Some of them left their little children, some of them were pregnant, some of them lied to their families and went to war. Qotot, Kara, Hasmik, Jemma, Manush and others fought next to boys for their country.
According to Encyclopedia of “The Karabakh Liberation war: 1988-1994” over 200 women volunteered to participate in the Nagorno Karabakh war.
Karine in Susanna’s kitchen.
Jemma and Alvard (Qotot) like playing backgammon in their spare time.
Hasmik shows her medals. Hasmik is a single woman. She was married when the war began, but she left to the battlefield. Hasmik loves cosmetics very much, her friends are telling that she used a lipstick even in very dangerous situations.
Alvard and her daughter. When I asked Alvard’s daughter to tell me what she remembered from the war, she started to cry. “I was missing my mom so much. Once she came back to visit us, she brought a sheep and we cut her, inside there was a baby, everyone felt very bad for the baby and that we cut the sheep”, she told.
The portrait of Hasmik from the left.
Women veterans are drinking for the Armenian Republic.
Jemma gathered all the stories with the hope that one day she will publish a book.
There is a holy icon in Karine’s mother’s kitchen, where they used to put candles.
Portrait of Nazani Hovakanyan
The photo of Hasmik during the war.
Hasmik likes to stay in form. Even before the battle she put lipstick on. She told that she didn’t want to be ugly once she was killed.
“It was decided that no women will go to fight, we had to cut our hair and get to the cars hiding ourselves”, remembers one of them.
After returning from the war, female fighters tried to find their daily life again, but the numerous health problems and worries always brought back their wounds. They sometimes meet each other and remember.
Military dress and Armenian National flag in Susan’s rented room in one of the dormitories in Yerevan.
Qotot (Alvard is her real name, ‘cub’ is a translation of Qotot) lost her brother during Nagorno Karabakh war. She lives with her sister in a one-room apartment in Yerevan. She likes to make dresses for the dolls.
Jemma keeps some memories from the war.
Manush is holding Armenian three colour flag in her hands. This is one of the flags she made for the Karabakh movement, which grew up to a war (1988-1994). Manush is a mother of twin daughters.
Alvard and Jemma near Alvard’s brother’s graveyard.
Alvard and her big family.
Jemma makes coffee.
Women veterans during the memory-evening of one of their killed male friend.
Hands of Hasmik.
Alvard near Nune’s graveyard.
Portrait of Naira.
Anahit and Anahit
Jemma reads stories from the war and the journey that the girls took through the war, dreaming to publish a book and gather all the information, which she keeps in the suitcase in her living room. Qotot remembers how she rescued a tank driver from beneath the earth with a barrel. Manush tells about the musical success of her twin daughters with amazement. They all disappear for a moment between the present and past, ready to fight for Armenia again, if need be.
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