A picture is circulating on the Internet that shows a famous statue of Mother Armenia on her knees with her sword on the ground, and a young man who has emigrated and says, “When you get better, I will come back.” I do not know what that picture’s purpose is- an emigration advertisement or a counter-advertisement. And, by the way, we live in an age when it is very difficult to distinguish one from the other. But in any case, spreading that picture is hurtful. In addition to bitterness, criticism, dissatisfaction, there is a certain cynicism to it. It reminds me of the spread of a picture of the desecrated statue of Vazgen Sargsyan in Shushi immediately after the war, the clear purpose of which was to say to the current (or perhaps former) government, “Did you see what you did?” Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so poorly. And as in that case, now I want to ask my friends not to post this picture of “emigration” on their pages. After all, it is about the mother, and if someone says to their sick mother, “I will go, mom dear, but when (if) you get better, I will definitely come back”, it will seem very strange to us.
In the case of emigrants, yes, I have heard and read many times, “I am here temporarily. I will see how things will play out in Armenia, and if everything is fine, I can come.” Moreover, until 2018 I have heard more “decisive” announcements. “As soon as Serzh resigns, I will come home immediately.” But not only did they not come after Serzh left, emigration continued at least at the same pace. And I doubt that the only reason for that is the defeat in the war.
Naturally, I am not going to take on the role of a judge. Everyone has the right to arrange their life, and the reasons for emigrating can be very different. We are talking about the illusions that those who have stayed in Armenia and those who have left have, as if the whole problem is in Serzh or Nikol, and in the wrong “condition” that people put before them: “Oh, when patriotic and decent people come to power in Armenia…”
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, I think, is quite applicable not only in personal but also in public life. And here we have the question that I have asked several times recently: Why do we Armenians need a state? Democracy, establishing market relations? To liberate Kars and Ardahan? To punish the “former”? Our decency and patriotism or the democracy and patriotism of the authorities is not enough to answer that question. But the choice of people depends on the answer to that question: why should I live in Yerevan and not, say, in Chelyabinsk or Glendale?
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It is very desirable that people at least ask themselves that question.
Aram Abrahamyan
