By Siranoush Sargsyan
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
STEPANAKERT — A year ago Artsakh went through 44 days of war unleashed by Azerbaijan, with the aid of Turkish weaponry and international terrorists. To this day, it is still difficult to talk about any expectation of peace with the continuing of suffering and the loss of civilian life. The people of Artsakh are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel while living under a constant state of terror and uncertainty. Yet, despite all this, the spirit of the women of Artsakh continues to soar. Yan Spiration is one manifestation of this spirit.
Anoush Manukyan is a young businesswoman from Artsakh. During the war, she and her family lost not only their house in the city of Shushi, but, most painfully, her only brother, Vahe. Despite these very heavy blows, she did not lose confidence in herself. Within a short period of time, she decided to restart the Shushi-based family business, Yan Spiration, in Stepanakert.
Anoush realizes only too well the uncertainty in which her young son lives. In a recent interview she said that the reason why she could find strength within herself was her dedication to the memory of her lost brother and the many other young men who lost their lives as a result of the Azerbaijani aggression. Anoush said she feels that if she lets her spirit break, it would mean a betrayal of the memory of all those defenders of the homeland.
The goal of Yan Spiration is to create internationally-competitive, high-quality fabrics that will allow diasporan Armenians to connect more closely with Artsakh and Armenia through investments rather than just aid. It is one of the most unique textile factories in the whole region, creating products not only for the domestic market but for export.