Sergeant David Shahnazaryan Gave Orders Before Being Killed in Shushi

He left behind unfulfilled goals and tasks, but did not live a half-life; he achieved more in 20 springs than many do in decades. These lines are about our contemporary hero David Shahnazaryan, but I am sure they describe every Armenian who fell for the homeland during the 44-day war.

Twenty years ago, on April 1, the Day of Laughter, the Shahnazaryan family was filled with joy and laughter as a long-awaited son, David, was born after four daughters. After finishing school and pursuing a sports career, the young man chose the path of a soldier, being drafted in the summer of 2019. After six months of training by his own choice, he was sent to Hadrut as a sergeant in October.

During the second Artsakh war, he went through all the hot spots and conquered all battles, fighting during the day while conducting reconnaissance work at night, ultimately falling hours before the ceasefire near Shushi.

‘We spared nothing for him, but he saved his life for us. My David lived a crazy, wild life, doing what he wanted but never crossing the line. He was simply a very independent guy,’ said our modern-day hero’s sister, Nune Shahnazaryan, holding back tears in an interview with Aysor.am.

David’s heroes were not just Monty or Nzherdeh; four years ago, he added Artsakh hero Robert Abajyan to his list of inspiring figures. Robert’s last words, ‘We held this position with blood; whoever hands it over, I will make him pay,’ compelled David to cry. On September 27, recalling the words of the April War hero, our hero vowed to fight to the very end. On his last day, while engaged in the battle of life and death, he reportedly repeated the words of Robert...

‘Unfortunately, the boys have gone, and the lands have gone with them. At that moment, around 400-500 soldiers fell near Shushi, perished... My brother loved our land, water, and military life dearly. During his school years, there was a series about the army called “In the Army,” which he enjoyed watching, and he was particularly fond of the character played by Artyom Karapetyan (Minas, ed.). His comrades said he was a fair and mature sergeant who made a connection with the soldiers in just two days,’ noted the media interviewee.

Surviving friends told the family how the 20-year-old sergeant, who took on the commander’s responsibilities, trembled over every bullet. They were few, and he tried to do everything to ensure that the shortage of bullets wasn’t felt so that many Turks could be sent to the ‘other world’ even with limited ammunition. He ordered, ‘Wait, let them come close, and as soon as I give the command, throw grenades.’

‘During those 40 days, he emerged victorious from all battles. The guys told me that he even took on the role of special forces when they refused. He sat with 2-3 men older than him, drank apple vodka, and went behind enemy lines successfully carrying out the ‘operation.’ We didn’t even imagine that our well-kept boy could do so much,’ he emphasized.

David's last two calls were to his father and his sister's husband from beneath Karine. On November 6, he talked to his father, sharing that the enemy had filled the village of Shosh with 5,000 soldiers. He became dejected with each lost region but immediately stood up, rallied his troops, and pushed forward.

‘Take care, don’t lose your spirit; as soon as you lose it, you know that you will be defeated,’ advised the hero’s father, holding back his emotions.

The next day, while speaking with one of his sisters' husbands, he did not hide the reality: ‘My situation is very tight; we have no help, and the Turks are on all sides. We have no other commanders with us; it’s just us and our boys,’ David said and conveyed through his brother-in-law, ‘I won’t call our people today; you will talk, say I am fine; you will take good care of our people...’

The relatives had no information about David from November 7 to 15, anxiously awaiting a call, hoping that the silence was merely due to local inconveniences or lack of communication. Meanwhile, they found strength among themselves and were searching for him even among the injured and deceased, visiting hospitals and morgues... Unfortunately, they found him among the deceased, with a broken leg and wounded heart.

‘They told us that both the leg and the heart were hit at the same time. Apparently, a piece flew in from a drone strike and hit his heart. Whenever he spoke, he always told my father, ‘Dad, I’m not afraid of fighting the Turks face-to-face; I’m afraid of the air because our air is unprotected, and we can’t respond to them.’ It turned out that’s how he went... Everyone tells us how heroic your son was, and in the same way, you were able to bear everything heroically. When we learned of my brother’s death, my father gathered us all and said, ‘Let’s all promise each other something. At night, we will cry and scream under the blanket, but in the morning, we will accept our boy with a smile and send him on his way.’ And that’s exactly what we did... I feel that my mother, for the sake of us, her four daughters, swallows her pain and smiles, but she often wants to be alone so she can cry, peacefully and without restraint,’ Nune elaborated while hiding the tears.

David had a beloved girlfriend and was planning to get engaged soon. His sister half-jokingly told him, ‘I’m growing my hair long so I can do a nice hairstyle for your wedding.’

‘I’m not doing a wedding,’ was the sergeant's short and clear response, characteristic of a soldier.

‘My mother dreamed that we would throw him a big wedding. But my brother probably knew and felt that he would say such a thing to me. My mother waited long for David to be born; she dreamt of having a son. But recently, she confessed, she felt she would lose her son. That thought didn’t give her peace, especially during the war. The thing is, my grandmother and her three sisters also had one brother who didn’t return from the Patriotic War; the same goes for my grandfather’s uncle and father... My mother repeatedly said, ‘I’m afraid that the person going to war from this house will not return,’” the interviewee highlighted with a sigh.

The 20-year-old, but already experienced soldier consciously approached death on the battlefield, instructing his mother and loved one days earlier and taking a promise that if he didn’t return, his mother would never wear black, and his beloved would also marry.

David last met his parents on December 16, 2019, when he made a surprise visit home to congratulate his father on his birthday. David Shahnazaryan was from the village of AjarKut in the Tavush province. He had big ambitions and wanted to become a businessman to develop his native AjarKut. He had even decided how to start his business... He had promised one of his soldier friends from Artsakh that he would take him to their village, give him a house, and work together.

‘Was he a friend?’ I asked, and Nune smiled: ‘Many, even more.’

‘My brother was the vice-champion of Armenia in sambo, although he could have been champion. We were all surprised when he lost. After the match, he told us, ‘My opponent’s beloved was in the hall; it wouldn’t be right to ‘knock down’ his loved one in her presence...’ Friends said his humanity and camaraderie were also evident in the battlefield. During the war, a tank exploded not far from him, injuring his hand and leg. He was unconscious for 2-3 hours. When the ambulance got close, he had regained consciousness but did not get in. He had seated other injured individuals, and after bandaging his wounds, he smiled and said, ‘You go, I’m already fine.’ They guarded the road with five people to ensure the ambulance passed safely,’ the hero's sister recalled and conveyed her friend's stories.

Remembering past years, she notes it seems her brother knew his life would be short, and he tried to live fully, savoring every moment. Perhaps he achieved everything he wanted in that short time, except for family, wife, and child.

By the way, with a modest smile and a cigarette in hand, this guy appeared in the spotlight of Russian military journalist and WarGonzo project creator Semyon Pegov during the war days. Those photos and videos became some of the last testimonies from him and many others present there.

The Shahnazaryan family is considering building a memorial fountain in memory of David. Young people from AjarKut have also approached them to ask for permission to bring that idea to life. The parents agreed on one condition: they would cover the financial part themselves.

‘There is no playground in our village; we also want to build a playground for children. Our boy has never heard a child’s cry; we think there should always be children’s cries in a place named after him. I do not know which initiative we will realize as a result, but one thing is certain: we will do something. That’s all we have left now; we have nothing else from our David,’ Nune emphasized, wiping away her tears.

The emptiness is particularly palpable when the war has concluded in defeat. Cautiously, I ask whether David’s martyrdom was in vain, or if it was the price to save at least a piece of the homeland. ‘What our boys did must never be wasted. He consciously went to war and at this moment, my greatest dream is for Hadrut and Shushi to return to us. My David walked there, and I do not want—my heart breaks into pieces when I imagine the Turk’s foot touching the places where he walked. I also wish all our lost, captured soldiers return home safe and sound; may no one else experience such sorrow; this is a dreadful thing,’ Nune concluded her interview with Aysor.am.

David Darichoyi Shahnazaryan is buried in the Shahnazaryan family cemetery. His father did not agree to the offer of a burial at Yerablur.