The name of Karapet Burnazyan, an 18-year-old participant in the 44-day war, first appeared on the list of victims, later he was recognized as missing, and after some time — as a prisoner of war. The DNA response, according to which Karapet was killed, was ready on January 15, but no one informed the soldier’s mother about it.
At the age of 18, Karapet not only had finished school, but also studied until the third year. He started school at the age of 5, knew French and English, was engaged in video editing, sound editing, was a physicist, a communication specialist. After the army he was going to go abroad to continue his studies, then return to Armenia and use his knowledge and skills to serve the homeland.
“Karo always joked, ‘Mom, you do not know who you are talking to: I am a very serious person, I am a great person.’ I had an inner pride for having such a good son. He meant that he could be useful to the homeland, to others, he meant his intellect, a very kind soul, but something completely different happened,” says his mother, Anahit Patatyan.
Karapet was his mother’s only child. Mrs. Anahit raised her son alone, during their life, the mother and son went through many trials and overcame many obstacles. The mother recalls Karapet saying that he would serve quickly and would return, that they would pass this together. “But we did not pass.”
After months of uncertainty, it turned out that Karapet had died on October 14 in a combat position. “On October 14, they were sent to a combat position behind the air defense, and the children did not return, they were under siege. A specific order was given that twenty Turks were coming to the military unit from that side. They gave the order and the soldiers went up there, while there was already a blockade on three sides and the children had no place to escape. In other words, there was wrong information, not 20, but 300 Azeris, Turks had surrounded them. The children were killed in that very position, regardless of the rumors spread later that there was no one in that position,” says the mother. The mother found out about Karapet’s DNA test only a month later, when she called the government offices.
Karapet’s funeral took place on March 20 in Yerablur military cemetary.
Ani Gevorgyan