Only the village administration and Ashot Aghababyan have given money to their families, which are in an extremely hard condition
As we know, yesterday, in the pasture of Vahramaberd, which, according to the agreement signed between Armenia and Russia as early as in 1997, has been used as tank shooting range by the Russian troops, two children of the village – 10-year-old Artur Mkrtchyan and 15-year-old Mushegh Gevorgyan – were killed because of the explosive armament negligently left on the spot. Artur Mkrtchyan went to the pasture with his friend Mushegh to bring a meal to his father, a shepherd. The father who was at work left for a moment to get water, and during that time, there was an explosion; the children were killed. Aghvan Martirosyan, the chief of the village of Vahramaberd, said during a conversation with www.aravot.am that both families were literally poor; they didn’t have money even for the children’s funeral. Artur Mkrtchyan’s father is a shepherd, has a large family; the 9th child was to be born. And Mushegh Gevorgyan’s father had left for guest work; there were five children in their family. Now the village chief is making the rounds of homes, asking for money for the children’s funeral. The village administration has given 100 thousand drams for that purpose, and Ashot Aghababyan, the MP elected from there, has given another 100 thousand. According to the village chief, the regional administration has also decided to give money, but the sum is not known. The village chief expects that after reading our article, there may be benefactors who will help lay the minors to rest. According to Aghvan Martirosyan, as early as in Soviet years, the administrative district between Hovuni and Marmashen was allotted to the Russian side for military exercises. According to the village chief, life is not safe in Vahramaberd at all, since that area is adjacent to the village. “We are used to that already; they have been carrying out military exercises since 1957, but in order that residents of Vahramaberd were able to enter and leave, they would always put soldiers at the entrance. However, on Sunday, it is a day of rest, there is no control on that day, and there you are, this tragedy. They are in such a bad, extremely bad condition financially; we will be very grateful, if there are benefactors who will help bury the children.”
Nune AREVSHATYAN
