26/02/2015 21:16
Special Project. Survivors of Armenian Genocide. Grigor Sargsyan’s testimony on massacres in Saghtun village
Aysor.am is launching the third series of project “Armenian Genocide: Breaking the Silence.” Under the headline “Survivors” we will regularly present the testimonies of survivors of the 1915 Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Turkey.
According to the evidence of Grigor Sargsyan, 37 years old, of the village of Saghtun, in Khianq region of Sasun:
“Saghtun had 70 houses and 600 residents, a church, a mill, 800 sheep, 380 head of cattle, 80 horses and mules. The annual income of the village amounted to 500 kilos of grain, 600 bags of grass, and 400 liters of silk.
On May 10, 1914, Sleman Agha of Khianq collected all weapons of Sasun, saying, “Nothing bad will happen to you if you give your weapons”, and all people were taken to the village of Park. The men fled to Andoq Mount, while the women and children were brought into the church in July (1915) and, after being divided into groups of ten and tied to each other, they were all taken into a gorge and killed there.
Only 12 residents of Saghtun survived”.
The project was prepared with the assistance of the Information and Analytical Center of the Armenian Government Staff.