Upper Dvin,  populated by Assyrians, Armenians, Russians and Yezidis, living as one family / Multimedia

It is not easy for me to be the only female mayor in the region, “said our Lyudmila Petrova, head of the Verin Dvin community of Ararat marz, whose Assyrian roots have long been fed by Armenian sunshine, land and water for whom Armenia is a homeland and honesty and responsibility for the child, work and family gradually transformed into the principle and  work. For 15 years, Mrs. Lyudmila has been heading the Assyrian community of Verin Dvin, with 80% of the population being Assyrians and 20% Armenians.

Lyudmila was born in the Assyrian community of Gyolayska, Artashat. By profession, educated parents were sent to neighboring Gilanlar Armenian village for some time at work, where Lyudmila attended school and studied until the 5th grade. Then her parents moved to Upper Dvin, where he continued her education, made a family and still lives.

In 1998-2004, Mrs. Lyudmila worked as a staff secretary at the Verin Dvin municipality, and later in 2004 she has been nominated and elected as a community leader in the elections to local self-governing bodies and today she is responsible for her job and title.

Lyudmila Petrova, an absolute winner in the local elections, began to step down step-by-step with the declining economy, the region’s lowest budgeting community. In the first year of taking office, Lyudmila’s dream was to have a renovated building, a football field for children and youngsters, a pre-school, a hall for events, a gasified and luminous community instead of a dilapidated community building. They were just a dream that was impossible to solve by the community’s small budget.

Today the construction is underway, and the money will also be provided for the renovation of the school gym.

The main road has been asphalted by state means, but there are still unhealthy roads in the village, for example, the way to the cemetery where the cost of asphalting is great, while the community budget is only 70 million drams. The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture. The village has about 40 hectares of fruit, 18-20 hectares of vineyards.

According to the mayor, the emigration outflow has dramatically decreased in recent years. Today, there are only few people leaving abroad for work.

For Mrs. Lyudmila, the involvement of her husband in community issues, the discussion of matters relating to the village at home is unacceptable. Her relatives and acquaintances do not interfere in her affairs.