Chairman of Armenian Helsinki Committee Avetik Ishkhanyan reminds that Zori Balayan’s style of “writing letters” is not something new: “Zori Balayan’s style of writing letters, let me name the phenomena by their names, this style of adulation to Russians, is not new. Even before the movement, his novel “Hearth”, and so on, was completely adulation to Russians. There was a similar trend among the Armenian intelligentsia, to adulate Russians, or, you know that we, Armenians, perhaps are pathetic, but we are good people, we are committed to us, save us, help us…
This trend was also seen in the movies of those times: “The Bride from the North”, “Men”, “When September is coming”, “Mkhitar Sparapet” with distorted history… It was the kind of the Armenian intelligentsia that had made the Armenian people obedient, a slave, they were persuading that Armenian people, you can not live independently, you’re miserable…
Zori Balayan’s letter is from the series of miserable, once again he aimed at saying people that you’re miserable, you’re depending on them, that once again you will deserve contemptuous attitude of Russian tsars, should they read this letter. Anyway, any person: Georgian, Azerbaijani, Russian or Armenian, upon reading this letter will think, what a miserable nation.
I remember Terian’s words: “You are not proud, my Fatherland”. We do not have pride and dignity. It is not that many people are against this letter. The mere fact that it was possible to write such a letter means a lack of dignity. And I feel uncomfortable with it.”
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Mr. Ishkhanyan, however, thinks that the matter in this case is not only Zori Balayan’s “style”. “There is a significant problem. Whether it was accidental? I have a little doubt, although it was his style. If we take into account several circumstances as to how right after the failure of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, Serzh Sargsyan promptly concluded a contract with Russia for 45 years, in other word, if he had done a single step, which, conditionally speaking, does not coincide with the interests of Russia, it was immediately followed by terribly pleasing Russians. Whether this is not the continuation of the chain to more please Russians after abandoning the Association Agreement, whether it was not from the series to once again show our in brackets ‘commitment’, and whether it was not an order by the authorities to demonstrate the loyalty of the Armenian people through Zori Balayan, because Zori Balayan is a well-known figure in Russia. I do not doubt that this is the order of the Armenian authorities. And, here, I would like to recall Zhvanetski’s words: “Трудно ползать с высоко поднятой головой” (translator’s note: It’s hard to crawl with your head held high).
To our questions whether the problem is only in pleasing, maybe there is a more serious thing behind it, Mr. Ishkhanyan said, “Maybe. I do not want to think about so ominous things, maybe as a result of all this, Armenia has really encountered serious challenges that the authorities being unable to solve apply to such pathetic move. But, even if there are such challenges, and even if they arise because of the authorities, they should have a will and courage, and refer to the people, to explain what risks our country is facing, and I am convinced that a large part of the society will put disagreements aside and will be united to
rescue Armenia. I really think so. But not to make such a miserable move, which in addition to contempt, will not give any positive results.”
Melania BARSEGHYAN
