The Cholera Epidemic And Snow From The Mountain – Armenia, March 1918

Back in those days (March 1918), disease was spreading among the people. People were dying like hens. We did not understand the reason behind this.

When the refugees reached Khoya, they found a warehouse with boxes of raisins. Exhausted and hungry, they began to consume them. They would also drink any water that could be found, clean or not. Perhaps this is what caused the spread of cholera. A lot of people have died.

I could not sleep all night. I suddenly remembered my father’s brother who became bedridden many years ago. It was spring. We asked the hopeless patient what he would like. He replied: “Snow from the nearby mountain.” We brought the snow to him. He consumed it and immediately felt better.

Early in the morning, I glanced at the high mountain. There was plenty of snow on it. “Be that as it may,” I thought. I needed to take a chance – there was little hope anyway.

I instructed several soldiers to gather people to climb the mountain towards the snow. After a few minutes, the emaciated people, it would seem, gained strength and, helping each other, enthusiastically climbed to the top of the mountain. There, they began to consume snow.

We felt as if the disease was just cut away with a knife. Peppy and healthy, people came down from the mountain.

The reason for such a miracle has remained unknown to me. The mountain would be remembered by the people as the Snow Mountain (Mount Kuldzhur). I have never felt so happy.

Kipranos Sargsyan (Murad Chaush)

Arshaluis Zurabyan