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By Hasmik Hakobyan

One year on the Four-Day April war, but the war is still fresh in the memories of the servicemen who took part in it. They remember each episode, action and their lost friends.

April war made a lot of changes in the life of servicemen of Artillery Battalion Zhora Afrikyan. Today he sees life through a different perspective, and, as he puts it, he has started to love people even more.

After graduating from Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences, Battalion Zhora Afrikyan begin his military service at the 6th defense position in Artsakh. It had never occurred to him that there would come a time for him to fight his share of a war.

Zhora is discreet. April war hero is reluctant to talk about his military service, especially about the April war period. One year has passed, however the memories still haunt him.

“Everything started overnight April 2. We were informed that the adversary (Azerbaijan) was moving towards our positions. However, it was not an ordinary provocation. Azerbaijan undertook large-scale military operations this time. Certainly we recognized our adversary quite well, but we did not expect them to initiate a provocation of this kind,” Zhora Afrikyan said in an interview with Panorama.am.

In his words, everyone was in a high combat morale, although they were initially a little afraid. “When you realize what is expected from you, the fear disappears and you furiously rush to fight. I am proud to have been and continue to be a soldier of an army that has created victories,” he said.

The joy of victory of those days is combined with the grief of the loss of the friends. “They sacrificed the most precious thing – their lives – to their fatherland. You especially feel pain when you see your friend dying next to you and you can do nothing to save him. For me the April war was a tearful victory. It is true that we won, but any human loss is precious and painful for us. I want to bow to all the mothers, who gave heroes to the fatherland.  Nzhdeh was right when saying ‘The fate of the nations must be looked for in their mothers' hands.’ I completely understood the meaning of those words during the war,” Zhora says adding that then April war became a renaissance for him, as he completely changed his world outlook and began assessing the people and incidents in a different way.

Today Zhora is more determined to achieve his goals. “You need to always move forward,” he says. Currently he is studying at the faculty of International Relations of Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences. He also works in parallel to his studies.

In the words of Zhora Afrikyan, “should a war break out today (God forbid), we are ready and let no one doubt that the adversary shall face grave consequences.  “In case of necessity, I will go back to the frontline without thinking twice.”

Zhora Afrikyan has been awarded with “Nelson Stepanyan” medal.