Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan

Submitted by global publisher on Mon, 04/20/2015 - 13:47
English
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Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan was born on April 23, 1914 in the Laloyi Mavrak village, Kars Province. Yepraksia fled the Genocide with her mother and two brothers. Her father was killed by the Turks.
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Survivors
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Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan was born on April 23, 1914 in the Laloyi Mavrak village, Kars Province. Yepraksia fled the Genocide with her mother and two brothers. Her father was killed by the Turks.
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To escape, her family crossed the Araks River. Yepraksia, now 101, still cannot help crying when recalling those events: “You are lucky you didn't see it,” she says. She moved from Kars to Ashtarak, Eghvard and then Aleksandropol (present-day Gyumri in Armenia). Yepraksia’s mother passed away when she was nine, and the girl was taken into an American orphanage in Gyumri. She is grateful to this orphanage, where she received good care: “I survived because of that. If it were not for that place, I don’t know what would have happened to me.” Now Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan lives in Armavir, Armenia. She has eight children, 16 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren.
 
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Genocide survivor Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan’s daughter Lena, 85, and her great grandchild Sashik, 43, near the house in the Amberd village where Yepraksia lives now.

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Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan, now 101, was very young when the family fled the village of Lazoyi Marvak in the Kars region.

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A coffee break at the family’s residence.

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Sashik Gevorgyan, 43 and Yepraksia Gevorgyan, 101, sit beside each other while drinking coffee.

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Apricot juice is a favorite treat at the Barseghyan-Gevorgyan’s.

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Three generations of the Gevorgyans in their home.

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Lena makes coffee for the family.

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Mother (right) and daughter (left) in their home.

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Yepraksia makes her way to the kitchen.

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At night, Yepraksia, 101, and Lena, 85, light candles to navigate their way.

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A portrait of Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan, 101, at night.

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Lena Gevorgyan makes way in the dark, holding a candle.

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In her bedroom, Yepraksia Barseghyan-Gevorgyan holds a photograph. Yepraksia remembers her life in an orphanage in Gyumri, Armenia, very vividly.

Photography by Diana Markosian and Karen Mirzoyan.

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