The recent events that took place in Syria sounded an alarm to all Armenians around the world. As always, patriotic Armenians stood with their compatriots in dire conditions. Evidence of this are the several people who had addressed the RA Ministry of Diaspora with the willingness to receive Syria-Armenians coming to Armenia.

Major Artur Hovsepyan from the Tchartar village of Martuni region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is one of the civilians who addressed the Ministry of Diaspora with this request. When we called the deputy commander of N Military Unit of Artsakh to talk, he first asked if there was a family that wanted to stay at his home, and when he found out about the purpose of our telephone call, he became a little sad…”Let them come! We are waiting for them. We will find them a job. There is a house, and the lands are fertile. They will live better than me. I assure you,” Artur Hovsepyan said in an interview with Hayern Aysor.

Major Artur Hovsepyan, who has participated in the two wars in Artsakh, is a tanker and has been awarded with the Cross of Combat Order twice for his qualities. The experienced soldier proudly stated that he was one of the soldiers of Monte and fought in many regions of Artsakh during the war. During the Four-Day Artsakh War, he motivated younger soldiers with his personal example and shared the knowledge and skills that he had gained during the struggle for the liberation of Artsakh in the late 20th century, for which he was awarded with the 2nd degree Cross of Combat Order by RA President Serzh Sargsyan on 19 April 2016.

The hero of our days and his wife, who is a pedagogue, and their three children live in Inner Tchartar village. His two-story ancestral home in Tchartar is ready to host any Syrian-Armenian family that wishes to settle in Artsakh. “We can host an entire family. If there are children, that will be better. They will spend time with my sons and daughter (Artur has two 14-year-old sons and a 15-year-old daughter). We will help them with everything,” Hayern Aysor’s interlocutor said.

According to Artur, his wife and children were very glad that he had made this decision. “Well, it is safe to say that my sons are ready for the army and know very well about war and its consequences. My wife is an Armenian language teacher and can also help the Syrian-Armenian children with education. I also have friends who are ready to host Syrian-Armenians. We are all excited and will receive them with open arms,” the experienced soldier said and stated that he has always followed the events unfolding in Syria over the past couple of years, has responded to the calls for help and has personally made a suggestion. “I had also expressed the desire to leave for Kessab and fight for our compatriots’ safety there. All Armenians in Armenia and the Diaspora need to be focused on Aleppo,” the hero of our days, Artur Hovsepyan concluded.

Julieta Matevosyan