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They wanted to leave Chechnya for Karabakh long time ago
Rosa Satuyeva
The Voice of Chechen Republic, Groznyy, N13, 10.08.2007
25-08-2007 12:33:19 - KarabakhOpen
The Avanesyan family of Armenians can say they come from Groznyy. Irina
came to Groznyy when she was two and a half years old, her brother and
37-year-old son were born and grew up there. Today they want to move to
Armenia. Not because Chechnya is a dangerous region but because they
feel orphans in the country which became their fatherland at one time.
The Avanesyan family lives in a half-ruined apartment. They live in the
kitchen with one bed for all the three. They sleep sitting, or in turn.
They cannot sit, stand or walk in this hole. They have swollen and
aching legs all the time.
The army of cockroaches occupies the walls of the kitchen and the only
bed and the inhabitants of the apartment. There is an unbearable odor
all over the room. The fourth inhabitant of the apartment, the cat died
perhaps because it could not stand such a life any more. Before the war
Irina Avanesyan used to work at the maternity hospitals of Groznyy. Her
brother's best memories are connected with the Dinamo Stadium. He
dedicated his youth to sports, he worked at the Sports Committee.
They lived in Groznyy all through the war. Their apartment was
destroyed by the war. They did not have another apartment, they could
get no help, and they lived in the only room which was not damaged.
Slava, Irina's son, wanted to repair the roof to protect them at least
from snow and rain but the old rotten beams broke and he broke his leg.
He was taken to hospital but the leg did not heal normally and now his
leg aches all the time and he lies in bed most of the time. The
hospital is near their house but he has neither money nor energy to get
a treatment. They survive on humanitarian aid and Irina's pension.
They wanted to return to Nagorno-Karabakh a long time ago. They are not
afraid of the unrest in the region, they have relatives who could help
them. Their departure is delayed because Slava has no identification.
His old passport got lost during the military actions. They want to get
a new document but in vain. An acquaintance who works for the social
service wanted to help them but lost the only document where the data
of Slava's old passport were.
They are registered with the social service of their district. The
social worker visits them rarely. They say they get aid from the
Russian Red Cross. They get food aid once a quarter and a hygiene kit
twice a year. A nurse is hired for them. Of the humanitarian aid these
miserable people appreciate contact with people highest of all. The
feeling of solitude is worse than the lack of conveniences.
They get such aid in the framework of the Charity program which
involves care and aid to sick and elderly people. The program provides
aid to 875 people in the republic.
The International Committee of the Red Cross accidentally learned about
them and started to aid them. Zumrat Mammedova, a worker of the ICRC,
said they learned about this family and included them in the Charity
program of the Russian Red Cross. A former worker of the RRC
Abdulrashid Abdulkadirov tried to help them solve the problem of
passport but it turned out to be impossible. Zumrat Mammedova says one
of their colleagues in Moscow met an Armenian named Sarkis and told him
the story of this family. Sarkis is now trying to help them. He sent
them a mobile telephone to contact them. He turned to the Armenian
ambassador to Russia to arrange the documents the family needs to move
to Karabakh. Slava may be able to leave with his parents' passports.
They will be taken to Pyatigorsk first, then to Armenia. Zumrat
Mammedova said they contacted their relatives in Nagorno-Karabakh to
find out if they can put them up. Gennady's and Irina's cousin told her
they can come to Karabakh.
The only precious thing left to them is two suitcases with books which
they will take along with them. These are works by world classics and
books on sports which they do not want to lose.
The family and the ICRC are waiting for news from Sarkis who deals with
their departure. They promised to send them clothes and prepare them
for the trip,
Rosa Satuyeva
The Voice of Chechen Republic, Groznyy, N13, 10.08.2007
25-08-2007 12:33:19 - KarabakhOpen
The Avanesyan family of Armenians can say they come from Groznyy. Irina
came to Groznyy when she was two and a half years old, her brother and
37-year-old son were born and grew up there. Today they want to move to
Armenia. Not because Chechnya is a dangerous region but because they
feel orphans in the country which became their fatherland at one time.
The Avanesyan family lives in a half-ruined apartment. They live in the
kitchen with one bed for all the three. They sleep sitting, or in turn.
They cannot sit, stand or walk in this hole. They have swollen and
aching legs all the time.
The army of cockroaches occupies the walls of the kitchen and the only
bed and the inhabitants of the apartment. There is an unbearable odor
all over the room. The fourth inhabitant of the apartment, the cat died
perhaps because it could not stand such a life any more. Before the war
Irina Avanesyan used to work at the maternity hospitals of Groznyy. Her
brother's best memories are connected with the Dinamo Stadium. He
dedicated his youth to sports, he worked at the Sports Committee.
They lived in Groznyy all through the war. Their apartment was
destroyed by the war. They did not have another apartment, they could
get no help, and they lived in the only room which was not damaged.
Slava, Irina's son, wanted to repair the roof to protect them at least
from snow and rain but the old rotten beams broke and he broke his leg.
He was taken to hospital but the leg did not heal normally and now his
leg aches all the time and he lies in bed most of the time. The
hospital is near their house but he has neither money nor energy to get
a treatment. They survive on humanitarian aid and Irina's pension.
They wanted to return to Nagorno-Karabakh a long time ago. They are not
afraid of the unrest in the region, they have relatives who could help
them. Their departure is delayed because Slava has no identification.
His old passport got lost during the military actions. They want to get
a new document but in vain. An acquaintance who works for the social
service wanted to help them but lost the only document where the data
of Slava's old passport were.
They are registered with the social service of their district. The
social worker visits them rarely. They say they get aid from the
Russian Red Cross. They get food aid once a quarter and a hygiene kit
twice a year. A nurse is hired for them. Of the humanitarian aid these
miserable people appreciate contact with people highest of all. The
feeling of solitude is worse than the lack of conveniences.
They get such aid in the framework of the Charity program which
involves care and aid to sick and elderly people. The program provides
aid to 875 people in the republic.
The International Committee of the Red Cross accidentally learned about
them and started to aid them. Zumrat Mammedova, a worker of the ICRC,
said they learned about this family and included them in the Charity
program of the Russian Red Cross. A former worker of the RRC
Abdulrashid Abdulkadirov tried to help them solve the problem of
passport but it turned out to be impossible. Zumrat Mammedova says one
of their colleagues in Moscow met an Armenian named Sarkis and told him
the story of this family. Sarkis is now trying to help them. He sent
them a mobile telephone to contact them. He turned to the Armenian
ambassador to Russia to arrange the documents the family needs to move
to Karabakh. Slava may be able to leave with his parents' passports.
They will be taken to Pyatigorsk first, then to Armenia. Zumrat
Mammedova said they contacted their relatives in Nagorno-Karabakh to
find out if they can put them up. Gennady's and Irina's cousin told her
they can come to Karabakh.
The only precious thing left to them is two suitcases with books which
they will take along with them. These are works by world classics and
books on sports which they do not want to lose.
The family and the ICRC are waiting for news from Sarkis who deals with
their departure. They promised to send them clothes and prepare them
for the trip,