Narek Stepanyan is a fallen hero from Artsakh. He was the second son of a family that I met when I went to Armenia in 2022. Narek and his family lived in Artsakh until the Azeris forced them from their home in 2020. His family had lived in that region for hundreds of years and in their home for many generations until Artsakh was taken over by Azerbaijan. Narek’s family had to escape to Goris, a small town on the southern border of Armenia. Narek’s older brother Sevak was serving in the army when we visited them, so we did not have the opportunity to meet him. Serving in Artsakh, he was in constant danger, and his mom and dad were always worried about him.
In Armenia, every boy who turns 18 must serve in the military for two years. Narek was preparing to leave for the army the week we saw him. His mom was very worried since both of her eldest sons would be serving in Artsakh and in constant danger. She asked us to please pray for them as much as possible. Narek told us that it is his duty to serve, and he looked forward to the possibility of seeing his brother. He was very brave and did not show any fear.
We spent the day with his family, and then we hugged Narek goodbye, wished him well and told him we would pray for him every day. My mom spoke to his mom, Anna, every week. She would keep us posted about their life and how the two sons were doing in the army. Sometimes Anna would not hear from them for weeks at a time, and she could only pray that they were alive and well. She was always scared they would be captured and tortured like the many other prisoners of war who were captured by Azerbaijani forces.
Narek’s older brother Sevak eventually completed his two years of military service late in the summer of 2022. However, due to tension at the border before the blockade of the Lachin corridor began, Sevak could not reunite with his parents in Goris. Finally, his parents were able to make an expensive deal with Russian soldiers to help bring him across the blockaded corridor to Armenia. Sevak came home in September. His mom was overjoyed and wrote to my mom to share her happiness.
Unfortunately, her happiness did not last long. After Sevak arrived home, Azerbaijan eventually attacked the Armenians in Artsakh again. They attacked the people who, due to the blockade, had no food or medicine arriving in the area for 10 months! Azerbaijan attacked all the people living there — including children and the elderly. In September of 2023, Artsakh surrendered to Azerbaijan, because they were all alone without help. Even though they surrendered, Azerbaijan continued hurting and killing people. Unfortunately, Narek was one of those people, killed at the age of 19. He was a brave hero who was not afraid to do his duty for Artsakh. I am very sad he had to die, and I will never forget him. Since the time this occurred, the entire Armenian population has been forced out of Artsakh — their ancestral home for thousands of years.
Kohar Karapetian
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