“Pray for Success.” A pilgrimage to Dadivank is planned, says Aravot.am’s interlocutor, the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, His Grace Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan.
– Your Holiness, what are the problems related to the service of the clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Dadivank? A few days ago, in a conversation with a number of media outlets, you stated that you had not been able to contact our clergy for two weeks.
– Everything is normal, thank God, there is a connection, we can also supply food. Everything is fine, the boys are feeling well, as the soldiers say, their moral and psychological condition is good.
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– In fact, since May of last year, Azerbaijan has banned Armenians from entering Dadivank. In the end, was there a solid explanation? Is there any change in the situation?
– No, they did not give us any reason. They did not want to do it, so they did not do it. That’s all. In short, “it’s our territory, that’s what we want”․․․ If all goes well, I may arrange a trip on Sunday to attend the Easter Mass. Pray that it will work out. Yes, this will be the first visit after the ban. If we manage to go to the big Easter liturgy, to make a pilgrimage, it will be a wonderful event for all of us.
– And in general, what problems do you face in keeping the viability of Dadivank high?
– We do not have a problem as such. The problem is that the “responsible people” of their culture and the “orientalists” claim that Dadivank is an Udi or Albanian church or theirs. The clergyman of the Russian church there is also in such conversations. He asserts his position without knowing the truth. Well, their approach is known, it is not always constructive. On the contrary, they always try to create tension and benefit from it.
– Your Holiness, the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan announced in February of this year that a special commission had been set up to remove from the so-called “Albanian religious temples” the “false traces left by the Armenians.” In fact, such an order was openly voiced by the leader of Azerbaijan. What is your assessment of Azerbaijan’s falsification policy?
– Their idea is known – to destroy the documents of the Armenian historical and cultural monuments, in order to show the world that they allegedly allowed the people of Artsakh to live there, but today they do not allow it. In other words, they deprive us of our historical identity in order to easily solve the problem of deporting the Armenians of Artsakh.
The reality is different․ We live in our land and country, and the monuments, monasteries, churches, are the result of our fathers’ hands, thoughts and prayers.
– How satisfactory do you consider the reaction of the international community to this issue since the war?
– If we mean serious organizations, they did not raise their voices, except for fleeting, footnote statements. But that seriously, as monuments, as bearers and defenders of historical and cultural values all over the world, they did not touch the table, as after the khachkars of Jugha, so now they did not raise their voices, and so on. Many have taken a conventional position or are more speechless. I think this is the proof that the value system has deviated from its place. I do not think that we should have a wait-and-see attitude towards such structures and make payments from the annual state budget so that they live but do not raise anything.
– If we look at the previous year again, Azerbaijan fires on one hand, ethnically cleanses the Armenians, destroys every Armenian and Christian value, and the other hand goes for the so-called peace. What about the behavior of the enemy?
– I have seen the three wars. I can best describe that they went bad. Maybe it is good for them, but we, as a nation with history and culture, are witnessing that in the 21st century they are not approaching civilization, but continuing vandalism and savagery. Even after the two wars, if historical and cultural values remained in their territory and they approached them with reservations, today the situation is completely different. I do not even know how to describe it, it is a terrible phenomenon. Seeing the cross, they are immediately immersed in hatred, smashing, so this is a formed and serious program for them.
Luiza Sukiasyan
