Svetlana Lalayan, was forcibly displaced from the occupied Republic of Artsakh. She told in the framework of “Artsakh: Armenian Genocide 2023. Stories of Survivors” documentary project of Iravaban.net, that she was forcibly displaced for the third time as a result of the aggressions provoked by the aggressor enemy.
“In 1987, I got married and moved to Baku. After the Sumgait genocide, I moved to Stepanakert in October 1988. After 23 years of renting, we bought a house in Shushi. We lived in Shushi. On 27, October 2020, I left Shushi. We returned to Artsakh on 29 November. I passed by Shushi crying. I told the Russian: I am turning to the left. He said: Madam, you can’t. That’s how we went to Stepanakert, we began living on rent again, until this damned day, 19 September,” she said.
Our interlocutor mentioned that the enemy attacked from different parts in Sumgait.
“We got to Akna, we got into such a situation that it seemed to me that we will not see Stepanakert either, they stoned us so much; it is not possible to describe what they did. I was pregnant at that time. We left our own house and car in Baku. I do not feel sorry for Baku so much as for leaving Shushi. Whenever I shall hear that Shushi is ours, I swear that I will go on foot,” Mrs. Svetlana said.
She says that on 19 September, he was at work when the enemy started shooting.
“We stayed in the basements until 25 September. On the morning of 26 September, we left for mother Armenia,” our interlocutor said.
Ms. Svetlana also tells about the 9-month siege of Artsakh, noting that there were nights they spent in bread queue.
“Imagine, it would be better for us to stay like that in our land, in our homeland, not to lose that paradise again. It was a paradise. We were very hungry, it was more difficult in the city, and what we had was very expensive. We somehow survived by helping each other, whoever had bread shared the bread, whoever had cheese shared the cheese. We lived together for nine months, constantly sharing everything with each other. We lost so many young people, and in the end we gave the motherland as a gift,” she said.
Our interlocutor says: I am Armenian; this is my homeland, where should I go? “I am an Armenian, and the homeland of an Armenian is Armenia.”
Speaking about the reintegration proposed by the enemy, she mentioned that it is impossible.
“It is impossible to live in Artsakh. All the heights are in their hands. Those people are not reliable people, they will shoot on the same day,” our interlocutor noted.
She says that annihilation of Armenians, genocide took place.
“Why did the UN come when it was already depopulated? Why didn’t it come when we were under siege for 9 months, children were dying of hunger?” Or how many Armenians were taken from the Red Cross at the checkpoint? I have no expectations from anyone. I expect everything from the unity of our nation. No one else will help us. The UN should have come come when there was a war,” she said.
“Artsakh: Armenian Genocide 2023. Stories of Survivors” documentary project of Iravaban.net is aimed at collecting the memories and testimonies of citizens forcibly displaced from Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan, about the genocide of the Armenians of Artsakh committed by Azerbaijan, atrocities, the days of war, the path of deportation, etc.
Iravaban.net seeks help from citizens who will voluntarily agree to translate materials into different languages: Russian, English, French, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Georgian, Chinese…
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Details in the video.
Hasmik Sargsyan
