For 25-year-old Valeri Stepanyan, it would have seemed unthinkable years ago that the football he so passionately played—which had become both his hobby and lifestyle—would one day be replaced by a pair of shears. Having played as a forward for the Artsakh national football team since the age of 16, circumstances have led him to become a barber today.

Valeri was born and raised in Stepanakert in a military family; he has a brother two years his junior. However, his journey as a professional footballer was abruptly cut short by war. “I intended to continue my football career after my military service, but… I had only six months left until my discharge,” he recalls.

In 2020, while defending combat positions during an Azerbaijani attack during his mandatory military service, Valeri was wounded. He sustained ten gunshot wounds to his arm and leg, making it impossible to pursue a sports career. “I underwent a fairly long recovery. I kept traveling to Yerevan for treatment and then returning to Stepanakert, until the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians in 2023.”

 

After losing hope of returning to football, the young man developed a desire to learn a new trade. One of his friends was a men’s hairstylist, and Valeri decided to try his hand at the field. In 2023, he underwent his final surgery, where ten bullets were removed from various parts of his body. Valeri miraculously survived. “To be fair, before the surgery, the doctor didn’t explicitly promise that I would live, but he told me everything was going to be fine. And that’s exactly how it turned out.”

Even today, he undergoes a medical check-up every six months. Learning the new craft was initially challenging. Due to his injuries, his hand would tremble and the shears wouldn’t obey him; many doubted he could ever master the trade.

Although Valeri attempted to attend courses on his own initiative, he needed deeper professional knowledge and practical skill. Learning about the Three4ResilientArmenia project implemented by Armenian Caritas, he applied and was soon granted the opportunity to train under an experienced mentor.

“I was particularly moved by the attitude of the Caritas staff; they were constantly calling and checking in on me. These courses not only deepened my knowledge, but they also served as a unique physical therapy for my arm, helping restore its mobility. As a result, the trembling in my hand subsided, and now I truly enjoy my work.”

 

As part of the project, Valeri was also provided with the professional barbering tools necessary for his work. His very first clients were his brother and a friend, who have now become his regular customers. Following the training, his progress became undeniable. Today, he holds a steady job at a barbershop in Yerevan and has already built a faithful clientele.

Football remains an unattainable dream for Valeri. He tried playing again, but his body no longer responds as it used to. Instead, day by day, he handles the shears and comb with growing precision. The young man has clear goals: to open his own barbershop and buy an apartment. Alongside professional milestones, changes are also on the horizon in his personal life—Valeri is engaged and plans to get married next year.

He envisions his future in Armenia, driven by the determination to rebuild in Yerevan what he left behind in Artsakh. Having traded the football for barber’s shears, the young man today wishes above all for peace, expressing gratitude to all the people and organizations whose support helped him get back on his feet.

 

The Three4ResilientArmenia project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Armenian Caritas Benevolent NGO, the IRIS Business Incubator Foundation, and the Impact Hub Armenia Social Innovation Development Foundation. The project aims to foster the social inclusion and economic integration of displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh as well as host communities.