Forty-one-year-old Hovhannes Markosyan is one of the sons of Armenia who died in the defense of the Motherland. During military operations, he received a serious injury, but he first saved his friend’s life by escorting him to the first ambulance available. However, it was not possible to save his own life.
The captain’s wife, Hermine Avalyan, cannot believe that her heroic husband is no longer with her. In an interview with Aravot Daily, Hermine noted that she spoke to her husband the last time on November 7th, a half-hour before the incident. She said that her husband loved his family, and he even cared for them from far away. “He called me on the day he died. I was able to hear the sounds of projectiles very clearly. I was very worried, but he calmed me down. He said that those were our soldiers firing, and that I shouldn’t be afraid. And so that I wouldn’t worry anymore, he said that he is very bu
sy and he must leave, and he hung up immediately. I counted the number of projectiles. Forty minutes later, the incident occurred…”
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When speaking about her husband, Hermine said that Hovhannes Markosyan loved children and was a dedicated person. “I probably do not know anyone like him. He spent a lot of time with his relatives and children. He did not have a lot of time due to his career in the military, but he spent his free time with his children. He would play football and hide-and-seek with them. I was a lot stricter with our children, but he would always tell me not to be so strict because bad children can’t be born from the two of us. He told me to let them be free. He greatly appreciated freedom. Everyone in our family had our own opinions, which mattered a lot to him. We even took into consideration the opinions of the youngest members. He always tried to find the optimal solution to any problem so that everyone would be satisfied.”
Hermine said that the best days they spent together was when they would go on road trips as a family. They would try to go to Georgia every year. They also planned on traveling as a family this year. The hero’s wife said that her husband believed that his birthplace, Chambarak, was the center of the world. “He was very egotistical in that sense. He worshiped his homeland, and he would always stress that in his toasts with foreigners.”
The captain has two sons. The older one is 10 and the younger is six. His wife made a lot of effort to explain to their children why their father died. Hermine said that the younger son does not fully realize yet what happened, but their older son is just like his father.
Hermine said that when she would be sad over the fact that they had no relatives in Chambarak, her husband would always think of something to make her happy. She especially remembered the day when she felt lonely. Her husband took her hand and said that they needed to go to the mountains by car, but the road was very narrow and dangerous. “We needed to be at the peak by 7:24 PM. I asked him what there is to see at that hour. When we reached the peak, he covered my eyes and then told me to open them because the sunset was the most beautiful at that spot. The beautiful sunset reflected on Lake Sevan. He loved nature. That sunset meant a lot to me.”
The hero’s wife told Aravot Daily that her husband’s phone, which was brought to her from the battlefield, is very valuable. “In general, I don’t look for him in material things. Even my wedding ring means nothing to me without him. But that phone has a lot of important information regarding him, which is why it is valuable,” she added.
A relative of Hovhannes Markosyan and Hermine Avalyan, Emma Sargsyan, emotionally spoke about the hero, and said that she grew up in the same neighborhood as he did. “He was very kind and he did not like conflicts. He was funny, friendly, and a great father to his children. He treated the other children in the neighborhood with the same kindness. He loved children. I have not met many people who were fathers like he is. He was truly an extraordinary father to his children. Due to his career, he did not have a lot of time, but he spent all his free time with his children. He was so full of life…”
Gohar Hakobyan
Photos provided by the hero’s wife
