During the Great Patriotic War, Artsakh, being part of the Soviet Union as an autonomous region, actively participated in the war. The population of Artsakh was conscripted to the front, participating in various battles. Economic and human resources were concentrated for war needs. All that contributed to the victory. The people of Artsakh also provided significant material support to the front by supplying food, clothing and other necessary resources. There are statistical figures and archival documents about the years of the war, which document the great contribution Artsakh made.

In 1985, another issue of the journal “Banber Armenian Archives” was published, in which the contribution of Artsakh during the war years was presented. The newspaper article mentions in detail the regions, cities, villages of Artsakh and how many people went to the front from each village.

“During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), 45,056 people were conscripted and sent to the front from the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, of which 1,850 were women and girls. Hadrut region, which before the war, in 1941 as of January 1, it had 27,139 inhabitants, 8,267 people went to the front. 1080 Mets patriots from Chartar village, 450 from Ghzgala, of which 8 are girls, 485 from Tumi, 555 from Mets Taghlar, 485 from Martakert township, 475 from Taghavard, 400 from Norshen, 803 from Hadrut regional center, 860 from Togh, Avetaranot (from Chanaghchi): 298, from Talish: 544, from Shosh village: 700 (of which 8 are from one family), from Mokhratagh: 337, from Haghort – 397, from Dahrav – 350, from Khndhristan – 403, from Vank – 318, from Tsor – 260, from Hin Taghlar – 202 (of which 8: girl), from Aparadzor: 415, from Karin: 200, from Shkhtorashen: 270, from Ashan: 240, from Mushkapat – 267, from Arakyul – 204, from Banazur – 470, from Azok: 224, from Sos village: 360, from Sargsashen – 216, from Kert: 228, From Ghavakhan – 256, from Kaghartsi village – 268, from Khanabad – 250, from Nakhijevanik – 244, from Badara – 400, from Noragigh – 210, from Dashbulagh – 350, from Sznek village – 340, from Kusapat – 250, from Maghavuz – 284, from Gyulatagh – 140, 4103 from Tsakuri, 200 from Dolanlar, 162 from Khtsaberd, 258 from Tsamdzor, 250 from Kolkhozashen, 120 from Hatsi village, 130 from Taghot, 145 from Jrakus, 142 from Mylkudara, 159 from Chapar, 154 from Kherkhan village, 170 from Shekher, 172 from Harav village, 162 from Krasn, 203 from Gshlagh, 152 from Prjamal village, 201 from Karmir village, 213 from Mets Shen, 138 from Haterk, 136 from Khanatsakh, 62 from Hilis, 450 from Nerkin Horatagh (of which 7 are one from the family), from Drombon – 153 (of which 9 from one family) etc. (“Articles of the Archives of Armenia”, 1985, N 1).

Along with these statistical data, it is also presented what feats the people of Artsakh who went to war did individually and what awards they received from the Soviet Union.

“More than 15,000 people from Karabakh were awarded with orders and medals, 21 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 6 became knights of three degrees of glory, 23 became generals. Among them, Armenak Khanperyants (Sergey Khudyakov) is a marshal of aviation, and Hovhannes Isakov, the son of railway technician Stepan Yegori Isahakyan, born from Nagorno-Karabakh, is an admiral of the Soviet Union. Karabakh (Nakhijevanik village) also has a vice-admiral. We are talking about Vice-Admiral Hovhannes Pirumyan, descended from the lineage of famous Pirumian generals. Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Stepanyan, born in Shushetsi, was awarded the title of Double Hero of the Soviet Union. He took part in the battles of Sevastopol, Odessa, Novorossiysk, Leningrad and the Baltic region”. (Ibid.).

From the statistical data presented at the very beginning of the article, it became clear that about 2,000 women and girls from Artsakh left and participated in the war. Their exploits were also covered by the Soviet press of the time.

“Elena Martirosyan went to the front with many people from Chldran village of Martakert region. He took part in the liberation of many cities and settlements in the North Caucasus, then Crimea, Ukraine and was awarded the combat awards of his homeland. His age is Shushik Stepanyan (Taghavard), who was one of the heroic defenders of Odessa, Sevastopol and the head of the medical battalion. In one of the unequal battles, he is captured along with many others and sent to the German city of Nairobi. Along with unbearably hard work, Shushik simultaneously performs conspiratorial work.” (Ibid.).

The presented facts and statistical data prove that Artsakh made an important contribution to the great victory during the Great Patriotic War. The feats and self-sacrifice of thousands of Artsakh citizens who participated in the war became one of the important factors of the overall victory. The active involvement of women is also noteworthy, which indicates the popular genetic struggle. All this confirms that Artsakh’s contribution to the war was a significant and historically important fact.

Z. Sh:i was late

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Armen Ashotyan writes: “3 reasons to follow the Hungarian elections.

Parliamentary elections will take place in Hungary today, the intrigue around which is not only national, but also European and even global.

At first glance, we are not interested in this event, but there are 3 reasons to follow it from Armenia.

The first. Since 2012, Viktor Orban has allowed insult and deception towards Armenia and the Armenian people, by extraditing Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, allowing Aliyev to make a hero of that murderer, who took the life of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan right in Budapest.

And it is natural that Viktor Orban’s possible defeat has a certain historical justice in it from the point of view of Armenia and the Armenian people.

The second. The Hungarian elections have become part of the European and global political agenda, because Orbán’s government conducts, to put it mildly, a Eurosceptic policy, emphasizing and promoting the issue of the sovereignty of nation states within a supranational organization like the European Union.

External pre-election interventions both in favor of Orbán and in favor of the united opposition candidate Magyar are very evident. Therefore, Armenia, which has appeared on the threshold of parliamentary elections and is feeling all the splendor and misery of external pre-election interventions, cannot be indifferent to similar interventions in another country.

European cynicism is emphasized once again in this context. When US Vice President Vance came to Armenia and expressed his direct support to Nikol, thereby carrying out electoral interference, the entire liberal European community welcomed that step.

However, when the same Vance visited Budapest and expressed his support for Orbán, the “democratic value system” chick woke up in the liberal European public, and they began to criticize this fact in a ferocious manner.

We have been used to European political double standards for a long time, and this example is one of the most recent and striking.

The third. The Hungarian elections should also be of interest to the opposition of Armenia, because Viktor Orban’s form of government is authoritarian and completely fits the logic of modern illiberal rulers.

Of course, being a member of the EU, Hungary could not bypass all European standards related to democracy and the rule of law.

However, the parallels of governance between Orbán and Nikol are very visible, especially in the authoritarian script. Of course, Nikol is trying to become a much more ferocious dictator, because he does not have a European institutional straitjacket on him, but both Nikol and Orban completely fit into the modern political science term spin dictator, therefore, the possible defeat of such a dictator, such an authoritarian ruler and the anatomy of that defeat can be interesting and useful for the Armenian opposition.

Of course, in the case of Hungary, the opposition challenged Orbán unitedly, and in Armenia it was divided into pre-election teams, however, it is still interesting to see if this tactic, the fist of the united opposition, can defeat the authoritarian ruler. And what kind of technological, political, propaganda tools were used in that possible victory?

Therefore, let’s follow today’s elections in Hungary, because, as I already said, they are also interesting for us for the 3 reasons listed above.

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On April 12, H.E. Karekin the Second Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians received in Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin about 650 church-loving young people who came to Mother See Holy Etchmiadzin on pilgrimage from various dioceses of Armenia under the guidance of their spiritual pastors.

The meeting began with the Lord’s Prayer and the Patriarchal hymn. Then the spiritual inspector of HEHEM and the director of the Central Office, His Holiness Fr. Reverend Tovma Khachatryan introduced the pilgrim Armenians to His Holiness, noting that the young people visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to participate in the Holy Liturgy and receive the paternal blessing of the Catholicos of All Armenians.

Reverend Fr. Makar priest Galamdaryan (Diocese of Shirak). In his speech, the Father emphasized that in response to the wishes of the youth, the priest fathers responsible for the Youth Unions organized this pilgrimage to the Mother See to renew their vows, strengthen their faith and continue their lives with the blessing of Saint Etchmiadzin as faithful children of the Mother Church.

Elder Goharik Galtagazyan from Shirak Diocese, Naira Davtyan from Aragatsotni Diocese, Maria Atanesyan from Syunyats Diocese, Mane Mnatsakanyan from Masyatsotni Diocese and Sargis Galstyan from Gugarats Diocese spoke on behalf of the young people.

Then the Catholicos of All Armenians delivered his patriarchal message and blessing to those present.

“Our beloved children,

We welcome you to the Holy Mother See of Etchmiadzin and bring you all Our Patriarchal love and blessing. Our soul is happy that on these soul-restoring days of Easter, you gathered at the Holy Mother See of Etchmiadzin, showing your filial love and dedication to the Armenian Church.

Since the apostolic times, our Holy Church has been a bright beacon in the life of our people, establishing its children in faith and hope and leading them to God, to the good and the true. The Armenian Church is the spiritual home of our people, where every Armenian finds love, care and concern and is strengthened by heavenly graces and blessings. Whoever wants to know the soul of the Armenian people should look at the Armenian Church. Our Church has given strength to the aspirations of its children to live and create and to the desires of peace and justice. Our Church has given strength to love the nation and homeland and faithful to its mission, it has preserved and enriched our spiritual and cultural heritage, pursued the education of a new generation of Armenians. Our Church, with its strong Christian values, has become a pillar of unity for Armenians around the world, leading its flock both in peaceful days and in times of trials.

On the way of this mission, our Holy Apostolic Church often faced various obstacles and difficulties. Even today, we have an undesirable situation, when the Church in our native country is targeted by the representatives of the government. In the last year, we have witnessed unprecedented pressures: illegal arrests of bishops, artificial obstacles to the implementation of spiritual ministry, attempts to seize our ancient monasteries and churches. The person who was released from the position of leader of the Masyatsotni Diocese with the apparent patronage of the authorities and declared disorganized, continues to occupy the presbytery and the illegal decisions of the court and the enforcement service, acting as a diocesan leader in a secular capacity. Recently, we also witnessed another unconstitutional step, when the ruling political force included objectionable provisions regarding the Armenian Church in its pre-election program. All this, as you well know, is accompanied by fabricated accusations, incitement of intolerance, open threats.

However, history testifies that our Church has always overcome all trials by relying on God. Even today, the Armenian Church remains a zealous servant of our national rise, an unfaithful supporter of the strengthening of our country, public solidarity, and will continue to protect our national rights, aspirations and goals.

Beloved ones, one of the important priorities in the achievement of the mission of our Holy Church is the active involvement of you, the young generation, in church life. For this purpose, the youth associations created around our churches consistently implement various programs and initiatives, which aim to strengthen and deepen the connection of the new generation with our Mother Church. You and your peers are the guarantors of the strengthening of our motherland, the brightness of our Holy Church and the bright future of our people. Keep your attachment to the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church strong and accept its centuries-sanctified teachings as a guide for you to be independent, worthy and strong individuals. Love the Fatherland, our Holy Church, be pious believers and law-abiding citizens.

Patriarchal We bring you our love and blessing for your warm faith and dedication to the church. We wish you all the best and ask that the Almighty God bless your journey, grant you unshakable and inexhaustible faith, hope and love and strengthen you in all good endeavors.

We express our high appreciation to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for organizing this pilgrimage to the director of the central office of the Youth Organization of the Armenian Church. Reverend Tovma Khachatryan, priest fathers responsible for youth unions of dioceses, members of administrative councils and chairmen.

It is our fatherly message to you that you continue to invest your efforts with the same zeal to make the activities of youth associations more vibrant and lively with new initiatives, for the strengthening of our Motherland, for the brightness of our Holy Church and for the welfare of our Christ-loving people.

May the graces, love and peace of the Lord always accompany the Armenians of my nation in our homeland and in the Diaspora. every.”

After the blessing speech, the Catholicos of All Armenians also answered the questions of the young people, which were related to the youth programs of the Armenian Church, pastoral activities and the mission of the Church in favor of the involvement of young people.

The meeting ended with the “Protector” prayer, after which the young people participated in the Holy and Immortal Liturgy in the Mother Church of Miatsnaej.

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Another Armenian-Azerbaijani round table discussion of the “Bridge of Peace” initiative has started in Gabala. Areg Kochinyan, the president of the “Armenian Council” informs and adds that the current state of the peace process, the actions carried out by the participants of the “Peace Bridge” initiative in their countries and their results, as well as the situation in the region are at the core of the discussion.

Former NA deputy Naira Karapetyan 168․amtalked about this initiative and its context.

“The rhetoric of the leadership of the neighboring state does not even speak of the tendencies of peace establishment, and the gradual dictatorial steps that we see from Aliyev’s side testify to the exact opposite, that instead of peace, we are waiting for enslavement under the threat of using force, the realization of their goals, etc.

Returning to the so-called political society. the organizations that are included in the so-called “Bridge of Peace” platform are strictly one-sided and serve the line of the authorities of the day. They are people who have repeatedly proven that they have nothing to do with any correct assessment or any quick response to what is happening to our society,” the politician elaborated.

Naira Karapetyan confirmed her observations about the last episode by reminding that, for example, in the case of 18-year-old Davit Minasyan in Saint Anna Church, when “the schoolchild was directly provoked during prayer”, the voice of the representatives of that “civil society” was not heard.

“This program is just another show-packing with international orders and funding, and secondly, the West still wants to show that it has a big role, has a big investment here, and everything goes to peace.

I would like to emphasize here that no one should have the impression that there are people who do not want peace. Peace is everyone’s desire, and peace is what we have been striving for for many years. That peace must be dignified, peace must be clear, and peace must be at least guaranteed. What is happening today is far from the so-called peace.

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