Melsik Baghdasaryan’s friends and family decided to temporarily bury him in his garden on September 22, 2023. The village was being evacuated, and they couldn’t reach the cemetery.

Melsik, 65, was killed on September 19, 2023, when Azerbaijan launched an attack on Nagorno Karabakh’s civilian population and military targets. Rockets began exploding across the village of Vank in the Martakert district, forcing civilians to take cover in shelters.

Arsen, Melsik Baghdasaryan’s son, was stationed at a military post in Srkhavend. Around noon, he called his father, asking him to take the neighborhood children to a shelter.

"My husband informed everyone on the street and then went to Father Hovhannes Hovhannisyan’s house to warn them as well," says Susanna Baghdasaryan, Melsik’s wife.

On September 19, a rocket exploded in front of Father Hovhannes’ house, killing 16-year-old Sergey and 65-year-old Melsik. Father Hovhannes, Sergey’s mother Goharine, and his brother Mkrtich were seriously wounded. Vazgen Hovoyan, who was at the house with his family, was not wounded. He worked as a guard at the Hakobavank Monastery in the village of Qolatak, while his wife, Goharine, sold candles.

Melsik Baghdasaryan’s family—his sister, wife, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren—lived in the village of Vank. He was a construction worker, but due to health issues, he wasn't been working.

Susanna, his wife, was a shop assistant. She was at work on the day of the attack.

“When I stepped out of the store and realized what was happening, I immediately rushed home to move my grandchildren to the shelter. When I got home, I saw that Melsik had already taken them to the shelter, so I went there too,” Susanna recalls.

Melsik had decided to go and warn people at Father Hovhannes’ house to move to a safer place. Moments after he left, the sound of an explosion echoed through the area. His family initially thought that the Azerbaijani forces had shelled the nearby military unit. Susanna assumed her husband had gone to the military unit to help after the attack.

After waiting for a while, Susanna went to their house to look for her husband. Finding the house locked, she began searching in the neighbors' homes. When she noticed Father Hovhannes’ gate was open, she assumed her husband might be there and went inside, where she met their neighbor, Sasun Arakelyan. Sasun told Susanna that her husband had been killed.

“I entered the house and saw Melsik’s body lying on the ground. I went closer, tried to check his pulse, but quickly realized that he was dead,” Susanna recalls, adding that her husband had multiple wounds, including one to his heart. His hand had been severed.

Melsik Baghdasaryan’s body was moved to their house because there was no gasoline to transport it to the mortuary in Stepanakert by car.

“Sasun and I brought my husband’s body to our house.  Sasun said he would go to the military posts and, upon his return, help us bury my husband,” Susanna says. Sasun Arakelyan subsequently went missing and is still unaccounted for.

To bury Melsik, his friends retrieved wooden boards from his son-in-law’s house but were unable to cut them due to a lack of electricity.

“One of Melsik’s friends managed to find a gas chainsaw, which they used to make the coffin,” says Susanna.

On September 21, at noon, Azerbaijani forces began advancing toward the village. Mayor Andrey Sargsyan advised  residents to leave on foot, as cars could be targeted.

Susanna was unable to contact her daughters and granddaughters at the time. She then learned that they had been relocated from the shelter to Stepanakert. She remained in their house in Vank with Melsik’s sisters.

Melsik’s friends and family decided to temporarily bury him in his garden and later, after the war, move him to the village cemetery.

On the left: Melsik Baghdasaryan and his wife Susanna Baghdasaryan, on the right: Melsik Baghdasaryan’s grave in his garden.

Initially, Melsik’s wife, sister, and nephew attempted to bury him on their own. Later, his friends joined them to help after evacuating their families from the village.

During those days, Melsik’s family was unable to contact his son Arsen. When the Armenian soldiers began leaving their posts, Arsen managed to return home in time to attend his father’s burial. Afterwards, he left the village with the others.

After relocating to Armenia, Susanna, her son, and her grandchildren now live in the village of Tsakhkunk in Armavir province. They have requested the Red Cross to assist in transporting Melsik Baghdasaryan’s body from Artsakh to Armenia. They have been unable to do so as Azerbaijan is reportedly not allowing the transportation to take place.