AN OBELISK IN STEPHANAKERT?

KarabakhOpen
27-05-2008 12:35:07

Dear Sarah and Max,

This letter is one which I submitted to news publications here in
Stepanakert. It was done in this letter style because of my promise
to your Mom to speak of my experiences.

My third visit to Stephanakert in 2002 commenced with departing a
marshroutka (mini-van) from Yerevan at the Shushva Oogle and wondered
about the obelisk gracing a traffic circle. It was small compared
to others located either at the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt; in
Washington, D.C. and New York, in Rome, Paris, England, Caracas,
and elsewhere. Yet, this seemingly non-descript monument caught my
attention. At that time, I didn’t know the meaning of Shushva Oogle,
yet it was the destination in Stephanakert for the residence of
a friend.

According to the website,
"An obelisk is a tall, thin, four-sided, tapering monument which ends
in a pyramidal top. Ancient obelisks were made of a single piece
of stone (a monolith). The term stela (plural stelae) is generally
used for other standing monuments with inscribed sculpted stones not
of classic obelisk form." Thus, the Shushva Oogle Obelisk is simply
a stela. Whether an obelisk or stela, this "Obelisk" is significant
and a beautiful work-in-stone. The carvings on it make it similar to
the original Egyptian ones with their hieroglyphics. Since that day
in 2002, I have traveled to and stayed in Stephanakert many times. In
October 2007 I came and stayed for about four-weeks. Walking past the
Obelisk, I wondered about the history of it after hearing a story
about a dog who, sadly, died at the circle. This "puppy," as a dog
who remains young-at-heart in temperament, was devoted to his master
and his family. The puppy continues to be missed.

I decided that when I returned in April 2008, I would do some research
and write an article in the form of a letter to my grandchildren,
Sarah & Max, who live in Tennessee, a state within the United
States. Additionally, this letter-article will serve as a gift to the
people of Stepanakert … yes, a gift to assist in perhaps knowing
their history a little better. When I started my research, there was
a bright and skillful business-woman who said that there was nothing
carved on the Shushva Oogle Obelisk. I recommended that she look more
closely the next time she walks past. So, please accept this gift,
and if there are errors, please contact me.

A few weeks ago I visited the Artsakh State Historical Museum of
History and Country Study and was shown one document, which includes
a foto of the Shushva Oogle Obelisk and a short article from a news
release in 1963:

"In 1963 the workers of Mountainous Karabakh celebrated the 40th
anniversary of the founding of the Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous
Region.

"At this time, there were many celebrations in the streets. These
festivities demonstrated the friendship between the Karabakhians and
the other peoples of the USSR.

"The authors of the monument were Aram Shirinyan and Yuri Hokobyan.

Albert Harutunyan was the sculptor."

The Museum Director, Melanya Balayan, contacted Albert Harutunyan,
a Stephanakert sculptor, on Sunday, 4 May 2008. He came to the Museum
and the following information I learned from him. Also present was
Gayane Grigoryan, a museum guide and interpreter, and Dr. Vahram
Balayan, an Artsakh and Armenian historian who is the Chairman of
Artsakh State University History Department.

Albert indicated that the Obelisk was one of many monuments erected
during the Soviet era. All of those with a hammer and sickle were
probably destroyed, except for this one, which has this symbol of
the workers’ strength on its face under another former USSR symbol
of a dove of peace. It is interesting to look closely and see that
the dove sits atop the hammer.

The pedestal and base of today’s Shushva Oogle monument originally
served for a statue of Joseph Stalin and was erected at the Petachok
circle near the government buildings maybe in the 1930s. Today,
a tall, graceful pine stands in its stead, continues to grow, and
compliments Stepan Shaumyan’s monument on the opposite side of the
circle. According to Mr.

Harutunyan, both Yuri Hokobyan, the chief architect of Stephanakert
and Aram Shirinyan, chief architect of Mountainous Karabakh Autonomous
Region probably designed and constructed Stalin’s statue with its
pedestal and base. As the trees grew and started to cover Stalin’s
statue, the statue and supporting structure, according to some
individuals, was moved to the Shushva Oogle, which means "road to
Shushi." Shushi is located about 15-km from Stepanakert. Others have
indicated that in 1956, three-years after Stalin’s death, his statue
continued its existence at Petachok.

This was confirmed in a calendar showing the Petachok in 2006 and 1956.

Sometime after 1956, his statue was removed and probably destroyed.

There were discussions prior to 1962 when Mr. Harutunyan spoke of
Gurgen Melkumyan, the 1st Secretary of a regional committee of the
party who convened a hearing in 1962 regarding approving the design
and construction of the Obelisk.

At the meeting, government officials requested that the design for
an obelisk contain only a woman and a man ("a mechanic"), on each side.

Mr. Harutunyan and the other designers argued for two women because
of the agricultural fertility of Artsakh. Their design basis were
village women: The individual on the left is standing with many
sheaves of wheat over her shoulders and next to her right leg awaiting
harvesting are tall, heavy and bending wheat stalks. The right side
village woman under a vine laden with grape clusters is firmly holding
an over-flowing basket of plump, juicy grapes.

The arguments of the sculptors and the designers regarding the
appropriateness of two women with the strong emphasis on Artsakh’s
agricultural fertility won. The decision, though, was rendered only
by Chairman Melkumyan after hearing the testimony and discussion.

According to Mr. Harutunyan, Yuri Avetissyan collaborated in sculpting
the marble from Havav Village, Askeran Region, a few kilometers east
of Stepanakert, in Albert’s studio. The pedestal and base stone,
which supported Stalin’s statue at the Petachok, were also from the
same source.

In the late summer of 1963 a dedication ceremony was held at the
Shushva Oogle. Presiding that day was the Regional Committee, the
designers, sculptors, local, regional, and governmental officials,
and MKAR citizens … there were no representatives from Moscow. It
was a "great opening ceremony" to commemorate the 40th anniversary
of the MKAR according to Albert.

With a keen artist’s eye shaped by many years of working as a sculptor,
Albert’s wishes he could see again his other creations, some with a
hammer and sickle, which are gone today. He grieves as a parent would
for either lost child and like others for their puppy.

I hope that someday, Sarah and Max, You will bring your parents to
visit Stepanakert. During your stay here, please walk to the Shushva
Oogle and admire this monument of another era. Its serene beauty I hope
You will appreciate as I will continue to when I pass by. Yesterday,
there was a beautiful rainbow over the area beyond the apartment
building. Oh, please come in a summer month so that You will be able
to enjoy the delicious fruits, vegetables, wine, jengyalav hatz and
other breads, "tan" (a matzoun drink with sliced cucumber and parsley)
with the many other harvest delicacies, after admiring additional
monuments like the Shushva Oogle, which are part of the culture,
life and flavor of Artsakh. You may see a puppy or a business-woman
who may be able to tell You more about the Obelisk in Stepanakert.

With much love, Papik Nick