MAY 28

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
28 May 05

May is a month of victories for the Armenian nation. Avarair,
Sardarapat, Shushi … Different epochs, different places, but in
all the three cases it was the unity and morale of people that won.
The battle of Sardarapat is written in golden letters in the history
of the Armenian nation. It is an example of heroic struggle in which
all the classes of the society and all the political forces came
together. In Sardarapat the 5th Infantry Regiment and the squads of
volunteers from Karabakh under the command of Daniel Bek Pirumian
especially distinguished themselves in the battle. The names of Daniel
Bek Pirumian, Movses Silikian, Catholicos Gevorg V, Garegin Hovsepian,
Vardan Jaghinian, Sergo Atanessian, and many others were written in
golden letters. Among the fighters there were also representatives
of the intelligentsia, such as writers Malkhas and Aksel Bakunts,
scientists Grigor Ghapantsian, Ararat Gharibian, others. The battle
in Sardarapat had a deciding role in the history of the Armenian
nation and restored the lost statehood. May 28 revived belief in
the future, strength, and the pride of living in an independent
country. Only 3 years after the Genocide, in the orphaned country
our nation managed to come together and walk to Sardarapat. Being
on the verge of destruction, the country won the war and regained
independence. The glorious victory in Sardarapat was followed by
May self-defence battles which led to the decision of the National
Armenian Council to found the Independent Republic of Armenia. Through
hardship and misery Armenia walked towards its independence in 1918.

LAURA GRIGORIAN.
30-05-2005