AZG Armenian Daily #085, 12/05/2005

Karabakh diary

ARTYSAKH CELEBRATES 3 ANNIVERSARIES

The 9 of May is celebrated in Artsakh as a day of 3 anniversaries. This is
the day of victory in Great Patriotic War, day of Shushi liberation and day
of creation of Nagorno Karabakh defense army. To put it pathetically, those
who liberated Shushi were led by the same spirit that led their grandfathers
to seize Berlin. That is perhaps true as Shushi’s liberation was a legendary
heroism. It’s not accidental that that very day is marked as the day of
creation of Artsakh defense army: only a regular army could organize and
perform such an operation that the Armenian forces did. Shushi marked the
beginning of further military success in Nagorno Karabakh war with the
finally ceasefire in May 12 1994.

On the occasion of these anniversaries, the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh
organized a number of arrangements. At a meeting in Stepanakert on May 8,
the NKR President gave state awards to WW II veterans as well as
participants of Shushi liberation. People laid flowers to the monument of
the first tank that entered Shushi, to the monuments of Nelson Stepanian and
Vazgen Sargsian. Holy liturgy was served at Surp Amenaprkich church of the
town.

A concert organized by local groups and groups from Armenia and a firework
in the Square of Revival followed in the evening of May 9.

By Kim Gabrielian in Stepanakert