Family Searches for 42 Days for Vahik's Body, Found in Artashat Mortuary with the Help of a Photograph

Avanesyan Vahik Seryozhay. Born on September 15, 1992, in the village of Ashotavan, Sisian region. He received his secondary education at the village school. From 2010 to 2012, he served in the army, completing mandatory military service in Artsakh. Due to his outstanding physical and mental capabilities, as well as exemplary behavior during service, he was included in the honor guard, participating in parades both in the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia. During his service, he was frequently awarded certificates and medals.

After leaving the army, he enrolled in the Sisian branch of the Armenian National Agrarian University. Vahik had expressed his desire to live in his native Ashotavan and see the village grow and flourish by starting a business and production there. Vahik Avanesyan is remembered by his maternal uncle, Arayik: “He was a bright and shining young man; when he came to our home, it was as if the sun entered our house. He was humorous, intelligent, tall, respectful… He loved his village and helped his fellow villagers in any way he could—repairing televisions, fixing refrigerators. He was also entrepreneurial, opening a shop in the village and starting a European window production with a friend. He renovated his house in preparation for his wedding in October. He had many noble aspirations that went unfulfilled…”

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan started a war, and Vahik Avanesyan joined compatriots heading to the border for the defense of Syunik. The situation in Artsakh was severe; on October 14, Vahik left Meghri for Jraghakan, where he sustained severe shrapnel injuries on October 15. Friends managed to get Vahik to the field hospital in Ishkhanadzor, but his life could not be saved.

For 42 days, his family searched for Vahik Avanesyan's body, which was found in the Artashat mortuary with the help of a photograph. Vahik Avanesyan's remains were buried on November 27, 2020, at the Sisian military pantheon.