In Armenia, in vitro babies to replace soldiers killed in Nagorno-Karabakh

By Thomas Guichard, La Croix

The Armenian government is funding in vitro fertilization for families grieving soldiers lost in the war with Azerbaijan, aiming to create a new generation of siblings for the fallen—serving both natalist and nationalist goals.

Plastic storks loom over the parking lot of a reproductive clinic on the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. Swaddled babies dangle from their beaks. Inside, the clinic’s doctors are considered the country’s best in reproductive medicine. Chief embryologist Dr. Tatevik Kirakosyan finds the décor fitting. Her consultation room is filled with stork imagery, down to a pin on the lapel of her white coat. To her clients, she is the miraculous stork herself.

Armenia is one of the few countries that has eased restrictions on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy. But there’s a catch—these services are primarily for Armenian citizens, not the global market. The shift came after Armenia’s defeat in the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in Fall 2020, which left 3,825 Armenian soldiers dead. In 2021, the government launched a program covering 100% of reproductive medical costs for families of “martyrs,” a term for men killed in combat. The goal: every new child would compensate for a lost one.

‘My son told me to stay strong if he died’

A pale woman waits for her exam, her face nearly feverish. Anahit Patatyan, 53, lost her only son four years ago. The exact date of his death is unknown—his body was found months after the fighting stopped. His name was Karapet. He was 18 and had just begun his two-year mandatory military service.

Grief-stricken and resentful toward authorities for the military defeat, Patatyan withdrew from the world. Soldier’s widows encouraged her to consider assisted reproduction, but she dismissed the idea—having a child artificially felt unnatural. Then, last year, she walked through the doors of Dr. Kirakosyan’s clinic.

Her husband had died when Karapet was born. She saw no other choice.

“The last time my son called me, he told me to stay strong if he died,” she said. “Rebuilding his puzzle is my only chance.”

Three previous IVF attempts had failed. But the government had raised the legal age limit for such procedures—56 for surrogacy, 53 for IVF. Patatyan is at that limit.

In three weeks, she will find out if the embryo has taken. This time, she’s in better shape—she has regained some of the weight she lost in mourning. If it’s a boy, she will name him Karapet, after her late son. “Karalina, or something similar if it’s a girl,” she said. “His name must live on.”

Most parents in the program make the same choice. Dr. Kirakosyan has treated nearly 250 bereaved families.

‘A middle finger to the Azerbaijanis’

The program addresses an existential crisis. According to the United Nations, Armenia’s population, currently around 3 million, is projected to drop to 2.5 million by 2050. But demographics are only part of the equation. The government is framing the initiative as a patriotic duty—to create a generation of children tied by blood to fallen heroes.

The names of those killed in battle are nearly sacred in Armenia, etched into the hillside of Yerablur, Yerevan’s military cemetery. A string of military defeats and Armenia’s precarious position, surrounded by hostile neighbors, have fueled nationalist sentiments. The government sought to channel that energy.

“They took their children away from them,” Dr. Kirakosyan said. “Bringing them back in some way is a middle finger to the Azerbaijanis.”

Azerbaijan’s recapture of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 marked the abrupt end of more than 30 years of Armenian claims to the mountainous region. Armenia must now live with a dream it can no longer pursue. What remains is the memory of those who fought for it.

Armenia, Azerbaijan reach tentative peace deal

Armenia and Azerbaijan announced on March 14 that they had reached an agreement on a “peace deal” after negotiations to end decades of conflict. However, the agreement has not yet been signed, and Armenian diplomats say they need further consultations on “the date and location of the signing.”

On March 23, Pope Francis expressed his happiness that Armenia, a majority-Christian country, and Azerbaijan, a majority-Muslim nation, had “agreed on the final text of the peace agreement.” He urged both nations to sign the deal “as soon as possible.”