There was an emotional scene early this morning on Gyumri’s Vardanants Square. People felt both happiness and concern as a group of 58 people left Gyumri for Artsakh. They were returning to their homes in Artsakh. They were happy to finally be returning to Artsakh, but there were also people who were sad due to the fact that they lost their homes and belongings. So, they had their bags packed and were going to uncertainty.
In an interview with Aravot Daily, an older woman, Marlena, who was from Hadrut, was returning to Stepanakert with her grandchild and daughter-in-law to her daughter-in-law’s family home. She did not know where they would live in the future. Marlena was surprised by the hospitality of the people of Gyumri. She said that she was treated so well in this city that she even forgot about the war for a while.
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Maro Petrosyan from Martakert, who also stayed in Gyumri with ten members of her family, including her two daughters, son, and grandchildren, said that she will be returning home with heartache. But she and her family do not know what will happen to them in the future.
“How long can we live under Russian peacekeepers? Ten of my own family members died, including my cousin and his son, as well as another cousin whose body was not retrieved. Twenty-three people from Martakert also died in vain. What happened? They gave all our land away to the Turks. Our boys went to fight for our lands so that they would be given away? They took our boys away to their deaths. My husband died in 1992, but we liberated our homeland then,” Maro said.
She also said that she and her family left some of their belongings in Martakert in the hope that they would return soon.
Her son, Samvel Mkrtumyan, added, “It will be safe there since Russians are there. That’s our home. We will not leave our home to anyone. I will come to Gyumri again. I fell in love with this city, but I need to return to my dear Artsakh.”
He was so emotional that it was impossible for him to hide his tears.
The head of the Transportation and Road Construction Department of the Shirak provincial government, Khachatur Khndzrtsyan, said that this was the second group to return to Stepanakert. The buses take people to Renaissance Square in Stepanakert and return. According to the official, 65 people went last time from Gyumri. They will make a list once again and return people to their homes.
Khachatur Khndzrtsyan assured that the Artsakh residents are able to return safely. They reached Stepanakert from Berdzor. The list of people is sent to the Russian side, and the Russian peacekeepers escort the residents to Stepanakert.
Armine Karakhanyan, who is a representative of the We Are With You: Get to Work, Volunteers initiative where people volunteer to help provide over 40 families from Artsakh with shelter, clothes, and food, came to say goodbye to a family of thirteen.
Armine Karakhanyan said that the family was from the Maragha village of Martakert, which was conceded to the enemy. The family is going to Stepanakert so they could move to Martakert city. She said that all of the people from Artsakh whom she’s helping want to return. They say, “Armenia is a wonderful place, Gyumri is a warm city, but there is no place on Earth that’s sweeter than Artsakh.”
Nune Arevshatyan
