The fellow villagers of Lieutenant-Colonel Manvel Karapetyan, who was born in the Zuygaghbyur village of Ashotsk, remembered him as a modest individual who never liked to show off the fact that he was a high-ranking soldier. But, at the same time, the people of Zuygaghbyur knew that the enemy was scared of him, and he quite literally induced fear in the enemy.
The 31-year-old lieutenant-colonel served for 12 years in Artsakh, beginning in Mataghis and then in Talish. Manvel Karapetyan was the commander of a rifle battalion in one of the military units in Artsakh. He has two daughters aged 3 and 5. As soon as he got married in 2014, a month after the wedding, he took his wife to Artsakh.
His father, Artsrun Karapetyan, said that he loved Talish so much that he never thought about returning to Armenia despite having many offers to do so.
It was there that he died on the second day of the war. Manvel Karapetyan died from a sniper shot when he was removing his friend’s body from the position.
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“I would have never said that he is a lieutenant-colonel. He was so casual. Sometimes, I would tell him to come by in his military uniform, and he would laugh and say, ‘That’s enough, Dad.’ When he would come, all he could think about was his soldiers,” his father said.
Artsrun Karapetyan said that he was the one who encouraged his son to become a soldier, which his son delightfully agreed to, saying that there was no way back.
“He lived in Talish for 12 years, and he gave his life to Talish and didn’t return from there. He had many offers, but he never accepted them. I would always tell him, ‘You didn’t think about us, at least think about your children, you gave your life for everyone’s children, but what about yours…’” his father said.
Manvel Karapetyan’s wife, Victoria Hovhannisyan, said that they received a home in the officer’s unit in Mataghis, where they lived peacefully until September 27th.
“Everything became clear from the 25th, but we stayed until the end. We stayed in the bunkers for 7 hours, then we left in extreme conditions. My older daughter does not express herself much, but the younger one constantly asks me why we can’t go to our house and why Dad isn’t coming to take us home. There weren’t many sites to see in Mataghis, but we would go to the shores of Tartar Lake and relax. He was so attached to his soldiers, and he sent six generations of soldiers home. He saw two wars. He was only 30 years old, but he lived a long, difficult life. He was born an officer. He was a dedicated officer, father, and ideal husband,” his wife said. Victoria said that on the morning of September 27th, he quickly got dressed and, without saying goodbye, left quickly.
“I don’t know. Those memories will stay fresh for the rest of my life. They can’t be forgotten. When people remember the 1988 earthquake and relive each second, hour, and moment, I am experiencing the same thing. In the beginning, the children were very stressed, and when they would even hear the quietest noise, they would think that the war began again. It’s not easy to stay seven hours under gunfire while being hungry, thirsty, and in your pajamas,” the hero’s widow said.
At the order of the President of Artsakh, Lieutenant-Colonel Manvel Artsrun Karapetyan was posthumously rewarded the Battle Cross of the First Order. His family members were presented with the medal by the governor of Shirak, Hovhannes Harutyunyan.
Nune Arevshatyan
