At the event of the 100th anniversary of May Battles of the formation of the First Republic of Armenia, the descendants of a set of prominent political actors have arrived in Armenia, encompassing Aram Yerkanyan’s grand granddaughter Alexis Asatourian. Aram Yerkanyan is one of the actors of the independence movement: on April 17, 1921, within the framework of “Nemesis” operation, he destroyed young Turks – Behaeddin Shakir and Jemal Azmi, with the companionship of Arshavir Shirakyan. His descendants currently reside in the capital of Argentina and have arrived in Armenia to participate in holiday events.
Alexis Asatourian told to the journalists that Aram Yerkanyan had married in Argentina back then. “My grandmother – his daughter, is 86 now. We have given very much importance to the preservation of Armenian identity and married with Armenians,” she emphasized. Afterwards, she added that Yerkanyan has not seen his daughter, inasmuch as Tuberculosis caused his death sooner: “We – his descendants, nevertheless, know his story well. We know that he was a great man.”
Alexis’s husband, Alexander Mikayelian mentioned that in Argentina they have attentively followed the crowded protests in Armenia and organized marches in support of them: “Today we are proud that the people are happy. We want everything to be good in the new Armenia.”
“We were too excited. We want to see a better and better Armenia by each day,” reminisced Alexia Asatourian, also informing that over 40 Argentinian-Armenian youths have returned to the fatherland and for now they want to have a temporary residence of 3 years by working in the organizations carrying out voluntary activities.
Armen Sahakyan has come from London to visit Stepanavan. He is the grandson of Avetik Sahakyan, the President of the First Parliament of the Armenian Democratic Republic in 1918. He informed the journalists, that soon Avetik Sahakyan’s monument is going to be placed in London by his own means. “Even today there are people who have inherited the virtues of such actors. Such people should be conscious what past Armenia has and what future it should have,” said Sahakyan. He also positively assessed “My Step” public movement: “It showed that the people remember their history.”
Mikayel Vermishyan is the descendant of the Second Minister Gevorg bek-Melik-Gharagyozyan and the Minister of Food Security, Christopher Vermishyan, from the Armenian People’s Party, who served under the First Prime Minister, Hovhannes Kajaznuni’s coalition government in 1918. He says – there are no actors like his grandfathers today, the times and the standards have changed.
He recalled an episode from his prominent grandfather’s biography: “Melik-Gharagyozyan had gone to Germany with the Armenian delegation in 1918, and he was received by the Foreign Minister of that country. Armenian delegation has carried out activities to the benefit of the Armenian nation. My grandfather has understood that Germany “fuels” the Turks in conducting genocide. About that my grandfather has written a remarkable book, which will come to life in June.”
Luiza SUKIASYAN
