The Nor Aygestan village of the Martakert region was handed over to Azerbaijan, and the Kilikia village is in the neutral zone. “I had two homes. One of them is now in Turkish territory, and the other is not safe…” Eliza explained, remembering how much work she and her family put into building those homes. “I can still see Armen and how he would gather soil in buckets and pull them with ropes to construct the foundation. My children worked so hard…”
Armen died during the 44-day war on October 13th near the Chaylu village of Martakert. Armen’s brother, Aramazd, who was a former student at the university in Shushi and is now studying at the Polytechnic University in Armenia, spoke about his brother’s heroism with sad pride. “He destroyed two tanks with one projectile, and then he destroyed another. He destroyed 3 enemy tanks in 48 seconds using 2 projectiles.” Armen was supposed to receive the Medal of Courage, but then he died. The family hopes that state officials will at least recognize their son’s heroism posthumously. That will only be a source of comfort for them now.
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“Twelve days after his sister’s wedding, the war began. He died a month after his sister’s wedding…” Eliza said with tears in her eyes and escaped from reality for a moment, remembering the happiness of her daughter’s wedding when Armen was with her in person. “On her wedding day, he was telling his sister that he would be an uncle next year, and that he would do everything for her children. I was telling him that it was his turn next. One month before, my daughter got married. Who would have imagined that my son’s funeral would be one month later?”
Andranik, Armen’s friend, brought his body from the battlefield. At the moment Armen died, his other friend, Zhora, received a heavy wound to his hand. He has already gotten surgery several times, and he is preparing for the next surgery. He destroyed five enemy tanks.
“I ask whoever is still alive, knows Armen, and has photos of him to send them to me,” Eliza said. She has one goal now: to build her son a gravestone and construct a khachkar where her son fell. “That territory is ours if they don’t give it away,” Eliza said, expressing her disagreement with what happened. “They sold our country. Why did these bright children have to die? So many wonderful boys died.” The President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, promised to expedite efforts to build a khachkar after March 15th. Eliza is waiting.
Her daughter, Karine, found out seven days after her brother died that she was pregnant. Her husband was also at the frontlines. Karine’s family has now returned to Stepanakert. Karine’s pregnancy is difficult, and the doctors said that it is due to stress.
Armen Sarmen Baghdasaryan was born on July 14, 1999. His father, Sarmen Baghdasaryan, is a high-ranking soldier and currently an officer in the reserves. The family is from the Vank village of Martakert. After graduating from high school in Aygestan, Armen was accepted into the college in Shushi to study management. Then, he was accepted into the university to study the food industry. He was in his second year of school. He was also working to help ease his family’s burden. He was conscripted into the army in 2018, and discharged in 2020. He volunteered to fight in the 44-day war. He received medals for his exemplary service. “He has three medals,” Eliza said. She spoke to Armen for the last time on October 11th.
We also met with Eliza and her big family on October 1st, three days after the war began. At that time, Eliza and everyone else was feeling optimistic. They thought that the war would be over in a few days. Seventeen women sheltered in the Haytagh village of the Armavir Province.
The family is still in Haytagh. Their only home is in the neutral zone, and it is not safe.
Nelly Grigoryan
