Shushi is - and always will be - an Armenian Town

There is an Armenian fund created not too long ago trying to revitalize Shushi, in the hopes of giving the town a new breath and establishing this medieval city as a must visit destination in the Caucasus. Visit their site (not the best site, but a good start): http://shoushi.org/en/index.php

Many of the readers know that a few years ago, Lara and I had bought ourselves a small house in Shushi. During that time, the government was also (supposedly) giving out abandoned, semi-destroyed houses for free with the condition that the new owners would start renovations within 6 months. I have recently heard from Shushi officials that there are no more private homes available to give away. If anyone wishes to own a home, they would have to buy it from the existing owners – and existing owners have started to raise their prices to the equivalent of Stepanakert real-estate.

All this to say that Shushi is finally, but very slowly, starting to get the attention it deserves. The diaspora and the Armenian authorities have neglected it for far too long. I believe that this is a piece of land that should not be compromised during the peace talks with our neighboring azeries.