In his fiery speech made at the meeting, Mazoot Hamo (Zori Balayan of the early 20th century) from Charents’s novel “Country of Nairi” says, “With the same highest note (Russian emperor – A.A.) note – from the most reliable sources we have got the information – pretty, yes, quite a few promises were given to us for the future – and we can firmly say that in addition to general friendly attitude to our “Issue” – we already have real, and thus official guarantees from the highest instances given in writing.” It is clear that in 1914, after the beginning of the war, to which “Issue”, according to Hambardzum Astvatsatryan, the Russian emperor was to give us support. It is also known that the further developments of events showed how much penny cost the guarantees as if issued (but, in fact, may be not issued) from the highest instances.
Naturally, the speech of Mazoot Hamo at the meeting generates heated enthusiasm, there appears only one man, who asks a logical question, “Couldn’t Mr. Astvatsatryan say who has seen the letter, in which, as if “there are real promises from the highest instances”, and if such note exists, how those promises are formulated – verbally.”
This is just the main contradiction of the political thought of Armenia: xenomaniac romanticism and national pragmatism. There can also be honest, incorruptible, and vice versa, very venal, obscene people in those two highlighted poles, there may be more or less intelligent and educated figures. This is a matter of outlook, and the history shows that when we tend to pragmatism in key points, we achieve success then.
For me, the carriers of such pragmatic mentality are, for example, the historian Leon, our greatest writer Hovhannes Tumanyan. Surely, there were people of such mentality even before them, and historians can bring such examples. In modern times, the best examples of pragmatism were given by Levon Ter-Petrosyan and the “Karabakh” Committee, in its generality. It’s another matter that the ANC, in my opinion, has been deviated from those principles.
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But, the important thing is this “school” of mentality has its followers, because, today, it is also a focal point. And, here, Hovhannes Igityan, one of the figures, who seeks to restore PANM as a political structure, has given almost the same question, “Let them show Putin’s guarantee, with which Karabakh received a security guarantee.”
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
