YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. 630 veterans of the Great Patriotic War live in Armenia as of April 1, 2017, reports Armenpress.

First Lady Rita Sargsyan visited the House of Veterans on the eve of the Victory Day.  

Photos by Felix Arustamyan

The First Lady awarded gifts to the Great Patriotic War participants.

Chairman of the House of Veterans Simon Yesayan congratulated the participants and said the House of Veterans involves 40 veteran councils and two committees.

“Today 630 veterans live in Armenia. We are carrying out our activity based on the principles of equality, legality, transparency and self-government. We are actively taking part in Armenia’s social and public life. The union operates in the entire territory of Armenia”, Simon Yesayan said.

One of the war participants asked Rita Sargsyan for an assistance for the treatment of his eye disease. The First Lady promised she will do everything to assist him. Another veteran Husik Panosyan turns 100 years old next year. Rita Sargsyan promised him she will personally celebrate the veteran’s jubilee.  

The First Lady told reporters she always remembers and respects all veterans. “During the entire war I was in Karabakh and I felt everything on my own skin. I don’t separate myself from them”, she said.

She told about one of the stories that happened during the war, stating that one of the bombs exploded at the house of their neighbor. “I was in the yard and felt a blood on me, but I didn’t understand what happened. The windows were broken and some part of the glasses fell on me, that’s why I had wounds. Of course, that was terrible, and perhaps the war would have been over long ago if Azerbaijan’s first lady felt all this on her skin”, Rita Sargsyan said.

The event organized for veterans ended with song and dance.