“Yervand and I think that, God forbid, if a fight starts, something happens to us, spread this video, don’t ignore us, don’t forget our names…”, a video with this content was spread after June 28, when the enemy inflicted fatal blows on four servicemen of the Artsakh Armed Forces. One of them was conscript soldier, artilleryman Yervand Tadevosyan from Berdzor city of Artsakh. He says in the video: “You guys, my family members, do not take it too hard: it’s for the motherland, what is to happen will happen…”
“He shot that video two months ago,” said Yervand’s father, Hovhannes Tadevosyan, in a conversation with Forrighst.am. The family did not see it until after Yervand’s death it was widespread on social networks. “My middle son saw it and told him why he was doing such a thing,” said the father and mentioned that his son went through many trials during this time, but he did not tell them anything.
Yervand served near Srkhavend village of Martakert. For the parents, the loss of their son was indescribably painful when the Azerbaijani side deliberately did not allow Yervand’s body to be transferred to Armenia, arguing that he was a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
“After the bad news of Yervand, the next worst news was that they wouldn’t let move his body here,” the words of Yervand’s father are replaced by tears. “I was ready to most extremal actions: I had just one wish: my son to come, to reach home,” said the mother.
19-year-old Yervand had several goals: the family was waiting for Yervand’s return to build together the new house bought in Verin Dvin village after being displaced. Yervand did not get to see the new house. The mother says that they sent pictures from the renovation works but the boy wanted to see the photos of the family members. Yervand’s belongings are now placed in the new house: the phone that was hit by a shrapnel, the award he received during his service, and the Combat Service medal he received posthumously.
“We had so many goals… Everything was related to him, everything we were doing, we said: Yervand will come in February. We just knew that we had to wait until he came, and we weren’t upset that he didn’t come on vacation, that he was far away, that they were under siege. He was excitedly waiting for his brother to go to serve with him in the summer,” said his mother, Anna Palangyan.
“At that time, when they were bringing the corpses of the children, they rejoiced… I said, “Why are they rejoicing? They are bringing the corpse of their child. I didn’t understand what I was talking about… I don’t know… I was desiring a parent of a fallen soldier to come and give me some advice on how to manage, if possible,” Yervand’s father said.
Yervand spoke with his parents for the last time on the night of June 27, at 23:09. According to the mother, her son’s call at that time caused surprise, because the boy never called while on duty. “Perhaps his heart wished to call us at that late hour. If he was on duty, he would write that he would not call until he was off duty. That day, I knew he wouldn’t call, but he called at night. I was very surprised. We talked. I put the phone on the table and said, ‘God, watch over my son’, I always say that.”
He sent Yervandi to the army from Berdzor’s house.
The father’s only wish is that the territories for which his son and other people’s sons died be protected and not surrendered. “The sad thing is that they say they died in vain. When there are victims, but you don’t see the result, it hurts a lot. I wish I knew his death served a purpose and they don’t give more territories, or the military unit, or the village… otherwise, I personally would consider it all pointless. He stood up and defended it all, then they gave up everything. But I do not blame anyone; we consciously sent our son to the army, but we didn’t expect something like this.”
Narek Kirakosyan
Narek Kirakosyan
Narek Kirakosyan is a journalist, works on the principle of "a person is an absolute value".