“A parent should never lose a child.”

We met Mrs. Hasmik in Parpi village. She was at a neighbor’s house, participating in the birthday ceremony of a son who died in the 44-day Artsakh War.

We talked, and it turned out she is the mother of a hero who died in the 44-day Artsakh War. She invited us to their home. We entered, and no one was at home. She began to quickly collect items scattered here and there. I asked her to sit down so we could start our conversation. We started with great difficulty; Mrs. Hasmik couldn’t calm down, her health condition and tears didn’t allow her to talk about her son. Then through tears, she said, “For 7 years I couldn’t have a child, I had one, my only child died in the war.”

And again, a long pause.

Vaghinak Abgaryan was born on May 2, 1994, the only heir of the Abgaryan couple. After 7 years of not having a child, Mrs. Hasmik very accidentally learns that she is expecting a child. Her joy, of course, knows no bounds, but difficulties arise. Abgar is born at 7 months, weighing 1.5 kg.

Caring, humanitarian, and patriotic: these were the most important values for Abgar. It was these values that compelled him to go to the battlefield and fight for the defense of the homeland. The mother notes that as soon as he heard the news of the war, her son had no peace, looking for ways to go to the battlefield. Finally, on October 13, he left for the front with the mobilization.

“I was at home, he came and said, ‘Mom, the war has started, I’m going.’ I said, ‘No, Vagho, you won’t go, what about your children, what about me.’ He objected, ‘No, mom, I have to go, those young ones need someone, what if something happens to our neighbor’s son, I’m going to him.’ He went down to the yard, hugged his little daughter, said, ‘Anahit, I’m going, when I come back, run to me.’ From the balcony, I said again, ‘Please, don’t go, come back,’ he said, ‘No, dear mom, you wanted a grandchild? I’ve given you grandchildren, two of them, you’ll take care of those two grandchildren.’ He left, and that was the last time I saw him,” the mother recounts.

Vaghinak left for the battlefield, but his mother never knew that her son was already at war. He constantly told his mother that they were still in training. The mother remembers one of her conversations with her son.

“I heard a gunshot, I said, ‘Vagho, what was that sound,’ he said, ‘Mom, we’re in training, the guys are shooting.’ Then he said, ‘Mom, good guests have come,’ how could I know he was calling the Turks ‘guests.’ I said, ‘Dear Vagho, greet your guests, son.’ He said, ‘Mom, I…’ He said that so long and then didn’t speak anymore,” the mother recounts.

Fellow soldiers told Mrs. Hasmik that Vaghinak always tried to keep high spirits, constantly sang, then was given the duties of the group commander because the commander had fled.

They were in the thick of the battle. They encountered an enemy diversion group. A fierce close-quarters battle ensued, Vaghinak managed to eliminate 6 enemies, severely wounding two. He was shot from behind, the bullet piercing his heart.

They couldn’t retrieve Vaghinak’s body from the enemy territory for a month. Finally, on November 23, they managed to bring his body to Armenia. For about a month, neighbors and relatives hid from Mrs. Hasmik that her only son was no more: “I would go out to the street, saying, ‘No news from my Vagho again today.’ The neighbors would give a look somehow, but they wouldn’t say.”

For more details, see the video.
Hasmik Sargsyan