Seven Families and a Year of Hard Work

One of the most pivotal episodes in the history of Rind village is connected not only to its founding but also to the perseverance and diligence of its first residents. The rebirth and subsequent prosperity of the village would have been impossible without a vital condition: irrigation water. The story of bringing that water to the village is a true manifestation of community will.

The re-establishment of Rind began after the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay. Although the exact date is unknown, archival data and genealogical memory prove that in the 1830s, the village had seven founding households. The patriarchs of those families were:

Shorgetsi Simon
Meliq Bali (eldest son of Meliq-Safar)
Mughsi Aghabab (middle son of Meliq-Safar)
Grigor (youngest son of Meliq-Safar)
Minas (son of Meliq-Bali’s sister)
Zargar Tadevos (Zargyarents lineage)
Poghos (Tadevos’s father)

Upon settling in the new settlement, the seven founding families immediately realized that water was needed to develop agriculture and ensure permanent residence. It was decided to use the spring waters originating from the Ulgyur mountains. However, there was a serious natural obstacle: the only way to bring water to Rind passed through the fields of neighboring Aghavnadzor and about 2 kilometers of barren, rocky, and impassable terrain.

At that time, Aghavnadzor already had 15 households, headed by Meliq Matos. Representatives of Rind went to him, asking for permission to run a canal through their territory. Meliq Matos’s response was very characteristic of the time and the complexity of the terrain: “That is impossible. But if you consider it possible—go, dig the canal, and take the water.”

After receiving the consent of the Aghavnadzor residents (albeit skeptical), the people of Rind got to work. The seven families divided the labor with surprising organization.

Mughsi Aghabab, who was a skilled blacksmith, took charge of providing the tools: he forged and sharpened spades, levers, crowbars, and pickaxes day and night. One man from each of the remaining six households was digging the canal every day. Stone by stone, cutting and digging through the rocks, they worked for more than a whole year.

The constructed canal diverted the Ulgyur waters to the west, bringing them to the northern heights of the village, from where the water cascaded over the Spitak Qar (Stone Water) monument down to the fields of Rind.

More than a year of hard and persistent work finally bore fruit. When the water first reached Rind through the ready canal, there was a real celebration in the village. The founding families organized a feast, made sacrifices (matagh), and celebrated their first great, joint victory over nature and hardships.

That water had a vital significance for the village. Thanks to it, the first vineyards and fruit trees were planted in the lower fields and hillsides of Rind, laying the foundation for the rich viticultural tradition for which Rind is known to this day.