NOBODY NEEDS SIXTY YEARS OLD BEGGAR WOMAN
AZG Armenian Daily #211, 19/11/2005
By Susana Margarian
[...]
Her name is Oksanna. She is Russian. She came from Moscow. She has been living in Armenia for [...] 37 years. Her husband was an Armenian. He died long ago. Oksanna still remembers her past, the house she was living in. "I lived a good life. I used to work in a canteen as a cook in Leninakan, also at the Italians," Oksanna recollected. But after her husband died, she had to rent a room for living and soon appeared in the street. "Nobody wants to give me a job. They say I am too old. I receive neither pension nor any aid, as I am not registered in Yerevan.[...]. Oksanna seems to love Armenians more than Russians. "The Armenian help you no matter they have money or not. I am the only Russian who begs in the streets. Neither the Russians nor the Russian Embassy notice me.[...].
She asks me to help her to enter the Russian Embassy. "If you come with me, they will accept me and listen to my story," she said. [...] I would sweep the streets and earn living. While I need at least 8000 drams per month to rent a room. [...]. I asked her not to drink, at least. She said in response, that she has to drink, as it’s too cold, while she sleeps on papers. Oksanna kept thanking the passers by who gave her coins, while she was talking to me. "I am too tired of this life. If this dirty life continues a week more, I swear, I will jump out of the Kievian Bridge. Let the people feel shame for my death," Oksanna said, looking at me with sad blue eyes.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
By Susana Margarian
[...]
Her name is Oksanna. She is Russian. She came from Moscow. She has been living in Armenia for [...] 37 years. Her husband was an Armenian. He died long ago. Oksanna still remembers her past, the house she was living in. "I lived a good life. I used to work in a canteen as a cook in Leninakan, also at the Italians," Oksanna recollected. But after her husband died, she had to rent a room for living and soon appeared in the street. "Nobody wants to give me a job. They say I am too old. I receive neither pension nor any aid, as I am not registered in Yerevan.[...]. Oksanna seems to love Armenians more than Russians. "The Armenian help you no matter they have money or not. I am the only Russian who begs in the streets. Neither the Russians nor the Russian Embassy notice me.[...].
She asks me to help her to enter the Russian Embassy. "If you come with me, they will accept me and listen to my story," she said. [...] I would sweep the streets and earn living. While I need at least 8000 drams per month to rent a room. [...]. I asked her not to drink, at least. She said in response, that she has to drink, as it’s too cold, while she sleeps on papers. Oksanna kept thanking the passers by who gave her coins, while she was talking to me. "I am too tired of this life. If this dirty life continues a week more, I swear, I will jump out of the Kievian Bridge. Let the people feel shame for my death," Oksanna said, looking at me with sad blue eyes.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 8:22 AM
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