Mediamax Sport continues its special project about Hamlet Mkhitaryan. You can read previous parts here.

We opened 30-year-old archives and evoked recollections about Hamlet Mkhitaryan in his friends’ memories.

A kind, friendly, outgoing and sociable person - this is how Ararat forward Hamlet Mkhitaryan’s friends remember him. They called him a “moth” because of his restless character.

Hamlet was the “hope” of the team and always helped it win

Albert Sargsyan was Hamlet’s childhood friend, and together they played in Ararat team. When they first met, the guys didn’t even know they would make big success in football. 13-year-old teenagers adored football and got acquainted in one of football “matches” in the yard.


Albert Sargsyan
Photo: Mediamax

Albert Sargsyan remembers that they honed their football skills in future, took part in the All-Soviet Union Junior Tournament in Kazan and won.

“It was at that time that we got to know each other better and made friends. We left for Madrid at the age of 14. It was a real adventure for us. We were just excited seeing the lights of the airport. Everything was amazing for us - the beautiful hotel, big swimming pool and tall buildings”, recalls Albert Sargsyan.

The boys studied together in the State College of Olympic Reserve and Anahit Davtyan was their mathematics teacher at that time.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan with his teammates
Photo: from Albert Sargsyan’s archive

Anahit Davtyan recalls that once at the 10th grade, Hamlet’s team lost and the boys accused him of the failure. “When I entered the class and pupils stood up, I noticed Hamlet was in boxers. It caused a stir in the class and everybody started laughing. It turned out that the boys hid his clothes to punish him. They thought Hamlet could save them from failure but he didn’t do that. He was the hope of the team and always helped it win”, the teacher remembered.

Suren Dovlatyan who worked with Hamlet’s mother in the haulage company also knew Hamlet from childhood. First they were just acquaintances, but afterwards they made good friends and always helped each other. Suren who was 14 years senior to Hamlet often came to see them and helped him do his homework.

“I come from Ijevan and I often took Hamlet to our village. He stayed with my mother and went to summer camp, Hamlet gathered all the guys of the village and organized football games. He was a very active child, he climbed all over the village and knew every corner of it”, he recalls.

Hamlet was keen on cars, speed was his passion

Hamlet’s and Samvel Poghosyan’s friendship started when they played in Ararat. They were more than just friends. As Hamlet was the only child in the family, Samvel became almost a brother to him, they were inseparable in football and life.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan and Samvel Poghosyan
Photo: from Samvel Poghosyan’s archive

According to Samvel, Hamo was an exceptionally good person - a very friendly, active, cheerful and smiling one.

He recalls that Mkhitaryan had some premonition and he used to often say it would be good if he lived at least he was 33 years old. His friends were surprised to hear such things from such a jovial and active person.

“He was very lively and always in a rush, maybe, he felt he would pass away early. He always used to say that maybe he would die the next day that’s why one should sleep less to manage to do everything. Every minute was precious to him. He only slept 3 hours and quickly renewed his energy not letting us sleep”, Poghosyan recalls.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan and Samvel Poghosyan
Photo: from Samvel Poghosyan’s archive

Hamlet was keen on cars, and speed was his passion. He wanted his car to be the finest. Hamlet’s mother had a GAZ 24-10 car and he learnt driving at an early age.

Samvel Poghosyan recalls that Hamlet brought various devices and spares for the car from various towns. This is how Hamlet’s “Volga” got a new klaxon, radio recorder and headlights: “He always revamped something on the car. As he was not tall, he sometimes put the pillow on the seat to reach the helm”, Poghosyan says.


During one of trainings in Kharkiv, Ukraine
Photo: from Samvel Poghosyan’s archive

Once Hamlet secretly took the car out of the garage, broke it down and hurried up to Suren Dovlatyan for help. Hamlet knew his mother was very strict and he wouldn’t get away with it easily.

“He said he had broken down the car and I had to help him. The car was a brand new one, and we had to try to find the necessary spares. I managed to get what we needed, so we repaired the car quickly, but telling mother about it was the hardest thing”, recalls Suren Dovlatyan.

Operation on the appendix and adventures with a monkey in Africa

Hamlet Mkhitaryan was the “joy of the team”. He always knew after failures how to cheer up guys.


Hamlet Mkhitaryan and Samvel Poghosyan in France
Photo: from Samvel Poghosyan’s archive

Samvel Poghosyan recalls that once he agreed with Hamlet to celebrate New Year in Tsakhkadzor but he suddenly found himself in a hospital - he had an operation on the appendix and all the plans went down the drain. “Hamlet came to see me and said: “Don’t worry, I’ll lie beside you soon”. And it really happened: the team set off to exercises in Tsakhkadzor and Hamlet had his appendix removed.


Video is provided by M. Tashchyan specially for Sport.Mediamax.am

A funny incident happened to Albert Sargsyan and Hamlet Mkhitaryan in Africa. They were amazed at many things there but the most surprising thing was the monkey standing next to the store. When the Armenian football players entered the store, the monkey jumped and grabbed Hamlet’s foot. “We were very much scared but then we started going to that store and “made friends” with the monkey”.

To be continued.

Hasmik Babayan
Gohar Nalbandian.

Idea of the project: Ara Tadevosyan.

English translation by Sirvard Amatuni