Kristine Asatryan moved to Berdzor in the Kashatagh region of Artsakh from Yerevan with her husband and son 10 years ago. Their intention was to repopulate the area.
The family was able to create a comfortable life in Berdzor. They received a house and employment, and they had two more sons.
On September 27th, the Asatryan family was renovating their son’s house’s gates when the war began.
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“My husband was working in the garden with our sons when we heard gunshots. I thought they were conducting military training, but my husband said that it was the sound of Grad missiles. At that moment, my neighbor came running and told us that it was war and they’re coming to the village. We got into our cars dressed as we were and left the village. My husband left us in the city of Berdzor and he went to the frontlines,” Kristine said.
According to Kristine, her husband had been at the frontlines for over a month, but no forces came to replace them. “There was no one to come and replace them so that he could change his clothes or rest for a few hours before going to his position again. They stayed in their positions all day and night in dirty clothes.”
Kristine left her older son and husband at the frontlines and went to Yerevan with her two younger sons on October 3rd. She moved to Dilijan with her husband and sons after the trilateral agreement was signed between Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan on November 10th.
Kristine said that they bought a house for their oldest son before the war, which has now turned into Azerbaijani staff headquarters.
Kristine saw that the Azerbaijanis are using the home as staff headquarters and enjoying the walnuts they gathered in a video shared on social media. “We had just purchased furniture for my son. We didn’t even get to finish financing it. There were trees in the yard, and I was happy that we would be able to garden. We gathered the walnuts and put them in a room so they could dry. Now, the Turks are sitting in our house and eating our walnuts.”
Her family, who moved to Artsakh from Armenia ten years ago, does not imagine a future in Armenia.
Kristine and her husband described how they were only able to get on their feet and build a house in Artsakh. “We rented for 13 years in Yerevan before moving to Artsakh. We received help in Artsakh, which is why we were able to have a house of our own and start a family. My two sons were born in Artsakh because I had a house and I felt safe. I do not have any desire to stay in Armenia. I want to go to Artsakh at the first opportunity. My heart aches for my son’s house because we put so much work into it. I dreamed that we would move into that home and live there, but now the Turks are sitting in our home and eating our food. I don’t know. My heart aches.”
Now, the family is waiting for news that it is safe to return so that they can go to Berdzor with their children.
Satenik Hovsepyan
