Images by Anthony Pizzoferrato
Irina Mirzoyan showed us photos of her son Arman in military uniform, given to her by army comrades. These photos are the only remaining memories of her son.
Arman Mnatsakanyan died at the age of 18 on September 19, 2023, while defending military positions near Magavuz in the Republic of Artsakh during an attack by Azerbaijan. Arman was the first casualty in the Martakert region. Irina remembers his last words to her on a phone call hours before the attack: “Mama, mama, can you hear me?”
The mother struggled to speak about her son in the past tense. “He was a special child. He always seemed older than his age, both in intelligence and physically. Arman had just been conscripted into the Artsakh army, where he had been serving for eight months. We were under a blockade, but I tried to send his favorite pastries to the positions. He dreamed of a sports career and had many medals as a wrestler since childhood,” she said, then added softly, “Unfortunately, we are speaking about him in the past tense.”
When combat operations began, Irina was in the village of Nerkin Horatagh in Artsakh. She took shelter in the basement with her 16-year-old daughter Armine and other relatives. She had no news of her three sons and husband, all of whom were positioned on the frontline. The eldest, Lavrent, and youngest, Harutyun, were defense soldiers. Irina’s husband Arthur was the community leader of Nerkin Horatagh and had joined the defensive battles.
“After learning of his son’s death, my husband was in critical health, but he remained in the village until the end, going house to house and evacuating everyone,” she said.
Late on September 19, rumors about Arman’s death were already spreading in the village. Irina recalls that no one had the courage to tell her the truth. She learned of her son’s death on September 20 and established contact with her other two sons on September 23. Until then, she believed she had lost all three.
“I felt I had lost at least one of my sons. I kept asking but received no answers. When we heard we needed to leave the village, that’s when I was told. I remember losing consciousness, not understanding what was happening. I thought we would return to the village,” she said.
Irina remembers trying to get any news about her other sons. On September 24, she finally reunited with them in the capital city of Stepanakert. “I was told that Harutyun had also died. Everyone was calling and expressing condolences. I didn’t believe it. I was waiting for some news. When I received a call on the 24th, it was my sons. They said they were fine and were coming to Stepanakert with my husband,” she said.
On September 25, the family left Artsakh, leaving behind their entire past. The women didn’t have time to take much when leaving the village. “The enemy was very close. It was impossible to stay in the village. For a moment, we stopped near our house. My daughter took a few photos of Arman and some medals, and I managed to take necessary medication and documents, nothing else,” Irina said.
Arman’s body was identified by his father. His body was transferred from Martakert to Stepanakert, waiting for an opportunity to bury him. “My husband says Arman looked as if he were peacefully sleeping. The wound was from shrapnel that directly hit an artery,” Irina said.
Irina and other relatives never had the chance to see Arman’s body, as he was buried in a closed coffin. His funeral took place on September 28 at the Yerablur Military Cemetery in Armenia.
“Our relatives went to the Stepanakert hospital every day to confirm that his body was there, until we could bring him to Armenia, where Arman was awarded the ‘For Courage’ medal. His friends and comrades often visit us. His commander saw us for the last time on September 24. The next day, he died during the Haykazov explosion,” Irina said.
The family cannot adapt to losing Arman. Irina remembers how she used to prepare food and pastries for her son. Now she cannot bake anymore. She still keeps a photo of a cake she baked for her son during the blockade of Artsakh. “It was very difficult to find the cake ingredients. I somehow managed to prepare his favorite type and send it to the positions,” she said.
During our conversation, Irina was occasionally interrupted by Arman’s grandmother, Anush. When talking about her grandson, she could not hold back her tears. She says they could have dealt with losing everything, but her grandson’s death is irreversible. Anush remembers her grandson’s lively personality at family gatherings.
“Everyone in the village loved him. From a young age, he had a very calm character. He was smart. My heart aches that he met such a fate,” Anush lamented.
In Nerkin Horatagh, the family was engaged in agricultural work. Arman had hoped to work in the field and establish his own business. He would often spend hours with the sheep herd, then return home and talk for hours about what he would do when he grew up.
When talking about his childhood, Irina took long pauses. The two women remember Arman’s childhood years very well. While telling the story, they complemented each other, as if afraid of missing something.
A memorial set up for Arman features his childhood photos, smiling and full of life. The family members find comfort in these photos. They often visit Yerablur, trying to ease their longing.
Among family members, Arman was closest to his mother, Irina. At family gatherings, he would take photos with his mother, always by her side. Even while serving in the army, he maintained this tradition, taking photos with his mother in uniform.
Today, Irina finds solace in taking care of her other children. With difficulty, she manages to continue living. During the day, she often looks at her son’s photos and cleans the medals and certificates displayed in Arman’s memorial corner.
Shushan Papazyan
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