Vahe Nikoghosyan was killed on November 4, 2020 in Martuni. After returning from the army, the conscript dreamed of further developing his culinary skills and opening his own restaurant.
Vahe went to the army with the “I am” program, within which he had to serve for three years, but he could come home for a week every month. However, due to the covid-19 epidemic, his visits home did not take place.
September 30 was Vahe’s birthday. His parents were going to visit him, but a few days before he called and said there was no need to visit him. The mother says the soldiers probably already knew about the impending war.
“I have been married for 23 years. I have gone through many difficulties. My husband underwent heart surgery. I suffered a lot. I had high hopes for Vahe. We thought he would come from the army and settle our issues. And see what happened. And, he left of his own free will. He reasoned that, if his friends were going, how could he not go? He had to be with his friends. The commander even said, ‘Vahe, you do not come; this is not your fight,’ to which Vahe replied, ‘No, I have to go.’ He was in the post at that time, he was in a safer situation. We talked on the 2nd of the month and that was it. He sounded very sad. ‘All will be good’, he said, everything will be fine’. But what good? We did not talk after the 2nd of the month. I did not believe it, it was impossible that something would happen to my son,” said the mother, Mrs. Seda.
After not hearing from Vahe for ten days, his father left for Artsakh, but on the way he received a call from the village administration and learned that Vahe was killed.
Khachik, the father says that three days after Vahe’s last call, he was informed that Vahe and his fellow soldiers had been transferred from Martuni 2 to Martuni 3, where they found themselves in a blockage. There were victims and wounded. “In the beginning, there were tanks. After hitting three tanks, the planes came and dropped projectiles. Two of them were thrown next to my child. I was told from the beginning that the child is no more; the projectile had fallen on him. Then it turned out that it did not fall on the tent, but on the left side. As far as I know, there were 84 people in total, 2 out of 84 were injured and survived, the rest died.”
Vahe’s 14-year-old brother knows what happened in his family and that he is already the only son in the family. He says he is going to do everything that his brother did not have time to do: he will become a chef and will establish Vahe’s dream restaurant.
Ani Gevorgyan