Hayrapetyan (RH) on August 11, 2012 near a public swimming next to the Avan Soccer Academy and behind Harsnakar hotel-restaurant, where the tragedy of June 17 took place. The interview was four hours long, most of which was recorded. The French translation of a part of this interview was published in the most recent issue of Nouvelles d’Arménie (#188, September 2012). Taking account of the exclusivity of the interview, Nouvelles d’Arménie decided to transcribe it in Armenian and publish the full version on its website for Armenian-speaking and, particularly, Armenia-based readers, giving the Armenian news outlets permission to republish any fragment of this interview, to ensure wide public response. Besides, SM hopes the readers’ responses to this publication will help make additions or corrections to RH’s biography as we know it. She also hopes to contribute to the coverage of certain particularities regarding Vahe Avetyan’s murder case.

SM: Let’s start from the very beginning. What environment were you born and raised in?

RH: I was born to a well-off family. In Soviet years, starting from 1970s, my father supervised two restaurants. One was at the end of Acharyan Street – it used to be a very good restaurant, one of Yerevan’s best – and the other was in Nork, next to the hospital. It was called Grill bar. My father had built them from scratch and was their director.

SM: How did your father obtain means to build those two restaurants?

RH: I was seven years old in 1970. You should ask him. I know that before 1970 my father was in trucking business, which was quite profitable back then. They were exporting foods and stones in big vehicles from Armenia. My mother did not work. She was a housewife.

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