The National Culture Council NGO, the Art of Survival-VOMA organization, Real School, and the Menk traditional dance group organized a two-day event in Syunik’s provincial capital in honor of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Mountainous Armenia.
According to a representative of the National Culture Council, Virab Babayan, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Mountainous Armenia at this time in Syunik was not an end in itself, and the slogan for the event already says everything: “Read Nzhdeh, save the homeland.”
The program lasted two days. “The cultural portion of the event took place on the first day, which we spent with youth from Gyumri, Vanadzor, Yerevan, and Goris. The cultural portion included national dance, song, and the presentation of Garegin Nzhdeh’s book in Classical Armenian,” Virab Babayan told Aravot Daily.
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The second day was entirely dedicated to military exercises organized by VOMA.
Residents of Kapan also joined the youth from the four Armenian cities. Around 200 young VOMA instructors managed to teach mountain shooting skills during a one-day training. The founder of VOMA, Vova Vartanov, does not welcome the idea of Mountainous Armenia. He believed that what took place in 1921 was a wounded separatist operation, and it is wrong to compare the events of 100 years ago to what is taking place today.
However, in his opinion, they simply did not miss the opportunity to use the 100th anniversary of Garegin Nzhdeh’s revolt against the Soviet regime for training, self-defense, and other skills. According to Vova Vartanov, if we look around, we will understand why we need mountain shooters.
“Why not modern motorized rifles? Because, first of all, Armenia is not rich enough to equip all its shooters, even mountain shooters, with technical means. Next, we live in the mountains. Your hope must be your ability to work with the mountains, in the mountains, to take refuge in the mountains, and to turn the mountains into a fortress, and in order to do that, we must learn,” Vartanov said. He noted with regret that teenagers have more of a desire to learn than adults. The generation that is learning today can display its knowledge in around 15 years, if necessary. “Those who fought and were lucky not to die know everything. Let’s become teachers for the children. We must learn and teach,” Vartanov said.
In addition, posters with “Read Nzhdeh, save the homeland” and Garegin Nzhdeh’s photo on them were displayed all throughout the border communities of Syunik.
Armen Davtyan
