The body of conscript soldier Palyan Poghosyan, who died of burns, is currently being transferred from the National Burn Center to his birthplace, Azatan village, Shirak region. Vardan Ikilikyan, the former village head of Azatan, now the deputy head of Akhuryan’s enlarged community, told Aravot.am that the parents were offered to bury Palyan in the military pantheon of the village, but the matter has not been decided yet; they have a family cemetery. “Ten victims of the village seemed to be few, and now Palyan,” Vardan Ikilikyan mourns.
The villagers told the following about the circumstances under which the soldier was burned: “Of course, the investigation will give the final answer, but we found out that safety rules were violated in the dugout. The dugout is at 1,700 meters above sea level, the sides of Sisian are always cold and windy, and the heat is on all year round.
This season, as far as we understand, there is no wood, so they heat with coal. The stove was lit, there was coal in it, the coal cracked, and the sleeping bags started to burn. The sleeping bags are synthetic. The flame just caught fire. It was very difficult to put out as they burn very quickly. They wanted to put out the fire, and in the process, the flame spread to Palyan’s face, the melted synthetic part was poured on him. It’s like plastic- it catches fire immediately. There were 4 children, all 4 received burns, but Palyan’s condition was the worst.”
One of Palyan’s family close friends said that the boy would have been discharged in January. “He was the only boy at home; they were brother and sister. He was a very good soldier, he had a very good reputation, but he is the child of his parents, they are smart, hardworking, creative people, they always worked in the village, they never went to Russia, they were never absent from the village. His grandfather is engaged in animal husbandry. He is a special learner. He studied at the economics university. The professors say that he is such an organized boy,” said the close relatives of his family. The Gyumri branch of the State University of Economics of Armenia expressed condolences.
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“It is with deep sadness that we inform you that on July 26, a first-year student of the “Management” specialty of the “General Economics” faculty of the ASTU Gyumri branch, private Palyan Jivan Poghosyan, a mandatory conscript soldier, died due to 2nd degree thermal burns. The entire staff and students of ASUE Gyumri express their deepest condolences to the student’s relatives. We thank you for your service to the motherland, brother, eternal glory and humility.” According to the press release of the Ministry of Defense, “On July 26, despite all the efforts of doctors, private Palyan Jivani Poghosyan, a mandatory conscript who was transferred to the Zangezur Garrison Hospital on July 17 and then to the National Burn Center, died.”
Nune AREVSHATYAN
