YAIR AURON READS THE TESTIMONY OF DAVIT MELKONIAN

April 1, 2015 09:39
EXCLUSIVE

Yair Auron

Photo: Mediamax

Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide
Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors
published by the National Archive of Armenia.

Yair Auron is an Israeli historian, scholar and expert specializing
on Holocaust and Genocide studies. Since 2005, he serves as the Head
of the Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication
of The Open University of Israel and an Associate Professor.

For 100 seconds project Yair Auron reads an extract from Armenian
Genocide survivors Davit Melkonian’s and Hmayak Matevosian’s testimony.

National Archives of Armenia Collection of Documents

Testimony of survivors Davit Melkonian and Hmayak Matevosian on the
massacre of the village of Khasgyugh in Mush district of Mush province

On Sunday morning, the village was suddenly besieged and strong
shooting started. Then they gathered all the men and announced that
they would be given releasing papers so that nobody would persecute
them anymore.

But the next day in the morning, they tied everybody to one other –
more than 700 men, murdered them one by one and threw them into the
large pit near the village.

Our women and little children were gathered on Thursday and taken to
the village of Yershter where they were told that they would be sent
to Germany as captives.

However, many of the women had a presentiment about the imminent
disaster and left their children on the streets of the village not
to see their death.

All those who were taken to the village were burnt alive. They also
made the Armenians gather the children from the streets and throw
them into pits.

Producers: Ara Tadevosyan Filming: Lena Gevorgyan, Mariam Loretsyan
Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Davit Melkonian’s and Hmayak Matevosian’ testimony:
National Archives of Armenia, Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey,
1915, Testimony of survivors, Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.

From: Baghdasarian