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A six-hour drive takes from Yerevan to Nagorno Karabakh Republic. On the border checkpoint between Armenia and the de facto independent state, one can see the flags of both states. Their difference is that there is a geometric drawing reminding a carpet ornament against the background of the Armenian flag, Italian journalist Simone Zoppellaro writes for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso.

A particularly beautiful mountain landscape takes to Shushi, one of the first cities in the NKR. There are new buildings, a hotel and other structures here, yet the echoes of war and traces of bombing can still be felt. Many refugees, who left Azerbaijan in the 90s, live in Shushi. The city is situated on a hill, which the Azerbaijani troops used to bomb the Armenians down in Stepanakert day and night. Everyone still remembers those days with a sense of alarm. A tank T- 72 stands at the entrance to the city as a monument to the victory, Zoppellaro notes.

The capital Stepanakert is 10 kilometres from Shushi. The buildings of state agencies and the parliament are in the city with about 50 thousand residents. Everyone here took part in the war; at least everyone has relatives or friends killed in the war.

The author notes several excellent restaurants, pub, hotels, state offices, fountain and even a small tour agency in the central square, the heart of the city. There are no signs of war in Stepanakert centre, and not even a single anti-Azerbaijani propagandistic poster. There are only bright colours. Sadly, the war is not far away, however; it can be noticed after just a few minutes’ drive. The road taking from the capital to the city Martakert is an impressive sight.

“The death and life are neighbours on this road, where the two armies have been fighting for over twenty years under Europe’s indifference,” Zoppellaro writes. He brings the example of the Armenian village Maragha, utterly destroyed in 1992.