  Many people displaced by this earthquake still have not been properly compensated or even settled.  The orphans that were a result of this earthquake were often forgotten about and have grown to lead difficult lives.  Their lower social status in society has been quite difficult to overcome.

The second major force involved in the Dark Years was the actual economic collapse following the break-up of the Soviet Union.  The ruble, having lost most of its value made simple purchases extremely difficult.  The transition required for the new Republics to adopt their own currency was mired in difficulties.  The fact that this economic collapse happened to occur 3 years after the Spitak Earthquake made it even more difficult for conditions within Armenia.  The ques for lines increased in proportion with the scarcity of available products.  The collective farms and factories that were such a life-blood for Armenia in Soviet times fell nearly immediately into disuse.  Simple public infrastructure like sanitation, water, and gas quickly became unavailable.

As a result of the aforementioned Spitak Earthquake, Armenia was forced to shut down its main supplier of electricity, the Metsamor Nuclear Power facility.  The fear that a fault running directly under Metsamor would be the next to rupture and cause damage and a possible meld-down was too daunting of a prospect.  The electricity shortages caused by Metsamor's shut down was significant enough to lead to infrequent power supply.  Many were forced to improvise and develop methods of power consumption.  Some used their last supplies of fuel obtained by the cover of darkness to power generators for an hour a day, while others used dangerous but ingenious methods of rerouting or "lefting" power from main government lines into their own private houses.

Probably the most significant dynamic involved in making the Dark Years so difficult was the Karabakh War of Independence.  The tensions between Karabakh and Armenia with Azerbaijan were rising even before the Soviet collapse.  Once the collapse was finalized, the numerous small-scale conflicts led to all out war.  It was the Armenian's of Karabakh, an Armenian populated region that under Stalinist policy was administered by Azerbaijan, asking for their independence that was the ultimate reason for Azerbaijan's hostile actions.  Naturally, Armenians of both Karabakh and Armenia proper took up arms and remembering the near annihilation by the Turks during the Armenian Genocide made this war personal.  The years of 1991-1994 were dominated by the war and thus, are considered the true Dark Years.  It was during this time that Armenia's border was nearly completely closed.  With Azerbaijan fighting a war against Karabakh on its Eastern flank, Turkey, having deep historical and cultural ties with Azerbaijan, decided to also blockade Armenia from the West.  To further complicate the border issue, Georgia to the north of Armenia was fighting a series of civil conflicts throughout those difficult years.  In essence, even the northern border was closed due to its volatile nature.  That left Armenia's limited Southern border with Iran as the only true method of ground-based transport.  In practice however, the infrastructure with Iran and Armenia had not yet developed to allow for large-scale international traffic and commerce.  Thus, in essence, the 3 years of the Karabakh war, until a cease-fire was declared resulted in the worst of what amounts to the Dark Years.

A secondary effect to the Dark Years was the depopulation of the country, as those with means and sufficient motive were able to leave.  The immigration figures for this time period are limited at best, but it appears to be that at least 500,000 people left during the Dark Years.  This is a significant blow to the work-force and availability of skilled work in a country of three million inhabitants.  Many who weren't able to leave were forced to significantly depend on remittance from relatives abroad, especially those that lived in the United States and Russia.  In those desperate times, it was the people who had some sort of life-blood outside Armenia that were able to live with some hope of eventual change.  Yet, the reliance on outside forces and the lack of control over life's direction has continued to cause deep psychological scars to the population, especially the providers of families. 

The scars weren't just psychological, but also effected the natural landscape.  Before the Dark Years, large areas of Yerevan were covered in parks and trees.  Almost all of the original vegetation was cut for fuel and disappeared.  It's only in the last decade that the rebirth of parks are just starting to show.  In other areas of Armenia, especially forested regions, large-scale logging that was needed for firewood lead to near total environmental disaster.  Much of the virgin forests, especially in the Northwest and Southwest of Armenia were cut down. 

Finally, what truly made the Dark Years stand out to Armenians was the brutality and harshness of the winters, especially '92 and '93.  There was so much snow accumulated on the ground, that travel during the winter months was near impossible.  Many of the resources in Armenia at this time were diverted towards helping to supply Karabakh with much needed equipment, especially as the counter-offensive was picking up.  Besides the heavy snows, the weather often took a turn for the worst.  It was not unheard of to have weeks of -15 or -20 Celsius weather.  Keeping in mind the lack of gas, electricity, food, and water, this was indeed an impossible time to survive.  Yet, each person who made it through the eye of this threading needle can tell a similar tale with numerous twists.  The sheer human ingenuity required to compensate for these difficult times, and the variable methods of adaptation or even just existence that people used cannot be exaggerated.  It's amazing that a large part of the population that was left in Armenia even survived through these difficult times.  Experiencing a winter that is mild by Armenian standards makes it that much harder to try to understand just how hard those years were.  To some who've been through it, they can hardly believe they had the strength to cope, and some don't recall just how they were able to adapt to those conditions.

Having explained the factors involved in making the Dark Years so difficult and significant, I will next write about the human side of the event.  Just how did the people who passed through this storm live through that time?  What was their method of survival and how do the Dark Years effect contemporary Armenian society.  All in good time.....