Varditer Melkonyan, is one of seven former Artsakh teachers now employed in public schools in Armenia’s Aragatzotn Province.

Artsakh native Melkonyan, who used to lecture at Shushi’s Humanitarian College, has been teaching fine arts and technology at the Sasunik village secondary school for the past month.

Melkonyan came to Armenia during 2020 Artsakh war.

"I miss my old life. After the 44-day war, I did not return to Karabakh, because that life was no longer there. I was born and raised in Stepanakert. I got married and lived in Shushi," says the teacher from Artsakh.

Melkonyan says teaching younger students is new to her, but she’s adapting to the new work environment and to life in Armenia She says everything is different, even the stones and nature.

"I always told my students that the victory of the Karabakh war is the last and only victory in history that we must hold on to very firmly. But I felt deep down that this was going to happen one day. I could see that the authorities were not leading properly, and the enemy would take the opportunity. It was already a fight for political office, where nepotism ruled. That's why we lost the country. I also felt the loss of my son,” Melkonyan tells Hetq.

Melkonyan quickly wiped away her tears, so that the students would not see her in that state. She recounted the story about her son and brother, who died during the 2020 war. She remembers their house, which was located next to the Holy Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi.

In Armenia, the family first lived in a disused kindergarten building in the village of Proshyan village. After living in Proshyan for two years, the family moved out of the kindergarten because the community authorities wanted to renovate it.

Melkonyan was then offered a job teaching handicrafts to children for one hour a week in a group operating in Ashtarak, attached to the church. She agreed. With the help of relatives, Melkonyan’s sister purchased a house in Astarak for the family.

Her grandchildren and daughter-in-law now live in Yerevan, but every Friday Melkonyan drives to Yerevan and brings them to Ashtarak for the weekend.

"School gives me strength now. I don't know, I see my grandchildren in all my students. Perhaps that's why it's easy to work here," says Melkonyan.