Russian Embassy Salutes 97-Year-Old Stepanian

Yerevan, February 18: A soldier of the Great Patriotic War, not with weapons, but a devotee who charted the course to victory by repairing locomotive engines. Russian diplomats have extended heartfelt birthday greetings to 97-year-old veteran Oktyember Aristakesovich Stepanian, residing in Armenia.

Representatives from the Russian Embassy visited his residence to present a greeting card on behalf of the embassy. During the Second World War, Stepanian made an invaluable contribution not on the battlefield, but on the home front.

Recalling those days, Stepanian said, “I repaired locomotive engines and railway carriages that came from the front line. Day and night, I was called, told – the locomotive has arrived, work needs to be done. I would go, repair it, and then that locomotive would rush back towards the battlefield. This is how I kept working until the end of the war. We had to work to bring victory closer.”

Russian diplomats highly praised Stepanian’s contribution and wished him longevity, good health, and family happiness.