Ruben Vardanian to Establish Eco-Village in Karabakh

Ruben Vardanian (Photo copyright by Armenia TV)

Photo copyright by Armenia TV

Russian-Armenian entrepreneur and philanthropist Ruben Vardanian plans on establishing an eco-village in Karabakh. The details of that project were discussed with President Bako Sahakyan of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on December 7, during consultations in Stepanakert.

According to the press service of the NKR President’s office, one of the more important components of the consultation was the possibility of implementing a variety of programs to help in the development of ecotourism. Within this context, Ruben Vardanian is planning to establish an eco-village in Noragyugh in the region of Askeran in Karabakh.

President Sahakyan expressed his gratitude to Vardanian for assisting in the development of tourism in the country by attracting leading experts in the field who can assist in applying contemporary experience in the sector.

This is not Vardanian’s first philanthropic venture in the region. The Tatev Revival Project that was designed to revitalize the Tatev Monastery and its surrounding region, highlighting its religious, academic and cultural legacy and making it a world-class destination consisted of several components, the most ambitious of which was the construction of the Wings of Tatev, the world’s longest aerial ropeway, which opened on October 16, 2010. The ropeway runs from the village of Halidzor near the main highway linking Yerevan to the village of Tatev located within walking distance of the monastery. The ride to the Monastery now takes just 12 minutes compared to the 40 minutes it would take by car along the steep, winding road through the Vorotan River Gorge. As one tramway cabin reaches the Tatev Terminal, the other arrives at the Halidzor Terminal.

On October 23, 2010, the Wings of Tatev was included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest ropeway in the world.

This year, an international school UWC Dilijan opened its doors to students from around the world thanks to the vision, involvement and financial backing of Vardanian.