Author Archives: SimonVratsian

THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE POET’S SOUL – 2023-4

The unpublished pages of Avetik Isahakyan’s notebooks

Shoghik B. Khachatryan

In 1977 A. Inchikyan prepared Avetik Isahakyan’s “Memoir” for publication, collected and organized notes from the poet’s various notebooks – in fact creating a complete manuscript. Within the framework of the scientific publication of Isahakyan’s works, Avik Isahakyan filled in the blank sections of the “Memoir” with other diaries and selected diary notes. However, even after the publication of the complete diaries, a large number of the poet’s notebooks remained unpublished.

Notebooks contain a variety of notes in various booklets, or individual sheets. Mainly, they present the poet’s thoughts, ideas, judgments about various realities and different aspects of life. A considerable part of them have the value of aphorisms and popular expressions.

But the more interesting notes are those which, in one way or another, relate to Isahakyan’s original work, opening up various layers of his literary workshop. How the writer’s style and the peculiarities of his literary method are formed, how raw material, a fact, an event are developed and transformed into artistic reality! Here is a non-exhaustive list of issues that may be covered by notebook notes.

Thus, the poet’s notebooks, in terms of both their content and significance in the creative work process, and the nature of their notes, deeply reflect the author’s personality, and the biography of his soul.

THE CONSERVATIVE RESPONSE OF THE DISSOLUTION OF THE FEUDAL LIFESTYLE – 2023-4

In the novels “Sos and Varditer” and “Bread problem” by Perch Proshyan

Aram G. Aleksanyan

The article examines the historical, economic and cultural prerequisites for the collapse of the patriarchal caste system.

The historical process, masking the defensive confrontation between the moral worldview and the psychology of a corrupt society, is artistically expressed in the novels of Perch Proshyan. Literature partly manifests itself as a kind of cultural and defensive confrontation. This reality, in turn, gives rise to conservative
and libertarian thinking in public life with corresponding epistemological attitudes.

If, thanks to the enlightenment movement, traditional thinking, the values that organize patriarchal life, the nature of human relations and the emotional manifestations of psychology have radically changed, then conservative culture had a completely traditional epistemological context. Enlightenment attitude formed in
the minds of a new structure of perception of time, revived the order of the future, making it the main focus of activity. In the context of this worldview, history has already been perceived in the past, present and future dimensions of time. Meanwhile, conservatives envisioned the future as a sprawling present. And traditionalists perceived defamation as damage to morality and the traditional way of life. All the ideological content and emotional depth of Proshyan’s works is an artistic expression of this historical process. It is characterized as a unique defensive cultural confrontation with artistic potential, character building, and a historically unique storytelling typology.

THE ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEMS OF THE WESTERN ASIAN AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY – 2023-4

Part four: The ARF connections and relations with the Russian revolutionary parties during the First Russian Revolution (1905-1907)

Gevorg S. Khoudinyan

Already in 1904 during the last two months, all the main centers of the Russian Empire were in revolutionary upheaval. Apart from the two capitals, they included Poland, Finland and even the oil region of Baku; where the socialist-revolutionaries and social-democrats of Russia encouraged and with their leaflets called to fighting the multi-national workers who had risen up since December 13. “The Central Committee of the Self-Defense” of the ARF did not stay behind them: the leaflet published by them on December 19 with the abundance of its economic and social demands and consisting of 28 points at once was the most lavish one.

The revolution was ripening in the country, for which the opposition and revolutionary parties of Russia were getting prepared that held their conference held in Paris from September 30 to October 9, in 1904. To invite the latter to a new conference was initiated by the famous priest Gapon (Gevorg Gapon), who brought the people to the streets on January 9, 1905, in the capital Saint Petersburg. In March of 1905, the International Socialist Bureau sent the invitation drawn up by Georgy Gapon to the socialist parties of Russia. On the basis of that, on April 2, 1905, the conference of the revolutionary parties of Russia began their work in Geneva, the participants of which almost entirely had socialist orientation.

Although shortly after the Geneva Conference, double agent E. Azef who submitted a report to the Police Department had distorted the names of the ARF representatives who had participated in the Conference by making Rostom to “Rusten”, Honan Davtyan to “Oman”, and he only kept the code name of Martiros Margaryan – “Safo”, a member of the List body preparing the terror of Sultan
Hamid, but we were able not only to restore them, but also the names of the representatives of the other revolutionary parties.

The Geneva conference proposed the political goal of organizing a “general armed uprising” that would put the fate of the country in the hands of the people, in order to reorganize the empire on democratic-republican principles through the
convening of a Constituent Assembly. The first and the most important task was the convening of the Petersburg or the All-Russian Constituent Assembly, but in parallel to that, the convening of the Finnish Constituent Assembly and the “Polish Constituent Sejm” was being planned. As for the demand to convene the
Constituent Assembly of the Caucasus, it was clearly emphasized that it was about an autonomous region with federal ties to Russia.

In Geneva they also began to form appropriate structures coordinating the efforts of the parties participating in the conference. Moreover, one of them was supposed to work abroad and engage in campaigning and fundraising, and the other one was to operate in the country. The latter is known from the documents of the Tsarist Police Department as the United Combat Committee led by Georgy Gapon. ARF representatives actively participated in the formation and activities of the foreign body uniting the efforts of the revolutionary forces. And as for the armed struggle against tsarism within the country, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation carried it out with its own forces

THE SEEDS OF THE “NATION -ARMY ” CONCEPT IN THE WORK “PITFALL OF GLORY” – 2023-4

Samvel A. Poghosyan

One of the important monuments of the Armenian social, political, legal and philosophical thought is the work “Pitfall of Glory”. It was published in Madras, India, at the end of the 18th century and was planned to become the constitution of the future Armenian state. As the first draft of the constitution, “Pitfall of Glory” has received a lot of attention from historians, jurists and philosophers.

Our goal is to cover the “Pitfall of Glory” from a different angle. No
studies and analyzes were carried out regarding the concept of the “Nation-Army” put forward in the work. The article analyzes the concept of the “Nation-Army” presented in the work in detail. “Pitfall of Glory” is devoted to almost all spheres of the state’s activities, including the army, arming the population and military training. Along with the professional army, it was considered necessary to have the ability to use the fighting abilities of the entire male population at any time.

The aim of the research was to identify the components of the “Nation-Army” concept put forward in the monumental work “Pitfall of Glory”, which were not the subject of study before. All articles related to the issue were covered.

The research was carried out on the basis of the historical comparative method and the principle of historicity.

Discussions of the “Nation-Army” idea have been quite relevant in the recent years. When the state is surrounded by enemies that are several times greater than it is, it is necessary to use its own human and military resources as efficiently as possible.

The purpose of the study is to identify, illuminate and analyze the
conceptual approaches aimed at increasing the defense capability of the future national state in the “Pitfall of Glory” constitutional draft.

We can say with confidence that “Pitfall of Glory” was not only the draft of the first Armenian constitution and the creation of a republic, but also the first Armenian initiative aimed at the formation of the concept of the “Nation-Army”.

THE FALL OF ARTSAKH – 2023-4

A historical tragedy and an alarm for the Republic of Armenia

Otto Joh. Luchterhandt (Hamburg, Germany)

The article covers the recent events in Artsakh in the context of regional
geopolitical interests and international law. It is shown that Azerbaijan and Turkey have violated international law with their aggressive war against Nagorno-Karabakh and that Azerbaijan’s threats against the Republic of Armenia also violate the prohibition of the use of force established by international law (Article 2, (4), UN Charter).

Although Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy completely contradicted the current
international law, Azerbaijan was able to succeed because not only Russia but also the entire international community stopped acting on the Karabakh issue. The participation of NATO member Turkey was decisive for the outcome of the 44-day war. Azerbaijan would also have lost in that Karabakh war, a war contradicting international law, if Turkey and the Syrian mercenaries did not take part in it.

The end of the Republic of Artsakh and the mass migration of Karabakh
Armenians were a drastic turning point in the history of the Armenian people, and the Armenian Diaspora spread throughout the world. The catastrophe unwittingly evokes memories of the Genocide that took place in the Ottoman state during the First World War, even if its dimensions are incomparable. The shock associated with the fall of Artsakh is perhaps even greater because it happened in front of the eyes of the world community, which, compared to 100 years ago, not only knows international law, genocide, and human rights but also often demands great sensitivity in this regard.

The disastrous consequences of the collapse and loss of Karabakh hit
Armenia at a time when its international political conditions have become significantly complicated, firstly, by Russia’s war against Ukraine, and secondly, by Russia’s still intensifying confrontation with the “collective West.” The war of Hamas against Israel and the resulting tensions in the entire Islamic-Arab region have led to the fact that the conditions for Armenia have become more unfavorable and unpredictable. Under these conditions, the Armenian government can avoid the risk of becoming a victim of new military attacks like in the remaining part of Karabakh only by continuing to maintain traditional close allied relations with Russia and neighborly relations with Iran and by involving the EU in its efforts to resolve its national problems with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

With the flight of more than 100,000 compatriots within a week, the issues
and the challenges facing the Republic of Armenia are enormous. It is possible to overcome these challenges only in conditions of striving with the forces of all state bodies and institutions, public organizations, broad citizen solidarity, willingness to help, and the generous support of the Diaspora.