Vugar Mammadov: "Losing my son did not change my mind about war."
"He was a peaceful child. For example, when he was a child and his younger brother teased him, he wouldn't fight back. He thought more of his sibling than of himself. Before he could even speak, he would offer his food to the person next to him before eating himself. ”
This is what sports writer and football coach Vugar Mammadov says about his son, Ulvi.
The Second Karabakh War, which began in September last year and lasted 44 days, also ended the life of 23-year-old Ulvi Mammadov.
His father says that Ulvi was killed by a sniper in Khojavend:
"He was in Baku when he received a summons from the military commissariat. He had just changed his job to a relatively comfortable one. His salary had also risen. He stayed there for about 7-8 months to train. He had not come home since January. He wanted to come back for a visit. Then, he received a summons from the commissariat. We were told that he was being called for training. He stayed at home for a few hours. After his death, the unit commander and his comrades came. The commander described him as one of the most disciplined soldiers. He was called up on September 21, and exactly a month later, on October 21, he died. "
Vugar Mammadov, who shared anti-war posts on social media, said his son's death had little effect on his thoughts about war. The sports writer says that his thoughts on war were formed based on the books he has. read and the films he has watched:
"To be honest, after my son was killed, I was more upset about it. I didn't want to think about anything else. If I write 'I'm against the war' in one sentence, the reasoning behind it is not clear. I need to explain it in detail. In short, I came to this conclusion after much thought and analysis. I read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies about war. Finally, I felt the consequences of war; I lost my son. But that doesn't change my mind about war."
Ulvi Mammadov's uncle Elshan Mammadov has worked in sports press for many years, and his father Vugar is also the author of various articles in this field. Unlike his father and uncle, Ulvi did not show much interest in sports. Although he never spoke about his dreams, his father says that he was a young man with great potential:
"Ulvi has been involved in various sports since childhood. He played kickboxing, football … He went to the gym. But he was a little impatient. He did not work for a long time. He had great potential. He was more of a peace-loving child. I also remember the words of his commander, who said, "Ulvi truly was one of my best soldiers". To be honest, I was surprised, because, as I said, he was more of a peace-loving child. I was sure he would progress in this field and be a good manager. He had a sharp mind."
Although Ulvi didn't talk to his family about how he felt he was going to die, when he looked at his social media posts, they thought he felt it in advance. According to Vugar Mammadov, when talking to his comrades, Ulvi often said that he would be killed.
"Ulvi wrote me the code of his salary card to withdraw money. I told him to come and get it himself. He did not answer. According to his comrades-in-arms, he often said that he would fall. As someone who is, I can say that these types of people are always looking for the meaning of life and are prone to death".
Ulvi's death reminded his father of a moment they shared in Baku many years ago.
"We walked by the sea and Ulvi rode the carousels. I can say that it was one of the happiest days for both of us. In the end, I said let's take a picture. There was a teenage photographer there. He understood from my dialect that I am from Guba. He said that he was also from Guba, and his father was killed in the First Karabakh War. I wondered how a fatherless boy would feel taking a picture of his father and son together. That picture is now in the corner of the house dedicated to Ulvi. After Ulvi's death, some people came from the YASHAT Foundation, including a photographer. It turned out to be the same photographer who had photographed us thirteen years ago".
Vugar Mammadov says that he is respected everywhere because his son has died, but he didn't want it to be like this. After his death, Ulvi Mammadov was awarded the Medal for the Motherland and laid to rest in Guba.
