51-year-old Sargis Hayrapetyan was the deputy director of the Charles Aznavour Cultural Center in Stepanakert, and now works as a worker at the National Children’s Library in Yerevan. He was born and lived in Stepanakert, NK. A construction engineer by profession, Sargis worked in various fields in Artsakh, started a family and had three sons. As of September 27, 2020, he was the deputy director of the Charles Aznavour Cultural Center. His older sons were servicemen, one was in the Jrakan and the other in the “Yeghnikner” military units. His younger son was a schoolboy.
“During the 44-Day War, we performed logistics work at the Charles Aznavour Cultural Center. We were also involved in unloading vehicles bringing aid, storing and sending them to the appropriate military units. We also joined the self-defense battles with our employees. For a month, we had no news from my son, who was serving in the “Yeghnikner” military unit. It was not possible to establish contact with the given position but, thank God, my two sons returned from the war safe and sound,” noted Sargis Hayrapetyan.
After the ceasefire on November 9, 2020, our interlocutor continued to live in Stepanakert with his family. After being demobilized, his son, who was serving in the “Yeghnikner” military unit, started working as a rescuer in the Artsakh Fire & Rescue Service and assisted in the evacuation of residents until the end of September 2023.
“No one imagined that the war would resume again and end with such an outcome. We endured during the blockade, but it was difficult, especially for families with small children. And, during the most severe phase of the blockade, the war began. Our apartment was in the buildings at the beginning of the city, near the “Tsor” military unit. At that time, I was on vacation at home, when suddenly the shelling began. My youngest son was at school. There was no basement in our building, so I sent my wife to the basement of the church in our neighborhood, which served as a shelter in war situations. My son’s school was near our neighborhood, and he somehow joined us under the shelling. Artsakh was completely without electricity, and then the water supply was also disrupted. We finally managed to establish contact with my other sons, and the situation caused by the one-day war led to the mass forced displacement of citizens. We lived on the fourth floor and it was no longer possible to stay there. And we witnessed the brutal picture of the displacement. The queue of cars reached our building,” our interlocutor recalled.
According to him, the number of residents in their building was gradually decreasing. They were able to find fuel only on September 27 and decided to evacuate on the same day in their “Zhiguli” car.
“What could fit in a small trunk? Only what was not so essential, except for documents and some photos. We reached Goris [border town in Armenia] in 26 hours and stayed there for 3 days. My parents’ health condition had deteriorated on the way. We immediately took my 81-year-old father to the hospital. After providing appropriate medical care for one day, my father was quickly discharged, because there was no more room in the hospital due to the large number of Artsakh residents, especially elderly people, who had deteriorated on the way to evacuation. My parents did not understand why they had to leave their homeland, they were taking this reality very hard,” Sargis said indignantly.
Now his parents are staying at a relative’s house in Bagratashen, RA. Both of them have health problems and cannot come to terms with the current reality. They lived in Artsakh with all the amenities and before the deportation they had no health problems, but now they often get sick and are treated in hospitals.
Sargis moved to Yerevan with his family and changed several rented apartments. Since December of last year, he has been working at the National Children’s Library in Yerevan. He is satisfied with the atmosphere at work and the attitude of the director, but if the housing support program implemented by the RA government stops, they will not be able to survive on the 100 thousand salary [about $250] of a worker. The former deputy director is now forced to work as a laborer and has no prospects for the future.
“With the 50 thousand drams allocated to each of us, we pay the housing rent, 250 thousand drams, and we add another 50 to pay for utilities. My wife does not work, my one son and I work and make ends meet with great difficulty. And it is not possible to purchase an apartment with the proposed housing support program. “If the housing program stops, we will have to emigrate. They have decided to continue the program until April, but what will we do after that?… there will be no way for us to live here. We will see when the winter passes. We have no business, no high-paying jobs, and we will not be able to stay here,” added Sargis.
Zara Mayilyan