The extended Baghryan family waits for news about Sevak.

The 29-year-old was killed in the recent Karabakh war, but the family still doesn’t know where his body is. They want to properly bury the body.

They moved to Armenia from Artsakh, losing their homes in Hadrut. They live in Urtsadzor, a village in Ararat province, in a house temporarily provided them by a family friend.

The menfolk of the house are quiet. Women, whispering, exchange stories about Sevak. They can’t hold back the tears.

They’ve been waiting for Sevak’s body for two months. They were told Sevak was killed on October 13.  His mother has come to terms with his death but keeps calling his cell phone number, hoping to maybe get word about his corpse.

"Everything was remained unfinished for Sevak - life, marriage, home ..." she says.

No funeral service has been offered for Sevak, but his photo rests on a table, surrounded by candles and fresh flowers.

Sevak will be buried in Yerevan’s Yerablur Military Cemetery. Ukhtadzor, his native village in Artsakh’s Hadrut region, is controlled by the Azerbaijani army.

Sevak Baghryan left for the war on the morning of September 27, not waiting for the call of the command staff.

Marineh Baghryan

"He came running and said war had broken out and that he’s leaving. I told him a drone would hit his red car. He left. We didn’t hear from him for a week. Then he called. I asked that he phone every day. He said he couldn’t. They were fighting. Then, when I heard the Turks had entered Hadrut, Sevak called. I told him I was scared for his safety, but he told me not to worry. He was allaying our fears,” says Sevak’s mother Marineh Baghryan.

The last time Sevak called was on October 12. He was killed the next day, allegedly by an Azerbaijani sniper. Sevak managed to speak to most of his family that day.

Sevak was a contract soldier, in a reconnoiter unit. He fought in Jabrayil, the scene of some of the most intense battles.

All three sons of the Baghryan family took part in the recent Artsakh war: Sevak, Sarik and Pargev. The family was most worried about Sevak. He was hot-tempered and did not give an inch. 

“The family knew about Sevak’s death but never told me until afterwards. I asked Sarik for news about his brother, but he couldn’t, saying it was inconvenient. How could I have known that Sevak was gone?” asks Marineh Baghryan.

Months ago, Sevak found a house in Ukhtadzor. The government was scheduled to purchase the house for them given the large size of the family. Sevak had built a road to the house, repaired it, and was preparing to get married. He had decided to bring trees from his grandmother's garden for the home garden. The grandmother, Margo Bakhshyan, who has twenty grandchildren, cries when she utters Sevak’s name.  

"So many people from our clan went to fight. We kept asking for news about him. I was crying all the time. On the last day, he told me not to cry, saying all was good, that he was OK,” says Margo Bakhshyan recalling the last conversation with her grandson.

Margo Bakhshyan

Sevak never complained when helping his relatives. He loved to play with his nephews and drive his red car. He left car in Jabrayil. had left the positions in Jabrayil.  His mother promised to buy a new car for him once he returned.