A few years ago, we, the attendees, were invited by the organizers of the London conference to a restaurant, which was called “Bleeding heart” and when I asked whether it is the restaurant, which is mentioned in Charles Dickens’s “Little Dorrit” novel, the landlords greatly surprised. And when I said that in my youth I have read the 30 volume collection of Dickens’ works (in Russian, of course), they probably did not believe me.
But the fact remains. The dark green collection, which my parents subscribed when I was just born (in 1960), even now is taking its honored place in my bookshelf. Many people have read only “Oliver Twist,” but the rest of Dickens’s works, from “Christmas novels” and ending with “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” unfinished detective are not less valuable. These works tied me and I am sure many-many others to the English culture.
In the political environment in Armenia, the countries and their peoples are tied not to the culture, but to some negative stereotypes. For instances, when it is said “Britain”, many people in our country understand not Shakespeare, Dickens or Somerset Maugham, but “British Petroleum” company, which has major oil interests in Azerbaijan, and which heavily influences on the politics of its country. Well, then Russia in this case is “Gazprom” and “Rosneft” rather than Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky.
In my teenage years, when there was no Internet and our country was blocked by the world with an “iron curtain”, a smart man told me, “There is everything in every country. We need to know the worst, but look for and copy the good.” You understand it, don’t you? Rather than forming a prejudiced opinion and look for evidences, which would confirm this stereotype.
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Today’s young people have much more opportunities to learn about the world, find information and compare facts. Those willing widely use this opportunity. Today’s loose leaf of “Aravot” is about British educational programs, which are one of those opportunities.
I consider that the mission of our generation is transference of our obtained, maybe not so much “earmarked”, maybe excessively wide knowledge to the next generation. Although, personally I continue with my self-education with a greater pleasure.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
