Publications
02.05.2025
2 min
Repat Story
Senior Repats Impart Their Wisdom
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Some people think that repatriation is only for those who are in their 20s or 30s and “can afford to start a new life.” At Repat Armenia we wholeheartedly disagree. Repats can be any age, and can come from anywhere. As a matter of fact, many repats relocate to Armenia in their 50s and choose to establish themselves from a place of wisdom and understanding, which lends itself to a more enjoyable transition than if they came to Armenia at full steam without any plan or knowledge.
To that end, we decided to collect the stories of just a handful of our repats who are in their 50s as their stories will serve as inspiration to many that age is not going to hold you back from living a good life in Armenia.
Christina Markarian: A Leap of Faith
Christina Markarian’s journey back to Armenia began with a promise she had made to herself long ago. Raised by her grandmother, a genocide survivor who carried an enduring sense of loss and disconnection, Christina grew up with a yearning that wasn’t fully hers but ran deep in her blood. “It was always my intention and my goal to come to Armenia,” she says. “It just took me 30 years to do it.”
In 1992, shortly after Armenia gained independence, Christina decided to stay for six months. She arrived during the “dark and cold years,” a time of severe economic hardship yet despite the challenges, Christina felt an immediate sense of connection. “When I came to Armenia, I felt connected to the place.”
Christina took a leap of faith. She believes that embracing adventure and resisting despair is the best way to repatriate. “You’re going to have to face obstacles,” she says. “But your attitude towards those problems is what will make the difference.” Her advice to future repats is to be ready for hardship, but don’t let it deter you.
Now living in Gyumri and planning to explore more of the country, Christina lives by her conviction. “I’m in my homeland, I’m indigenous. My DNA is connected to this land and I belong here. I want to be wholly here, not split between countries.” And while she may have cause to go and visit Chicago, Armenia is her new home.
Max Hazelhurst: A New Life, A New Identity
Some people think you have to be Armenian to repatriate, at Repat Armenia we are here to tell you that Armenia will welcome you no matter who you are. Max Hazelhurst is a British and South African citizen, who married an Armenian who he met in Vietnam and is now happily living in Armenia. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his wife Ella, had three options: return to England, go to South Africa, or move to Armenia, they made the right decision and chose Armenia.
It’s rare to see boldness in a person like what we saw in Max, because he “moved to Armenia without even visiting,” Yes, that’s right, a man who does not know the language and had never been to Armenia decided to come and settle in Armenia as he waited for his wife to arrive. Despite having no prior ties to the country, Max felt welcomed to Armenia. The sense of community he found struck him immediately. “In England, I never even knew my neighbor’s name. Here, people treat me like I’m Armenian.”
Max now runs his own English education business, teaching both corporate professionals and students preparing for university abroad. His life in Armenia is peaceful and grounded. “I feel at home here. It’s the safest country I’ve been in, and I have no fears of insecurity.”
His advice to incoming repats is Integration. “You don’t have to become purely Armenian,” he says, “but you must tolerate, assimilate, and respect the local culture. There is a soul here, and it is a privilege to become part of it.” And this man, who is not Armenian, has a goal of attaining full Armenian citizenship and a permanent life in the country he now calls home.
Zara Karabekian: Coming Full Circle
Zara Karabekian’s path back to Armenia was paved with science, motherhood, and a longing that never quite faded. Born in Yerevan during the Soviet era, she grew up in Gitavan, the famed “physics quarter.” Her father, a leading physicist, was invited to Virginia in the early ’90s, and Zara, who was having a baby, decided to have her daughter Alice in an environment that (at the time) was better equipped for childbirth. However, what was supposed to be a short stay in the U.S. turned into a 21-year journey.
“I always wanted to be a mother,” Zara says. With Armenia facing dire conditions at the time, it became clear that raising a small child in Armenia wouldn’t be easy, still, connection to Armenia never weakened. Each summer, she and her daughter would return. “We were saving all year to come back.”
Though she earned a degree in immunology in the U.S. and could live and work anywhere, Armenia remained home in her heart. It wasn’t until her daughter who was 18 inspired the final return. “It was my daughter that brought me back to Armenia,” Zara says. “I can live anywhere, but home is here.”
Now 59, Zara continues to apply her scientific knowledge in Armenia while also reconnecting with the culture and community that shaped her youth. For her, the return is not just a physical relocation—it’s a restoration of self. Today, she looks after her mother, works in a lab, helps raise her two grandsons, and is her daughter’s best friend in her home in Yerevan.
Redefining Aging, Reclaiming Home
The stories of Christina, Max, and Zara challenge traditional narratives about aging and repatriation. For them, reaching their 50s and 60s was only the beginning where they were able to enter into a new chapter of their lives, which included Armenia. Their experiences reveal the complexities and rewards of repatriation later in life.
The decision to move, or return to, Armenia is about healing generational wounds, rediscovering one’s roots, and choosing to invest in a country still in the process of defining its future.
Senior repats bring the experience, perspectives, and commitment that will directly benefit Armenia.
In Christina’s words, “You have to like a challenge” and Armenia is a place of a lot of challenges, As we all know, it’s not easy being Armenian, even an Armenian by choice, but it’s well worth every hardship when you experience the joy seeing Ararat on a clear sunny day, or breath in the fresh mountain air in the cliffs of Dilijan, or dip your feet in the healing waters of Jermuk, or just have a coffee with your neighbor on a spring afternoon, you realize you’re finally home.
Jack Baghumian
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