Vahe H. Aբelian
I screenshot these headlines just a short while ago, one after the other, from different news outlets posted on Yahoo News, as if they were entertainments of sort. It occurred to me that in this visual world, human plight and misery on the grounds are simply headlines and no more than headlines to grab attention and have more viewers and command more for the advertisements at the site. Note: I may add more headlines during the coming few days.
Vahe H Apelian
September 20, 2023 will be a date that will go down in infamy in our history and will mar our Independence Day celebration on the next day, on September 21, 2023.
I have attached some of the reactions posted on Facebook. God knows how we will react to this date in the years and decades to come. But this is how people reacted and posted on the Facebook on the spur of the moment. The English wording, next to the Armenian on the same post, is my translation.
The attached blog is a letter to Hovel Shnorhokian who shared with me as well his vision for a better future for Armenia in an article he has penned on September 9, 2023, and published in his diasporam.org website. The title of his article is “Rebirth” ( https://diasporarm.org/rebirth/) Vahe H. Apelian
Hovel, I read your article “Rebirth” you shared with me as well. It is a theme that is dear to your heart and you have articulated about it in past years as well. I do not dispute you when you search for the reasons as to why “from the highly regarded glory of the past, we currently find ourselves in this terrible, pitiful state.” Of course, “It is important to have a proper diagnosis before seeking a remedy.”
But I do not ascribe to your notion that our past was glorious. After all, from the fall of Cilician Kingdom in 1375 to the establishment of the free and independent republic of Armenia in 1918, we were stateless people. We spoke a variety of dialects that was an amalgam of mostly Turkish, but also Persian and Armenian words with distinct regional accents often incomprehensible to other Armenians. The overwhelming majority of us during those years, was illiterate and lived in abject poverty. For heaven’s sake, we only had a handful number of bibles during those centuries and in a language only a select few persons understood. In fact, those were in the dark period of our history. It is term I do not hear now, but I have heard during my Armenian schooling, as the khavar – Խաւար – dark -period of our history in spite of the few stars who brightened our darkened sky. That was our literary lot until the Armenian evangelical movement in 1846 and social enlightenment of the 19the century that culminated in the founding of the Republic of Armenia.
Honestly, I rather live in the present day Armenia, not only as the state but as the global nation, than in those dark years, unless of course if my father was Jean Baptiste-Colbert, King Louis XIV’s France’s Minister of State or Lord Paul Khachik Chater, the famed Indian Armenian “Merchant Prince". I know little of these men, that is why I say if I was their son. But I would not have wanted to be Calouste Gulbenkian’s son, of whom I have read, and I do not envy his son Noubar’s upbringing at the least. You know that it was his father Calouste, who had an Armenian doctor examine the general health of a prostitute, Calouste provided for his teenage son in his mid-teens, because Calouste thought the time has come for his son to experience the pleasures of the flesh. I would not have wanted such a controlling father. Nor would I recommend a man who kept successive young women in his old age as a remedy for his rejuvination, to be looked as an historically illustrious person to emulate in guest of achieving the glorious past that never existed. I mentioned these names because you cited them.
We have a democratically elected government in Armenia, at the present headed by PM Nikol Pachinyan. True, the second democratic republic of Armenia is existentially challenged. But I believe we have laid the foundation for a cohesive nation unlike any time before in our history, and no different than the social structure of any other nation, whom we perceive to be cohesive. True, that it is has not forged a perfect union among Armenians. But after 240 years, the longest democratic republic the world has ever known, the United States of America - save the Roman Republic? – is still in want to forge a better union. In fact, democratic institutions remain live because they are in a race without a finish line. Should they ever think they made it to the finish line, it is then they petrify into a totalitarian regime.
Now that we have laid down the foundation and have a democratically elected government, it behooves us to uphold it. I have no magical solution or proposal for anyone else, but I have my own, for myself.
I am Diaspora born Armenian and live in Diaspora. I am not a citizen of Armenia. I do not exercise the rudimentals for upholding a democratic republic. I pay no taxes to the republic of Armenia. I have no one in my immediate or extended family who has served, serving or may serve in the republic of Armenia armed forces. Thence, I stand in support of the the citizens of Armenia, who shoulder these responsibilities and in the government they have elected. I believe in their collective wisdom when they express and exercise it freely without fear of retribution, through a democratic process. I believe that they do not need my wisdom for they are wise enough and know what they need far better than I do. Of course, I remain supporting their well-being through charity, business, technology, sharing knowledge in art, science and services, such as medical, dental, etc., etc, etc.
In a nutshell, that is how my “rebirth” is and that is how, I conceive myself as a reborn Armenian.
Vahe H Apelian
The tricolor Armenian flag is a relatively a new flag for the ancient nation. Wikipedia claims that the tricolor flag was first adopted on May 28, 1918. Without elaborating the statement any further let me say that it is highly unlikely to be the case. On September 13, 2023, Tatul Hakopyan posted the first republic of Armenia’s internal minister Aram Manougian’s communique on the same day, September 13, 1918, directing the newly independent republic of Armenia to use the tricolor as its flag. The internal minster wrote: “ The state-government institutions of the Republic of Armenia must have and wear the flag of the Republic in the following colors, in order from top to bottom: red, blue, yellow.”
It is not likely Aram Manougian came with the colors on his own. According to Mike Babayan, the expert historian of the first republic, the first parliamentary session of the newly established republic took place on August 1, 1918. It is likely that the tricolor flag was adopted during that session, which the internal minister Aram Manougian communicated to the republic some six weeks later on September 13, 1918, clearly spelling the third color as yellow.
Who came with the colors of the flag?
It is generally accepted that philologist Stepan Malkhasyants (1857-1947) recommended the three colors of the flag. According to the eminent scholar Dr. Hagop Tcholakian Father Ghevont Alishan had also proposed colors for the Armenian flag that also had the green color. The internal minister Aram Manougian’s ruling makes evident in no uncertain terms that the third color upon adoption of the tricolor was yellow, which was then changed to orange, maybe for aesthetic reasons. As to when and how soon after the change from yellow to orange came about appears to be murky.
The tricolor had a short life. The Sovietizing of Armenia in November 2020, put an end to the tricolor flag until the reemergence of the free and independent third republic of Armenia.
Orange color?
Sometime in mid to later part of 1990’s a debate came about the naming of the third color. I remember first reading about the debate in the Armenian Reporter that was published in the New York City. The newspaper was established in 1967 by Edward Boghosian. I do not remember who initiated the debate but I remember the famed Uncle Garabed of the Armenian Weekly taking part in the debate as I also did. The debate was centered on having the third color designated as orange when the fruit is not a native of Armenia. In fact it cannot grow in Armenia. Orange seemed to also have a derogatory implication in Armenia as around that time, a sad remark came about from some officials in Armenia likening some segment of the Armenians in the Diaspora as “orange eaters”.
The crux of the debate was to have the third color referred to apricot color (tzeranakuyn), given the fruit apricot is not only native in Armenia but is accepted to have originated from Armenia and that is why its scientific designation in Latin is Prunus Armeniaca. A typical definition of Apricot color is as follows; I quote, “Apricot is a light yellowish-orangish color that is similar to the color of apricots. However, it is paler than actual apricots.” The debate seemed to make headways as some started calling the third color apricot – tzeranakuyn, that continues to this day.
What does the Constitution say?
In Article 21 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, spells the following: “The flag of the Republic of Armenia shall be tricolor, with equal horizontal stripes of red, blue and orange.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, elaborates further. I quote: “The law "On the State Flag of the Republic of Armenia" was adopted on August 24, 1990, by the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Armenia.
Following the constitutional reform of November 27, 2005, a new RA law on the National Flag of the Republic of Armenia was adopted on June 15, 2006. The national flag of the Republic of Armenia is a national emblem of the Republic of Armenia. The national flag of the Republic of Armenia is of three colors in stripes of the same width - red, blue, orange respectively from top to bottom. The Red emblematizes the Armenian Highland, the Armenian people's continued struggle for survival, maintenance of the Christian faith, Armenia's independence and freedom. The Blue emblematizes the will of the people of Armenia to live beneath peaceful skies. The Orange emblematizes the creative talent and hard-working nature of the people of Armenia. The width-length ratio of the flag is 1/2. Smaller and larger pieces of cloth proportionate to the one described in this section may be used.”
That is where we stand for now, as we used to recite in our youth
Red, blue, orange (Garmir, gabuyd, narenchakuyn)
Tricolor is the Armenian flag (Hayots troshn eh yerakuyn)
vahe H. Apelian
Tatul Hakopyan is a seasoned journalist in Armenia. He is the founder of ANIARC.com (Ani Armenian Research Center). He has published many books. He has visited Diaspora more than once. He posts both about the current events and historical happenings. His postings about current events keep me up to date and and his postings about historical events, often that happened on that day, are educational. His son completed the compulsory military service and was recently discharged.
I quoted a few of his recent posts.
September 12, 2023
“Putin hopes that Baku will not carry out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh.
When I heard this, I again remembered Levon Ter-Petrosyan's famous words:
Armenia has no ally in the Karabakh issue.”
“Պուտինը հուսով է՝ Բաքուն Արցախում էթնիկ զտումներ չի իրականացնի:
Երբ սա լսեցի, կրկին հիշեցի Լևոն Տեր-Պետրոսյանի հայտնի խոսքը՝
Ղարաբաղի հարցում Հայաստանը դաշնակից չունի:”
September 14, 2023
“The entry of the Russian truck into Artsakh via the Aghdam-Askeran road means, first of all, that the November 9, 2020 agreement no longer exists.
What was considered a treasonous text, we long for it today. But this is the course of our history, from Batum (referring to the treaty) to today.
A nightmare that never ends.”
Ռուսական բեռնատարի մուտքը Արցախ Աղդամ-Ասկերան ճանապարհով առաջին հերթին նշանակում է, որ 2020թ նոյեմբերի 9-ի հայտարարությունը այլևս չկա:
Այն, ինչը համարվում էր դավաճանական տեքստ, այսօր երանի ենք տալիս: Բայց սա է մեր պատմության ընթացքը՝ Բաթումից մինչև այսօր:
Մղձավանջ, որ վերջ չունի:
Armenians in Artsakh, in the Republic of Armenia, in the Diaspora, again accuse Russia (pursuant to orientation) and the West (pursuant to orientation) that they abandoned Artsakh and the Armenian people, that they betrayed us...
Excuse me, but has there been any country or organization that has made promises to us? Has Russia said that it will save Artsakh Armenians, recognize Artsakh? Has any western country said so?
Who are we angry with?
How long will we look for our salvation to Russia or to the West?
What else do we have to lose to understand?
The cause of our troubles is within us.
We had 25 years.
Today it is necessary to save what is possible.
But again, my hopes are Russia (pursuant to orientation) and or the West (pursuant to orientation).
“Հայերս՝ Արցախում, Հայաստանի Հանրապետությունում, Սփյուռքում, կրկին մեղադրում ենք Ռուսաստանին (նայած կողմնորոշմանը) և Արևմուտքին (նայած կողմնորոշմանը), որ նրանք լքել են Արցախը և հայ ժողովրդին, դավաճանել են մեզ...
Կներեք, բայց եղել է՞ որևէ երկիր կամ կազմակերպություն, որ մեզ խոստումներ տված լինի: Ռուսաստանն ասել է՞, որ կփրկի արցախահայությանը, կճանաչի Արցախը: Արևմուտքի որևէ երկիր ասել է՞:
Ո՞ւմից ենք նեղանում:
Դեռ ինչքան ժամանակ ենք մեր փրկությունը փնտրելու Ռուսաստանում կամ Արևմուտքում:
Է՞լ ինչ պիտի կորցնենք, որ սա հասկանանք:
Մեր դժբախտությունների պատճառը ներսում է:
25 տարի ժամանակ ունեինք:
Այսօր պետք է փրկել հնարավորը:
Բայց կրկին հույսներս Ռուսաստանն է (նայած կողմնորոշմանը) և կամ Արևմուտքը (նայած կողմնորոշմանը):”
Regardless of what the government and the opposition say, the situation is as follows.
a/ Azerbaijan keeps the topic of the corridor on the agenda in order to keep Lachin closed, that is, you do not give us a corridor to connect with Nakhichevan, we will not give you a corridor to connect with Stepanakert.
b/ We (Azerbaijanis) agree that x number of Armenians live in Azerbaijan, you should also agree that Azerbaijanis live in Armenia.
I can write longer and more detailed, but keep it short.
For 25 years, we carried lobbying and Armenian lawsuits, instead of diplomacy looking for a solution with a painful compromise.”
“Անկախ նրանից ինչ է ասում իշխանությունը և ինչ ընդդիմությունը, իրավիճակը հետևյալն է.
ա/ Ադրբեջանը միջանցքի թեման պահում է օրակարգում, որպեսզի փակ պահի Լաչինը, այն է՝ դուք մեզ միջանցք չեք տալիս, որ կապվենք Նախիջևանի հետ, մենք էլ ձեզ միջանցք չենք տա, որ կապվեք Ստեփանակերտի հետ:
բ/ մենք համաձայն ենք, որ Ադրբեջանում բնակվեն իքս թվով հայեր, դուք էլ պետք է համաձայնվեք, որ Հայաստանուն բնակվեն ադրբեջանցիներ:
Կարող եմ ավելի երկար ու մանրամասն գրել, բայց կարճ սա է:
25 տարի դիվանագիտության փոխարեն լոբբինգ եւ Հայ դատ առաջ տարանք՝ ցավալի փոխիջումով լուծում փնտրելու փոխարեն:”
***
An example of Tatul's posting regarding the recent Armenian history is the attached, he posted today, on September 15, 2023
Armenians and Azerbaijanis (Tatars) were involved in bloody conflicts four times (1905-06, 1918-20, 1991-94, 2020). One of them, the most terrible for the Armenians, was carried out in 1918, on this day, September 15.
On the morning of September 15, members of the Armenian National Council, the organizers and the leaders of the self-defense, soldiers and a significant part of the population left Baku by ship. And those who could not leave were subjected to looting, murder and brutality for three days. A few days later, Khan Khoisky's government moved from Ganja and settled in Baku.
According to the Armenian National Council, the number of Armenians killed was at least 9 thousand. Other sources mention the number from 15 to 30 thousand. Only those Armenians who took refuge with the Jews and Persians survived.
The article in the comments.
Հայերն ու ադրբեջանցիները (թաթարներ) փոխադարձ արյունալի բախումների մեջ ներքաշվել են չորս անգամ (1905-06թթ., 1918-20թթ., 1991-94թթ., 2020թ.): Դրանցից մեկը՝ հայերի համար ամենասարսափելին, կատարվել է 1918թ. այս օրը՝ սեպտեմբերի 15-ին:
Սեպտեմբերի 15-ի առավոտյան Հայոց ազգային խորհրդի անդամները, ինքնապաշտպանության կազմակերպիչներն ու ղեկավարները, զինվորներն ու բնակչության մի զգալի մասը նավերով հեռացան Բաքվից: Իսկ նրանք, ովքեր չկարողացան հեռանալ, երեք օր շարունակ ենթարկվեցին թալանի, սպանության ու գազանությունների: Մի քանի օր անց Խան Խոյսկու կառավարությունը Գյանջայից տեղափոխվեց և հաստատվեց Բաքվում:
Սպանված հայերի թիվը, ըստ Հայոց ազգային խորհրդի, առնվազն 9 հազար էր: Այլ աղբյուրներ նշում են 15-ից 30 հազար թիվը: Փրկվեցին այն հայերը միայն, ովքեր պատսպարվել էին հրեաների ու պարսիկների մոտ:
Հոդվածն ամբողջությամբ՝ մեկնաբանության մեջ։
Thanks to Tatul Hagopyan’s ANIARC (Ani Armenian Research Center) I learned that today, September 13, (1918) is a historic day for the Armenian nation. It is the day when the Armenian tricolor became the national flag of the Armenian nation by the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia, Aram Manougian.
Attached is my translation of Tatul Hagopyan’s posting.
“The instruction of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia on the use of the tricolor flag
September 13, 1918
The state-government institutions of the Republic of Armenia must have and wear the flag of the Republic in the following colors, in order from top to bottom: red, blue, yellow.
Having announced this, I submit to immediately implement this instruction and follow its perfect implementation.”
Հայերենով
Շնորհիւ Թաթույ Յակոբյանի Անի հայ պատմական յետախուզական կեդրոնին, այսօր իմացայ որ այս օրը՝ 13.9.2018-ը նշանակելից օր մըն է համայն հայութեան համար։ Այդ օրը՝ Հայաստանի Հանրապետութեան Ներքին Գործոց Նախարար Արամ Մանուկեանին պատուէրով՝ ազգը կունենար իր ազգային դրօշակը՝ եռագոյնը։
Տեղադրութեան բնագիրը կցած եմ
ՀՀ ներքին գործերի մինիստրի հրահանգը եռագույն դրոշակը գործածելու մասին
“13 սեպտեմբեր, 1918թ․
Հայաստանի Հանրապետության պետական-կառավարական հիմնարկությունները պետք է ունենան և կրեն Հանրապետության դրոշակ հետևյալ գույներով, ըստ կարգի վերևից ներքև՝ կարմիր, կապույտ, դեղին։
Հայտնելով այս մասին, առաջարկում եմ անմիջապես կիրառել սույն հրահանգը և հետևել նրա անթերի իրագործմանը։
Ներքին գործոց մինիստր՝ ԱՐԱՄ
Կռավարության լրաբեր, 24 սեպտեմբերի, 1918”
Vahe H Apelian
Armenians have referred to Russia as its northern powerful Christian uncle because they have regarded Russia as their closest neighbor who would stand by them in case of need. This sentimental uncle has not lived up to that image politically. Russia has been and continues to be for the Armenians a difficult political uncle indeed, whom the Armenians do not imagine to dismiss from the family fold. Russia is and will remain Armenia’s Northeastern neighbor with whom they will have to deal.
Lately I am reminded of Antranig Chalabian’s take on Armenia and Russia relationship he penned in his booklet he titled “Emperors, Tsars and Commissars”. The booklet is written in 1988 when the Soviet Union was teetering between abandoning the Soviet ship or restructuring it as its leader Gorbachev aspired.
I quote the following passage from his booklet: “As long as Turks are Turks and they are living in Turkey, Armenians inhabiting the southern boarders of the Soviet Union have no choice but to seek Russian protection, irrespective of the kind of government which rules that country. This is a political affinity and has nothing to do with ideologies. Only deranged Armenian politicos and pollical adventurers can think otherwise.”
Not all of course in Armenia are as adamant as Antranig Chalabian was.
But he also questioned and qualified that relationship and wrote: “Will the present-day Soviet rulers of glasnost and perestroika (openness and restructuring) be able to see the important role a greater and stronger Armenia can play in the political network of religious minded peoples on the southern borders of their empire? It remains to be seen.”
Russia, Antranig wrote, is vulnerable at its southern border. Armenia, Chalabian said, is Russia’s natural and most reliable ally and the best guarantor of its southern border. But he also cautioned reflecting on history and said: “The Byzantine emperors made mistakes and they paid dearly for them. Russia’s tsars, in their turn, were incapable of seeing their southern borders were inhabited not by White Russians but by potentially dangerous Turkish peoples. In the face of that danger, instead of creating a great and autonomous Armenian state to divide and weaken those peoples, they aspired for an Armenia without Armenians, thus strengthening and uniting their own enemies!”
Over thirty years have passed since Soviet Union broke apart and Armenia regained its independence. But it is apparent that Russia, in the present, does not see the “the important role a greater and a stronger Armenia can play” as a buffer for Mother Russia in its southern border. I do not think we can negate Russia’s tilt has been away from its natural ally Armenia and has been towards Azerbaijan, naturally I mean to say to Azerbaijan-Turkey alliance.
Armenia is small country to be of any military and economic concern for Russia or Turkey. However, Russia’s recent overreaction to Armenia military exercising with a token American forces in Armenia, where Russia maintains a battalion, is an indication that Armenia, the homeland of the global Armenian nation, is a very consequential country for Russia but it fails to treats it as a strategic ally, but rather takes Armenia for granted subject to its will.
Thus, Armenia historically as well as in the present continues to be caught between East and West and as such between two regional superpowers, the United States in the West and Russia in the East who are testing their military prowess and thus political, not on their grounds, but on other countries’ grounds, surely Ukraine and no less in Syria as well.
Armenia’s Northeastern uncle Russia does not or cannot provide, Armenia the security Armenia needs to maintain its sovereignty. Consequently, Armenia has been reaching out to countries in the west. A considerable segment of the Armenians enjoys the benefits of Western civilization and live in the West and in Americas. Armenia appears to have no choice but also to tilt westward as its security dictates. But surely Armenia does intend to pursue a policy that will infringe upon the Russian interests in Armenia at its southernmost border. Nothing between Armenian and Russian relationship has changed and likely will not change to be of consequential concern to Russia’s security as far as Armenia is concerned, other than perceptions and perceptions are reality.
Can Armenia’s policy be perceived dangerous?
Of course, it can. But with an astute cohesive policy it does not have to be perceived so.
Time will tell.
Note; Those interested may read Antranig Chalabianbs "Emperors, Tsars and Commissars" booklet : http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2023/08/antranig-chalabian-emperors-tsars-and.html
