“Motherland was primary for him, he always repeated: if there is no homeland, there will be no family.” This is how Yelena Usnunts, the wife the Police officer, Junior Sergeant Artur Sahakyan remembers her husband in the framework of “Immortal Victims of the Artsakh War” series of Iravaban.net.
They met in 2011, when Arthur had been serving in the Police Force for a year.
“Arthur was a wonderful husband, a wonderful parent, a wonderful colleague and friend. The difficulties of the workplace never entered the family; he never failed in any matter. Difficulties made our family even stronger. Through Arthur, I got to know what the motherland is, what devotion to the motherland is. He was not just a servant, he wore the uniform with honor, performed his service with honor. Before the war, he performed combat service in Tavush for about 2 years. Getting ready for each shift was a celebration,” the woman says.
Arthur and Yelena have a daughter and a son. He says that the daughter was very devoted to her father.
“When Arthur came home, no matter how tired he was, he had to spend time with the girl,” the woman says.
On 27 September, 2020, when Azerbaijan unleashed a war against Artsakh, Arthur called his wife and said: Yelena, this is war, pack my things, I’m coming to leave.
“I wasn’t surprised, I didn’t say anything to the contrary, and I didn’t try to convince the opposite, because it was pointless. First of all, I was against his not going, because every Armenian must realize that he must be at the border. “Artur used to say, ‘Who will be with the 18-year-old soldier if not we,'” the woman said.
Arthur Sahakyan participated in the battles for Shushi. On 5 November, it fell under siege.
“A group of their servicemen were injured. His two very close friends were with him sa well. He was their godfather. He manages to save one of his godsons and he stays to continue the battles with the other godson. They continue the fight until the end, they died together. The last time he called, he called to say goodbye. No call was ever like that. There was an alarm, he said: I am under siege, I do not know if I will come out or not, I love you very much, take good care of the children and raise my son properly,” Yelena says.
Today, she serves in the police forces, continues her husband’s unfinished work, her son asked her to do so.
“I serve in the same military unit, the same battalion, the same company where my husband served for 10 years. I start and end the day in the places where my husband has been,” she said.
Details in the video.
Hasmik Sargsyan
