Artsakh war veteran waits to return home
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Arsen Dinunts, a veteran of the 1990s Artsakh War, now lives in the village of Tegh in Armenia’s Syunik Province after fleeing Stepanakert, also known as Khankendi, in 2023 when Azerbaijan launched an offensive.
Dinunts was among the approximately 115,000 Armenians who left Artsakh and crossed into Armenia. He previously worked as a shoemaker in Stepanakert, owning a workshop and a home before the recent conflict forced him to leave everything behind.
Dinunts believes his current physical ailments, difficulty walking and nerve damage in his legs, stem from his wartime experiences. He receives a monthly pension of 80,000 Armenian dram (roughly $220) and spends it on necessities like firewood, grain, and potatoes to prepare for winter. Despite his hardships, he is preparing to survive and remains proud, preferring to rely on himself rather than ask for assistance.
He maintains hope of returning to Stepanakert, believing a change in Armenia’s government will create the conditions for his return. Dinunts intends to be the first to run back to his hometown when it becomes possible, and he feels a strong conviction that he will be there by 2032. He remembers a time when Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived peacefully together and places blame on political leaders for initiating the recent conflict.
