Berzhik Hovsepyan search through a suitcase he brought from Artsakh, looking for a photograph of his son. The photo album is filled with pictures of his grandchildren at various ages.

“It’s Vera, when she was a baby,” says Angelina, his granddaughter.

Hayk Hovsepyan, Berzhik’s son,  was killed on the morning of September 23, 2023  while driving from the Artsakh town of Martakert to the village of Vardadzor. He was en route to evacuate his parents from the village.

Hayk Hovsepyan was from Vardadzor  but he lived in Martakert  with his wife Alvard and their four children. His parents, Berzhik and Vera Hovsepyan, remained in Vardadzor. Hayk worked at the gold mine in Kashen. He served in the army for three years prior to Kashen.

On September 19, 2023, when Azerbaijan launched its military offensive, Hayk was at work. Due to a poor network, he couldn't make phone calls. His first priority was to check on his family and ensure their safety.

Confirming that his family was not in immediate danger, he made his way to Tchankatagh using any available transport. His sister's family lived in Tchankatagh, but by the time he arrived, the village had already been evacuated.

Hayk then went to Vardadzor, where his parents were. His mother, who suffered from a heart condition and had difficulty moving, needed urgent help. To arrange transportation for them, he returned to Martakert in the evening.

“The village was being evacuated, everyone was fleeing. The mayor proposed evacuating us on the night of the 19th in someone else’s car. But I insisted on staying because my son told me he would come for us. We were waiting for him,” recalls Berzhik Hovsepyan.

On the morning of the 20th, around 8 o’clock, Mr. Hovsepyan heard the sounds of shelling.

“I moved towards the sounds to understand what was happening. I suddenly saw my son’s car several hundred meters away. I thought to myself that he was either killed or had run away,” says Mr. Hovsepyan.

Since the night of September 19, Azerbaijani forces had control over the road to the village. However, due to a poor network, it was impossible to inform Hayk. His car was shelled just 250 meters from his parents’ house. He had left the car and tried to run away but was shot in the head.

After Hayk’s incident, another car attempted to enter the village. Vova Avanesyan and Misha Shahnazaryan were inside that car. Their vehicle was also shelled, resulting in Vova’s death and Misha’s injuries. Misha managed to reach the forest and find safety there.

On the evening of September 20, Berzhik Hovsepyan and his wife walked five kilometers to reach Tsakhkashen village. An ambulance took them from there to Martakert. On September 23, they were evacuated to Stepanakert.

The Hovsepyan family fled Artsakh and moved to Berdik village in Artashat, Armenia, in the back of a KAMAZ truck. Hayk’s mother, Vera, was transported to Armenia in her relatives’ car. She was then taken to the hospital and underwent heart surgery a few days later.

Hayk’s nephew, Harutyun, remained in Artsakh to learn about his uncle’s fate.

On September 26, Armenia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations  and the Red Cross recovered the remains of six people, citizens and soldiers, from Vardadzor and the area around the Kashen mine. Hayk Hovsepyan’s remains were among them.

On September 27, Harutyun, who was part of the search group, transported his uncle’s remains to Armenia. Hayk Hovsepyan was buried at Yerevan’s Yerablur Military Cemetery.

Berzhik Hovsepyan now rents lodgings in the village of Mkhchan in Armenia's Ararat Province with his wife, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren.

In November 2024, Berzhik and Vera will celebrate their fifteeth wedding anniversary.

“My son, Hayk, would always say that we are going to have a big celebration for our fifteeth anniversary and the entire village would be invited,” recalls Mr. Hovsepyan.

Hetq - On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh after blockading the region from the outside world for nine months.

As a result, twenty-one civilians, including six children, were killed as per data provided by the Artsakh government. Two more civilians died in car crashes while trying to avoid the shelling.