Kristineh Khachatryan and her husband live in the town of Elektrostal outside Moscow.

They moved to Russia ten years and now want to return to Armenia, with their four children. There’s no more work in Russia because of the coronavirus crisis.

"We have Russian neighbors, they’re grandparents. They help us a bit, giving us potatoes and vegetables. I can cook some food for the children at least. I also help them, giving them injections. I do whatever I can,” says Mrs. Khachatryan, who used to work in retail stores.

Her husband and brother, who also lives with the family, and her seventeen-year-old son used to work in construction.

In April, Mrs. Khachatryan twice sent their passports to   the Armenian Embassy in the Russia via WhatsApp, requesting that their names be included in the list of those wishing to return to Armenia.

However, due to long queues, their turn never arrived. Yesterday the embassy announced that those who want to return must fill out the applications online.

The family’s financial situation is dire.

"I am a craftsman, a worker. I’ve taken care of six people on my own. I'm not upset anymore. If they give me a job, I'll live. But they’ve ignored us. Should I go to the airport to sleep so that I can be sent to Armenia? They said send a passport. We sent it. So far, there is no response,” says Kevork Matevosyan, Khachatryan's husband.

The family has no relatives in Russia to help them. They have not yet received any help from the state.

"I asked the landlord to delay the payment of this month’s rent. He didn’t agree. He’s allowed us to stay until the 26^th. If we can't pay the rent, he will evict us. We really don't have money,” says Matevosyan.

The family has no home in Armenia. They’ll have to live with Kristineh Khachatryan’s brother if they return. They hope to at least work in Armenia and provide food for the children.

"I have nothing in Armenia either. It's just awful in Russia. If you don’t work, you’ll starve. We even don't have 39 rubles to buy flour and bake bread. I brought flour from my friend yesterday,” she says.

Yesterday, Kevork went to the construction site to get paid. Management said it couldn’t pay due to the job halt.

Kristineh spoke to a staffer at the Armenian Embassy in Moscow on April 4 via WhatsApp and explained the family’s financial plight.

The staffer told her that the embassy could only facilitate their return to Armenia, nothing more.

They’d have to seek financial assistance elsewhere.