A Story of Love and Resistance: “Missak Manouchian: Through the Eyes of an Eyewitness by Meline Manouchian” (Video)

"My precious Méliné, my beloved little orphan. In a few hours, I will leave this world. We will be shot today at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I know that I will never see you again... I deeply regret that I did not make you happy. I would have loved to have a child with you, as you always dreamed."

These touching words come from Misak Manouchian’s last letter to his beloved wife, written just hours before his execution. That letter, brimming with love and sorrow, ultimately became one of the most poignant symbols of their bond. Years later, in honor of their sacrifice, France reburied them together in the Paris Panthéon, where they now rest side by side, alongside luminaries such as Victor Hugo, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Marie and Pierre Curie, Émile Zola, and Alexandre Dumas.

Misak Manouchian, a freedom fighter with the soul of a poet, was one of the leaders of the French Resistance during World War II. Having survived the Armenian Genocide, he arrived in France with his brother and grew up in an orphanage. He worked as a lathe operator at the Citroën factory and later as a modeler, all the while nurturing his love for literature by founding magazines and writing articles.

In 1935, Misak met Méliné, his future wife and fellow survivor of the Genocide. Both orphans, they found solace in each other and became devoted to the anti-fascist cause. As members of the French Communist Party and the Immigrant Workers’ Force, they fought valiantly in the French Resistance. Misak eventually led a group of foreign partisans under the "French Riflemen and Partisans" underground movement.

Their fight was met with relentless opposition. The Nazi regime sought to discredit them by distributing the infamous “Red Poster,” a propaganda tool emphasizing the foreign origins of Misak and his comrades. Despite this, the group continued their efforts until November 16, 1943, when Misak and 23 teammates were arrested. Méliné managed to escape, though she was sentenced to death in absentia.

On February 21, 1944, Misak and his comrades were executed at Fort Mont-Valérien. On the morning of his execution, Misak wrote another letter to Méliné, reflecting on his life and forgiving his enemies, except those who betrayed him:

"Today is sunny. Looking at the sun and the beautiful nature I love so much, I say goodbye to life and to all of you—my very dear wife and friends. I forgive all those who have harmed me, except those who betrayed us to save their own skins."

Méliné’s memoir, “Misak Manouchian: Through the Eyes of an Eyewitness”, captures these harrowing yet inspiring moments. Published by Newmag, it brings to life the love, courage, and unwavering resistance of a couple who became symbols of hope and sacrifice.