From Karabakh to Berlin

As Ershad recalls the war, he tells a lot about people: about a Russian soldier who hid him when he had got wounded in battle, and who then returned after him; about a doctor in a military hospital, who turned out to be his fellow countryman; about his comrades-in-arms, who were killed in the war.

Ershad Jabbarov was born on 27 June, 1923, in Ashagy Mollu, in the Qubadli province of Azerbaijan. He was recruited to the frontline in 1942. He fought for almost 4 years and stayed in a military hospital for 11 months, recovering from a serious wound. He made it to Berlin and then returned to his native village, where he headed the local collective farm. He was forcefully displaced during the Karabakh war in 1993. So, he had to move to Baku.

Now Ershad lives in the Fatmai settlement, in the vicinity of Baku. He has no complaints about life. He is supported by his children and grandchildren, though, in his words, his pension is quite enough for a decent living. Being a WWII veteran, he was even presented a car (it is now in his grandson’s possession, since Ershad, who is already 94, can no longer drive it).

Ershad has 3 sons (the fourth one died at the age of 42) and 5 daughters, all who have their own families.