Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union at the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.
The Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, Vice President of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Edward Asryan, President of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union Sasun Mikayelyan, MPs, Cabinet members, members of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union were also present at the event.
The attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of the Armenians who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Motherland.
The Prime Minister delivered a speech, in which he particularly said,
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“Dear Minister of Defense,
Dear President of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union,
Dear Yerkrapah members,
Statesmen,
Spiritual fathers,
Dear attendees,
Today we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union in the conditions of crisis, in the conditions of the geopolitical crisis, the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh and, in general, the collapse of the world order.
The 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union is, of course, first of all an opportunity to commend your past way, to congratulate us all on that occasion. But there is actually a little more to the history of the earthkeeper and the history of the earthkeeper. It is actually related to the creation of the Third Republic of Armenia and statehood. But in reality, the history behind volunteerism and the history behind Yerkrapah Volunteer Union go a bot deeper. It’s actually linked with the creation and state-building of the Third Republic of Armenia.
Let me say that, in my understanding, volunteerism first of all came as a change in thinking, and the first bearer of that change in thinking was Vazgen Sargsyan. Who was Vazgen Sargsyan? We now know him as Sparapet, as the founder of the Armenian Army, as the founder of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union. I am not sure if everyone present here knows that Vazgen Sargsyan did not even serve in the army, in the Soviet army. He was a promising writer, a promising organizer, a promising figure in the field of culture.
How did he become Sparapet, the head of the Armenian army? First of all, because of the change in thinking, because that thinking is to understand what is happening and respond adequately to what is happening. This is the most important component of the change in thinking. Vazgen Sargsyan understood that Armenian statehood is the most important and above everything.
I was very happy to see this poster, because a lot can be listed from Vazgen Sargsyan’s legacy. All these walls can be decorated with the legacy of Vazgen Sargsyan, but I am grateful that this one was chosen, because it is about the state and statehood. What did Vazgen Sargsyan fight for? I must also talk about my belief as to why Vazgen Sargsyan was assassinated. It is my belief that Vazgen Sargsyan fought for the state and statehood. This is a very important point.
Andranik Ozanyan was mentioned in the footage, a referrence was made to his tragedy. I am sure that we all know that it was Vazgen Sargsyan who initiated the transfer of Andranik Ozanyan’s remains to the Republic of Armenia. And why was it so important to him? For one very important reason, because Vazgen Sargsyan knew what was Andranik Ozanyan’s tragedy in. Andranik Ozanyan’s tragedy was actually in the dissonance between the military leader of the national liberation struggle and the statehood. Yes, it was mentioned in the footage that Andranik Ozanyan eventually had to leave. Why did he have to leave? Because he could not find his place in the conditions of having a state and statehood.
Vazgen Sargsyan returned the remains of Andranik Ozanyan not to the Motherland, but to the State, because Vazgen Sargsyan wanted the reconciliation of the fedayi and the state. Let’s say, without volunteerism and the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union, we would not have independence. But, of course, there are problems in the relations between independence, peace and statehood gained with the blood of the volunteers. We will commit a sin before Vazgen Sargsyan and all our fallen brothers if we don’t talk about it.
Bringing the remains of General Andranik to the Republic of Armenia, organizing his funeral according to the state ceremony in the pantheon of the martyrs who laid down their lives for independence, Vazgen Sargsyan wanted that reconciliation, he was pursuing that reconciliation, it would be more correct to say harmony. Let’s understand one more thing: approximately 3 million people voted for independence, but Vazgen Sargsyan had to look for 500 people ready to sacrifice their lives. Let’s understand this ratio. 3 million people who voted “yes” and the need for 500 people ready to die. And we have to understand this too.
I often say in our discussions that the state is based on the willingness to sacrifice one’s life for the sake of that state. If there is no such willingness, there cannot be a state. But on the other hand, it is very important to continue this, because the state is not a place where people should die, the state is a place where people should live. Independence is not for a person to constantly die for that independence, independence is for a person to live, be independent, be protected, be happy, be prosperous.
I have had the honor to work and ponder in the office where Vazgen Sargsyan was sitting and working a few hours before he was killed. And now I have to say something that I have thought about a lot, but never voiced it. Of course, Sasun Mikayelyan talked about October 27, the assassination of October 27, about revealing the act of terrorism. It is the responsibility of the law enforcement officers, and I am sure that everything possible will be done for it. But let me share with you my belief as to why Vazgen Sargsyan was killed.
My belief is that Vazgen Sargsyan was killed because he not only understood the need, but also made a final decision to reformulate the national liberation struggle and make it a struggle for state building, a struggle for the state, a struggle for the institutionalization of the state, a struggle for strengthening the state, because sometimes we do not realize, and this is our biggest problem, in our reality, the State and the Motherland are not always perceived in the same way. And it is the breaking of those perceptions that reveal all our defeats. We must equate the concepts of Motherland and State, because the State is very specific, and if the Motherland is not a State, any other State can become the Motherland.
I would like to once again congratulate all of us on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union. But I want to say that the change that took place in Vazgen Sargsyan’s thinking, and when I talk about Vazgen Sargsyan, I am not only talking about him, because that change led to much wider changes, because we are talking about an epoch making man. But in 1999, the process of changing that thinking stopped, because once changed thinking is not as relevant after 10, 15 years, because the world is changing, and thinking must change with the world without cutting off from its own origins. I compare it to the flight of a rocket. When a rocket leaves the ground, at a certain height, the first stage, its engines are detached, released, because if those same engines remain on that rocket with the same formula, it will stop at one point and fall. Those first-stage rockets are released to connect with the second-stage rockets to ensure progress, so that in the next stage, the third-stage rockets are already connected, which will take the rocket to the target point. I am drawing parallel between this and the change in thinking. Vazgen Sargsyan was our rocket of the first stage, but he did not leave even at that point, because, of course, no one would rule forever in a democratic country.
And it is very important that we continue this process and we continue it. The large-scale reforms that are taking place in the army, in the Armed Forces, are the reforms named after Vazgen Sargsyan, we do not call them that way, but I want to draw the attention of all of us to the following. today in the Republic of Armenia, there is a body in the Armed Forces named after Vazgen Sargsyan, it is the Military University named after Vazgen Sargsyan.
This is the next strongest message. Patriotism, emotion is very important, but in the 21st century, patriotism will weaken without knowledge, emotion will turn against itself without knowledge. We should be able to continue this path and remember this message on that way, which is about Independence, which is about sovereignty, which is about the State. And we should not be afraid to say on behalf of Vazgen Sargsyan that the Motherland is the State and the State is the Motherland. I congratulate everyone on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the, long live the Republic of Armenia.”
Next, Yerkrapah Volunteer Union President Sasun Mikayelyan handed over jubilee medals dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Yerkrapah Volunteer Union to a group of volunteers. Vazgen Sargsyan, Sparapet (commander of the army), the eternal president of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union, and many volunteers who stood at the roots of the union were also awarded posthumously.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also visited the Yerablur military pantheon on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union, to pay tribute to the memory of Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan and General Andranik Ozanyan.
