Shoemaker’s Guests Cannot Afford to Buy New Pairs of Shoes

Saturday, 15 December 2012 12:06

`We hardly have any orders nowadays, and we hardly manage to make our
living with the money we earn. I often do good to people and repair
their shoes for free. What shall I do if my customers are mainly the
people who can’t afford to buy new pairs of shoes?’ says one of the
shoemakers of Stepanakert.

86-year-old Michael Danielyan’s repair shop is in Azatamartikneri
street. He has been working as a shoemaker since 1943, first he was an
apprentice, then he studied in Baku and later moved to Turkmenistan
where he worked for 33 years. Michael Danielyan returned to his
homeland during the years of the Artsakh movement.
The shoemaker who has 6 children today lives alone but says that the
children help him. `I get a pension of 50 thousand drams but my
children help me as nowadays one can hardly make his living with this
work,’ he admits.

Mr. Michael states that the prices on shoe repairing have increased
for the last few years /from 500 to 2000 drams/, as the necessary
accessories nearly twice grew in prices as well.
`There are cases when I several times repair the same shoes for free
as one should do good to people if he is able to. Sometimes children
visit my shop with the request of repairing their shoes so as their
parents would know nothing about it,’ Mr. Michael says.

The same does the shoemaker whose repair shop is in Admiral Isakov
street and who did not want to mention his name. He worked at the shoe
factory of Stepanakert for 43 years and he says that now shoemaking
has turned into a hobby as it secures no profits any more.

`Very few people take their shoes to my repair shop and they are
mainly those who cannot afford to buy a new pair. Most of us have
become richer and buy new ones when the old pair is damaged,’ he says
and adds that he has no opportunity to take up another business
because of his venerable age.

Garnik Alexanyan

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress