Surenavan, the “village of storks”

The photograph shows the village of Surenavan in Ararat Province, known as the “village of storks”. Here white storks build their large nests right on the electricity poles and house roofs along the streets. In 1946 the village was renamed in honour of the revolutionary Suren Spandaryan.

In Armenian mythology storks are sacred birds, symbols of happiness, fertility and prosperity. There is a belief that the gods can take the form of storks to come close to people, so the birds are never touched. According to the source, every year hundreds of pairs come here from Western Europe to raise their young and fly to Africa or India for the winter; some families stay for the winter. The village is a popular stop on tourist routes.

The photograph shows a village street with several stork nests on poles, house walls and parked cars.