VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: BEST APPRECIATION OF MEMORY OF TATUL KRPEYAN AND
HIS COMPANIONS-IN-ARMS WILL BE LIBERATED GETASHEN

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A memorial event
dedicated to the 41th birthday of Tatul Krpeyan, National Hero of
Armenia, student of the history department of Yerevan State University
(YSU), was organized by the ARF student union “Nikol Aghbalian”. “Look
at Kars, look at Ani, look at Akhurian’s other side. This is Tutul’s
behest,” lecturer of YSU history department Artavazd Darbinian
said. “It was just impossible to stop him carrying out his decision to
go to Artsakh and teach there together with struggling. He was a
brother, friend and teacher for everybody. He was struggling with a
pen at night, and with a weapon in the daytime. He did not leave
Getashen at the hardest moment and on April 30, 1991, the 26-year-old
ARF member died a death of hero in Getashen,” A. Darbinian stated. In
his speech, political representative of the ARF Bureau, Vice Speaker
of the RA National Assembly Vahan Hovhannisian noted that the idea of
Homeland was deeply rooted in Tatul Krpeyan’s heart. “The key element
of the national ideology is the youth that perceives the idea of
Homeland in a more sensitive way,” he underlined. In his words, Tatul
Krpeyan solved two main problems in the Artsakh freedom war: “When
self-defence began in Artsakh, the problem of accumulating weapons
there was a definite and inevitable one for the ARF. The ARF started
forming self-defence units in Shahumian. We surrendered two Armenian
villages north of Getashen – Azat and Kamo. There was no unity in the
villages, each villager thought in the same way as before the genocide
– to save one’s own life. Tatul created that unity and succeeded in
explaining to the local population that it was necessary for them to
defend themselves. The foundations of the national army were laid by
Tatul and guys like him.” The second problem, according to
V. Hovhannisian, was one of resistance of Getashen and Martunashen
under a 9-month continous blockade. The resistance was organized
thanks to Tatul and other ARF-member freedom fighters. “But for the
insidious Soviet operation “Koltso” (“Circle”), these regions would
have now been part of the NKR,” ARF Bureau member noted. “The best
appreciation of memory of Tatul and his companions-in-arms will be
liberated Getashen,” Vahan Hovhannisian concluded. Tutul’s sister
Ruzan Krpeyan and the dean of YSU history department Hayk Avetisian
also made speeches at the event. Famous singers performed folk songs
during this memorial event.