Family Album: Unerasable Memory

The “Family Album” is a project of the Public Journalism Club that showcases the memories of families forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, along with the photographs that validate these memories.

Ninel Gabrielyan was born in Askeran. After getting married, she lived in Stepanakert.

She is a philologist and has worked in the cultural field. When she was 19 years old, one of her friends who was a ceremony host asked her to replace him during a ceremony. After that incident, Ninel started working as a ceremony host as well.

The first steps in this field weren’t easy for Ninel, as it was uncommon to see a female ceremony host in Artsakh. However, gradually, people began to recognize her and invite her to their events.

Ninel arrived in Armenia on September 25th. During the displacement, she managed to bring along the family photo albums, which are cherished within the family. Each photo holds its own story and memories of family events, important occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, parties, and joyful moments.

In this video, Ninel shares several photos, each serving as a window into her and her family’s recent past, showcasing joyful moments. These memories now help in overcoming the harsh displacement and the consequences of war.

After being forcibly displaced from Artsakh, Ninel and her family settled in Artashat. She works at the House of Culture in Artashat and also serves as a ceremony host.

Most of Ninel’s clients come from Artsakh. During parties or weddings, she often feels as if she is in Artsakh.

Ninel says that she and her family still find it challenging to make plans for the future. Displacement and losses have forced them to focus on the present.

This video was produced within the framework of the “Professional Media, Practitioners and Grassroots Joining Forces for Dialogue” project, implemented by Public Journalism Club with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of the video are the sole responsibility of Public Journalism Club and should under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

Project Director: Seda Muradyan

Authors: Marta Harutyunyan, Christine Ghahramanyan

Cinematographer: Ninel Aleksanyan

Editing Director: Arthur Parsyan