Arsen Abroyan was christened with the nickname ‘Zarzand’ on the battlefield. His mother, Anzhela Abroyan, shared the story of her son’s brave and selfless fighting with Iravaban.net as part of the “Immortal Victims of the Artsakh War” series.
“Arsen was good at chess, so I had no doubt he would be a good soldier. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and we called him ‘general’ at home – I don’t know why, perhaps he saw himself as a military man. He was very patriotic. At home, I often talked about how a son should be patriotic, that everything starts with the homeland. He had that spirit,” says his mother.
Arsen was conscripted into the army on January 17, 2019. His mother remembers sending him off to the army was a joyous occasion for them, celebrating late into the night. Arsen was ready for service, eager to join the army as soon as possible. He began his service in Agarak.
“From that day, I started worrying about Arsen. 40 days later, when we went to attend his oath ceremony, my Arsen was beaming. He held his weapon so firmly. He was so focused and excited that he passed by me without even noticing,” his mother recalls.
He was recognized as the best marksman, but never told his parents, never boasted. His mother worried about how well he was serving because she feared a possible war and knew her son would definitely be on the battlefield. A mother’s heart didn’t err. When the enemy unleashed war on September 27, 2020, Arsen fought so selflessly that he even managed to save his fellow soldiers’ lives.
“Whatever he did, he did consciously. My son had 92 days left before coming home. When we talked, he didn’t mention they’d been taken to Artsakh. On October 2, they were taken to Jrakan. October 5 is deeply imprinted in my memory. I was anxious, there was no word from Arsen. After the war, his commander came to our house and told us that on that day, Arsen had gone ahead of the soldiers. They realized they were surrounded. They radioed for Arsen to lie on the ground. Arsen was carrying heavy ammunition at the time. He told the two-month recruits, ‘You can’t carry this, I’ll take it.’ They told him to remove his weapons before lying down. They stayed like that for hours, but Arsen’s life was saved that day; he made it out alive and well. On October 6, he called. That day, for the first time, I heard trembling in his voice,” the mother recounted.
Arsen was wounded but continued his fight. He destroyed tanks, captured a hill. The troops’ lives depended on Arsen’s accurate shooting. Arsen fired with a grenade launcher, causing numerous casualties among enemy infantry.
“They say even the commanders warned him not to advance. They say he wasn’t afraid; it seemed like Arsen was having a street fight, running through gunfire, doing everything thinking that if others devoted themselves like him, there would be victory, the Turks wouldn’t reach the border, they wouldn’t lose Artsakh,” says his mother.
Details in the video.
