The other day, in front of Hakob Mtsbnetsi church in the Ani district of Gyumri, we witnessed a scene of patriotism. A group of schoolboys of different ages were collecting tires, medicine, and cigarettes to send to the border. Some of them could barely roll the tires with their little hands. According to some of the residents of the neighborhood, they knocked on the doors, urging them to remove the car tires and hand them over to the defense of the motherland.
We approached them, wondering why they put boxes out, and why they collect cigarettes, medicine, clothes, or food for the soldiers, when the Ministry of Defense assured that our soldiers do not need anything. The young boys answered, “Just as a soldier does not need us, a soldier always needs our care, be it during war or peace. We spoke to them personally. There are soldiers in our circle. They told us what is needed, and we went to organize that work.”
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One of the boys, Yervand Nikoyan, said, “Khacho and I decided that we must participate in the defense of the motherland, even in this way. Can we sit quietly when there are fierce battles on the border? We went and brought boxes from the store, and collected sweets, warm clothes, cigarettes, water, and medicine. We sent tires yesterday.
The municipality provided a car, and we will send them today. It is true that there is a ceasefire, but the war can start again at any moment. We will help our soldiers as much as possible.” In response to our question of if they are ready for a peace agenda or reconciliation, 13-year-old Norayr Aleksanyan said, “Never with the enemy.” Fifteen-year-old Yervand Nikoyan also quoted the words of Garegin Nzhdeh. “Nzhdeh says it well: the Turk is the plural of sword, many swords that are stuck in the heart of the Armenian.”
Nune AREVSHATYAN
