Vaհe H Apelian
![]() |
Painted by my cousin Annie Hoglind |
I do not think that there is an Armenian household that does not have a sentimental display of Armenian national symbols, such as the Armenian tricolor flag, or the Armenian Coat-of-Arms, and of course Mount Ararat. The attached picture depicts my maternal cousin Annie Chelebian Hoglind’s painting of Mount Ararat. She painted it for us and gifted it decades ago.
But that is a sentimental display. The government of Armenia recently let it be known that it has designed a new entry stamp in which Mount Ararat will not be depicted. The government’s decision precipitated unusual backlash, laden with contradictions
First and foremost, those who vehemently oppose the removal of that Mount Ararat drawing from the Armenia entry stamp, tend to be those who vouch for the sanctity of the Declaration of Independence and oppose amending it. They are in fact, vouching to the argument that the PM Nikol Pashinyan is putting forth. The Armenian Declaration of Independence states that the Republic of Armenia is simply renaming of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia that had long accepted that Mount Ararat is not part of it. In fact, Nikol Pashinyan is dwelling on that very argument, that Mount Ararat is not part of Armenia and that it is his job to tend to the interest of the Republic, and not to have anything or promote anything that is not part of the Republic.
But, let alone of our centuries old association with the mountain, depicting Mount Ararat is in the Armenian Constitution since its inception in 1995. However, Mount Ararat is depicted in the constitution with a caveat; with Noah’s Ark sitting on it and not the mountain by itself. Section 21 of the constitution, in part, reads as follows – “The coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia shall depict, in the center on a shield, Mount Ararat with Noah’s ark and the coats of arms of the four kingdoms of historical Armenia...” Naturally, the wording in the constitution has come about to send the following message, that the depiction of Mount Ararat stands for its ethnic symbolism. Our patriarch historian Movses Khorenatsi claims that the Armenians are descendents of Noah’s great grandson. Depicting Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat. Naturally depicting Noah's ark on Mount Ararat attests also for it being a biblical symbol. Armenians are the first to accept the Christian faith as its state religion.
Naturally depicting Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat makes for a weird drawing. Case in point the depiction of Mount Ararat with Noah’s Ark on Armenia’s Coat-of- Arms. The infantile drawing of Mount Ararat on the Armenia entry stamp did not depict Noah’s Ark on it, for good reason. It would have made for a weird, crowded drawing. But, as it stands, it is not a constitutional depiction. Simply said, depicting Mount Ararat by itself on state documents without a visible depiction of Noah’s Ark on the mountain, is simply unconstitutional.
At the cost of repeating myself, let us face it. depicting Noah’s ark on Mount Ararat makes for awkward depiction.
Best we relegate Ararat with its imposing appeal to our literature, art and remove it from official documents. For Mount Ararat, these arguments are a tempest in a tea pot. Avedik Isahakyan captured the essence of the old glory, when he wrote:
To the old peak of Ararat,
centuries have come like a second,
and passed away.
Countless flashing swords have been dulled
by the diamond hard mountain,
and left.
Generations at its brink,
have gazed the light on its summit,
and moved on.
It's your turn now,
look for a moment at its furrowed forehead,
and move on.
((see the note below for the original text)
Yes, move on to create at the slope of the old glory Mount Ararat, an orderly, law abiding, flourishing, and prosperous state, in peace with its neighbors, for it is the peace of the brave and not of the coy, nor of the timid.
Բնգիրը՝
Արարատի ծեր կատարին
Դար է եկել, վայրկյանի պես ,
Ու անցել:
Անհուն թվով կայծակների
Սուրն է բեկվել ադամանդին,
Ու անցել:
Մահախուճապ սերունդների
Աչքն է դիպել լույս գագաթին,
Ու անցել:
Հերթը մի պահ քոնն է հիմա .
Դո´ւ էլ նայիր սեգ ճակատին,
Ու անցի´ր…
ԱՎԵՏԻՔ ԻՍԱՀԱԿՅԱՆ