“THE EYEWITNESS”: LOSS OF WESTERN ARMENIA IN MEMORIES OF 102-YEAR-OLD MAN

10:56, 26 November, 2013

The Armenian Genocide initiated in the Ottoman Empire during the
World War I in the beginning of the previous century is one of the
biggest crimes against humanity. Advancing the 100th anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide the new project introduced by Armenpress News
Agency is dedicated to the story of the eyewitnesses and survivors
of the calamity to prove the world one more time that our demand for
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is fair and justified. This
time the project is dedicated to Varazdat Manukyan, who has a special
touching life story. The creative team of the project visited Gyumri,
where lives the 102- year-old.

GYUMRI, NOVEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: The host of one of the old houses in
the central street of Gyumri is the 102-year-old Varazdat Manukyan,
who lives alone in that giant house. He does not have enough health
to collect the harvest of his garden and process it.

The man, having enviable analytical ability and a good memory, started
to tell about his memories, periodically interrupted by not only my
questions, but also his tears. Varazdat Manukyan, born in 1911 in Kars,
reminds of the history of his family on the deportation path to Gyumri.

The old man remembers when the Armenians, deported from the Western
Armenia, did not have any place to live, had no food and faced quite
difficult conditions.

“The Turkish were ignorant, stupid and beast people. They lived in
the mountains and were savages. They came to Middle Asia and saw that
everything was changed. They got astonished and came to Egypt, the
army of which was hired army. They got there and got the authority”,
– said the Armenian Genocide survivor.

“The Turkish did not save even the children. Nobody resisted them. At
that time our country was called “From sea to sea Armenia” and
where is it now? Where are Kars, Sarighamish, Ardahan, Trabzon and
Erzurum? We had a giant country and the Turkish took it from us”, –
said Varazdat Manukyan.

(THE FULL VERSION OF THE ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Author – Tatevik Grigoryan Photos – Arevik Grigoryan