Faces erased: Why Yerevan must preserve the memory of its fallen heroes 

Imagine walking through a familiar Yerevan underpass only to find blank walls where young Armenian faces once looked back at you. In late June 2026, municipal crews did exactly that — painting over portraits of soldiers killed defending the homeland. Among them were images of Haykaz Mkrtchyan and Robert Abajyan. For their families and countless others, this was not routine maintenance. It felt like erasure. We Armenians understand that memory is not optional. It is the foundation of our identity and resilience. When public tributes to our fallen are casually scrubbed away, we risk weakening the very spirit that has sustained us through centuries of adversity. Haykaz Mkrtchyan was a promising 19-year-old conscript from Yerevan. A chess player and student at Yerevan State University’s Faculty of Informatics and Applied Mathematics, he was known for his cheerful nature and strong sense of justice. Drafted in 2019, he saw combat first in the July 2020 Tavush clashes around Chinar, then in the brutal 44-day war. He fought in key areas including Jrakan, Taghavard, Drakhtik and Azokh. On Oct. 29, 2020, a drone strike critically wounded him near Karmir Shuka. After 12 days in a coma at Muratsan Hospital — days after what would have been his 20th birthday — he died Nov. 9. His family later fulfilled one of his quiet wishes by publishing a memorial book filled with stories from relatives, friends and comrades. Now, even the mural bearing his likeness in a university-area underpass has been wiped clean. His mother, Anna, has spoken movingly of efforts to sever the “most invisible threads” connecting Armenia to Artsakh. Robert Abajyan’s story is etched into Armenian consciousness. The 19-year-old junior sergeant became a Hero of Artsakh during the 2016 Four-Day War. When his position came under heavy assault, he fought alone for hours after his comrades fell. As Azerbaijani forces closed in, he feigned surrender, drew them near and detonated a grenade. His final radio communications — refusing to abandon his post — still inspire listeners today. Murals and statues have honored him precisely because his courage embodies the unbreakable spirit these public artworks sought to convey. These portraits belonged to a grassroots movement that began after 2016 and expanded significantly after 2020. Families, friends and artists transformed walls across Yerevan and other cities — under bridges, near schools and homes — into living sites of remembrance. They function like modern khachkars: visible, communal expressions of loss, healing and inspiration. Many featured quotes urging the living to study, serve and protect the homeland. They humanized the immense sacrifice — more than 3,800 confirmed dead in the 2020 war alone — turning statistics into recognizable young men who once walked those same streets. Municipal authorities describe the removals as part of underpass renovations, noting that some murals elsewhere remain untouched. Practical needs of city maintenance deserve consideration. Public spaces should be clean and functional. Yet the selective targeting of soldiers’ portraits — at a time of national sensitivity around Artsakh — has understandably fueled outrage among families and opposition figures. Whether driven purely by renovation or by a broader desire to turn the page on painful chapters, the result diminishes visible public honor for those who paid the ultimate price. Memory work is never easy, especially after defeat and displacement. But erasing these faces does not heal wounds; it risks deepening them. In the diaspora, we have built monuments, lobbied governments and taught our children the genocide’s truth precisely because forgetting invites repetition. The same principle applies in the homeland. These murals were never political billboards. They were acts of love and duty — reminders that freedom carries a human cost that must never be taken for granted. Yerevan’s leaders now have an opportunity to demonstrate wisdom and compassion. True renovation should include consultation with affected families and provisions for respectful relocation or preservation of these memorials — perhaps through dedicated community-approved walls or digital archives paired with physical tributes. The goal should not be to forget the 2016 and 2020 generations, but to ensure their sacrifices continue to inspire. The walls of our cities should reflect the full story of Armenian courage — not just the comfortable chapters. By preserving these faces, we honor the fallen, support grieving families and strengthen the next generation. Memory is our most enduring strength. Let us tend it carefully, so that Haykaz, Robert and all the others remain not faded paint, but living examples of what it means to be Armenian. The views expressed by the author are his own and not those of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office or the California Military Department. The post Faces erased: Why Yerevan must preserve the memory of its fallen heroes  appeared first on The Armenian Weekly.