Ararat Torosyan, a participant in the 44-day Artsakh war, was drafted to the Army on 25 January, 2019. He served in Martuni 3.
“We were risen by an alert, learnt that it was war and went up to our positions. I was in positions for 4 days; I was wounded on 1 October. I was at the observation post when the projectile hit. We were, 7 in the position. 2 people were killed by the UAV strike. The three of us received various degrees of injury. I remember everything, how it happened,” Ararat tells his story in the framework of the “Second Artsakh War։ Those Who live and help to live” series Iravaban.net.
His injury was very serious. Ararat lost his legs. According to him, even the doctors were surprised how he survived and he was conscious during the whole time. When the projectile hit, his foot was cut off first, then he saw that the other leg was also cut off.
“I was taken to different places, first to a place like a morgue: there were bodies with different cuts, arms, legs around me… I suffered clinical death, they thought I was dead, and took me there. Then I was taken to Goris and I lost consciousness there. Then I was brought to my senses and sent to Yerevan. I woke up in the helicopter, I said, I have not died, and even got on the helicopter,'” he said and smiled.
Ararat said that it was difficult for him, but he had realized what he did it for and overcame it.
“Life goes on, life is beautiful. Many people would dream of just living, it doesn’t matter how, just to live,” he said.
The prostheses that Ararat wears cost 50 million drams. He says that the state provided it to him, but with great difficulty.
“Now I have these prostheses, but there are many disabled soldiers who do not have them and it is not like there are several thousand people that the state is not able to provide them all with prostheses,” our interlocutor said.
He also referred to the problem that disabled soldiers who had the 1st group of disabilities were transferred to the 2nd group.
“We were in the first group for 2 years, after two years they changed the group. It’s not about the money here; it is merely that there is no respect towards us. They say that I have recovered, and am walking, but they have no idea how I walk. I know that it was a means of living for many military disabled people, and the state is depriving us of that means,” Ararat said.
He also referred to the problem that there are no ramps in a number of parts of the city, and the existing ones are inconvenient. He has fallen down as well.
Details in the video.
Hasmik Sargsyan
