Anoush Asryan, a mother of five children who was twice displaced from Artsakh, is from Mokhrenes village of Hadrut region of NK. She spent her childhood in Mokhrenes, married a neighbor’s boy and had 5 children. They lived harmoniously with their spouses, engaged in gardening, animal husbandry and agriculture. The happy peace of their family was disrupted in 2020. They lost their son Arthur during the 44-Day War.
“We did not imagine that you might wake up one day and a war would start. During the days of the 44-Day War in 2020, when the enemy’s drone came down and circled over our house emitting light, I was terribly afraid. I thought that the Turks would come here and slaughter us in our home. However, I didn’t want to leave the village until the last moment, because my husband and son were on the battlefield. Then I had to leave with my small children because the Turks were already in Hadrut. On October 13, my heart was hurting: perhaps, it was a maternal premonition, I did not feel well. Suddenly my condition worsened and I was transferred to one of the Yerevan hospitals with a heart attack. I was unconscious for several days, in a coma, and I only found out then that my son is no more…he was killed on October 13. And, after being discharged from the hospital, I received the news of my son-in-law’s death,” Anush said tearfully.
22-year-old Artur Asryan, an officer of the border guard troops of the NSS, was posthumously awarded the “Guardian of Arax” badge and the “Combat Service” medal. The beloved and respected border guard actively participated in the defensive battles of Jrakan.
After the death of their son and the loss of their home and everything, they were given a three-room apartment in Stepanakert in order of priority. However, after being deported twice, she faced serious health problems. My interlocutor mentioned that a home and a place, another way of life is possible to create, but the loss of a family member is irreversible. Her husband, Ernest Asryan, participated in all Artsakh wars and according to his wife, he fought with a weapon in his hand until the last day, until September 19-20, 2023. He served in the Border Guard troops. Hadrut got out of the blockade twice. Her husband’s last battle was in Krkzhan. The woman has cried and asked her war-disabled husband not to participate in the last defensive battles, but the man was adamant…
“Until now, my husband is waiting to return to Artsakh. Every time he flips through the photo album of my son, he turns his face away so that we don’t notice his wet eyes. Arthur studied at the drawing department of the Togh School of Art. He made a collage of Parajanov’s portrait, which was highly appreciated. He could have continued his work as an artist, but he put the protection of the homeland above all else and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces. He had dreams, a girlfriend, whom he was going to marry. He even wrote a song before his death. Now I think about my son every day, about what he did and didn’t do, about his unfulfilled dreams and interrupted life, and that I couldn’t even say goodbye to him last time,” said the mother in tears.
On September 26, 2023 Anush’s family left everything behind and was displaced again, this time from Stepanakert. The woman only thought about evacuating the children safely and did not take anything from the house. Hungry and thirsty, they somehow passed the two-day painful journey. Only after reaching Tegh village they were able to buy food and continue their journey to Masis and then to Charentsavan [of Armenia].
Now they, five people, live in a rented two-room apartment in Charentsavan. The daughter, 27-year-old Alvina, whose husband was killed, lives next door with 2 minor boys. She is grateful to the mayor of Charentsavan for his willingness to support them. Due to health problems, Anush is unable to work. She was operated on again. The 45-year-old mother suffers from neurosis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, complications of internal organs, headaches. The necessary expensive medicine is not available free or at a discount.
“Now it is very difficult for us — homeless, having lost everything. I can’t stand it anymore; everything has come to naught. I am a disabled person of the second group, my husband is of the third group. But most of all I think about my child’s grave. My son’s body is buried in Stepanakert’s fraternal cemetery, my son-in-law’s in Yerablur. After such a loss, I am deprived of the opportunity to lay a flower on my son’s grave. I have sent letters to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the relevant bodies to at least place the photos of the martyrs whose bodies remained in Artsakh in Yerablur so that we can at least smoke incense under the photos, put flowers in memory of our boys. I am waiting with hope…,” said the grieving mother.
Zara Mayilyan