The interview took place in January 2020.
Sophia was born on March 21st, 1928 in Kirovabad, in the family of a worker. Her mother was a housewife; her father was a railway worker. There were 4 girls growing up in the family. She was the youngest one. After graduating from the secondary school Sofia entered the library department of the pedagogical college in Kirovabad. Her family moved to Baku soon after graduation. She first worked as a librarian at the public library, and then she worked as the head of the department at the children’s library.
Only the eldest of the four sisters had married. Sophia, clinging to traditions of those years, did not want to marry while her elder sisters were single though she had many admirers.
In 1988, when the Artsakh National Liberation Movement began, the three sisters were forced to leave everything and move to Yerevan and live in hostels for refugees, while her elder sister moved to Stepanakert with her family.
Sofia moved to Stepanakert to her sister in 1999 after her two sisters died and she remained alone in Yerevan. Her eldest sister was aging and needed care because her children were in Russia. Her sister died in 2008, but Sofia still lives in her sister’s apartment as she does not have her own. Sofia joined Hanganak in 2013. Her acquaintances told her about the organization. Until recently, she participated in almost every event both in and out the office.
Sophia suffers from hypertension, she has a cataract, and her health has worsened for nearly a month now making her bedridden. Her nephew moved to Stepanakert from Russia to take care of her aunt, although he has health problems himself and gets treatment in Yerevan. Sofia is now being cared by her neighbors, as she still enjoys the love and respect of all her neighbors.
Dr. Lilia Seyranyan and the nurse Elza Simonyan visit her frequently and provide the medicine received from Hanganak: Enalapril 10 mg N30, Cardiomagnyl 75 mg N30, Topradex. They measure her blood pressure, monitor her health and give her advice. The social workers provide Sofia with the monthly food.
Sofia receives a monthly pension of 54,700 AMD.
The apartment is heated by an electrical heater; she pays the bill with the heating compensation provided by Hanganak and her pension.
Sofia is very grateful to the benefactors who are able to lend a helping hand and ease the lives of elderly people. She is also thankful to the entire staff of the organization. She cannot imagine her life without them both financially and psychologically, as she used to visit Hanganak very often and socialize and entertain herself.