“I’m not leaving. I stayed in Russia for 15 days, but I could not stay longer. Not even in Yerevan. I have nowhere to go. Our Karabakh is everything, that’s why we are fighting,” said Donara.
Donara Gasparyan has been working at the Stepanakert market for 30 years. The most famous jengyalov bread in Stepanakert is made by Ms. Donara.
After the 44-day war, trade is not the same at the Stepanakert market; few people come to the market. At this time 34 years ago, Stepanakert was in a storm, and the Artsakh movement had started. Mrs. Donara remembers being young at the time, married, and having two sons. One of the boys now lives in Yerevan, and the other is in Stepanakert.
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She said that at that time, they went to demonstrations with children and thought that it would be good. “And it was good. But now, we did not keep what we won.” After the 44-day war, she speaks a little cautiously, but she knows one thing for sure: if we do not bring back what we lost, at least what is left must be kept. Mrs. Sveta left her native village, Avetaranots, on October 24, 2020. On October 27, 2020, the village of Avetaranots in the Askeran region came under Azerbaijani control.
During the 44-day war, her son was seriously wounded and received a first-degree disability.
Now they live in Stepanakert, for rent, and she trades in the market to take care of their daily expenses. She is not so satisfied with the trade. “If there is no war, it’s one thing, we are creators. As long as there is no war,” says Sveta, with a bitter smile on her face. I asked about the events 34 years ago, when the Artsakh movement started.
A little smile came to her face. “We were strong, we were very strong. But now… how can we be strong? There is fear in my heart.” She got upset again and added that they are afraid for the children. But they are not in the mood to leave Artsakh either. At work, her neighbor, Zarine from Stepanakert, also remembers the Artsakh movement and struggle with enthusiasm.
“Then we said for the sake of the homeland, but now you do not know for what. Your child is dying, but you do not know why.”
Nelly GRIGORYAN
