“When Albert was little, we used to visit Yerablur and Tsitsernakaberd, he always asked questions about the heroes, about the memorial. I have always explained to him that they are the people we live today at the cost of their lives,” Artak Hovhannisyan, the father of Albert Hovhannisyan, who died in the Artsakh war said.

He was drafted into the army on 13 January, 2020. He was the commander of the artillery unit, a junior sergeant. According to his father, he knew it was his duty, everyone had to pay his debt.

“He used to say to me, ‘Pa, will you believe me? It’s like I’m in our yard. Simply you are not with me.’ “I have never heard a complaint from him,” the father says.

Artak Hovhannisyan says that Albert knew his weapon very well.

“I understood that it was a war, that one should not be happy that Albert was shown on TV, there was just pride, but alas, it was very short,” the father says.

Albert’s father says that according to friends, they did not sleep at all for several days. Albert always slept next to his cannon, as the real commander, the real soldier.

“He always thought that his fire would break the course of the war. The more and faster they fire, the sooner the war should end,” the father says.

Albert Hovhannisyan was born on 15 September, 2001. He died on 8 October, 2020 in the battles for the defense of the homeland.