I have a habit of flipping through the pages of my schoolchildren’s notebooks during their summer vacation. The essays that my seventh grade students had written that day were close to my heart. One of the students was a little uncertain as she was handing her notebook. Immersed in the essay, I started smiling with admiration, and a smile also appeared on her face. Since the other students were still writing, both of us kept silent and understood each other. “I love you, my native country, Armenia! I love you with all my heart and soul…Are you surprised that I, the daughter of Artsakh, referred to Armenia as my homeland? This might have seemed impossible decades ago and talking about this might have been prohibited, but now it is a reality, and for that we are grateful to our fathers and forefathers. I want to scream in a voice that will be heard around the whole world. I love you, my homeland, Armenia! I love your “blue-eyed” Lake Sevan, Mount Aragats with four peaks, your golden language, your depository the Matenadaran, your villagers who have turned black under the sun and everything, everything! I feel strong next to you and clung to a mother’s hand. I also feel proud that I am the daughter of a country that has achieved victories” (Karine Petrosyan).

Other students also wrote essays that were close to my heart, including the following: “You are a rocky and dreamy land, my Armenia! I am happy that you exist, that I am Armenian and live in Artsakh. All we have to do is to protect it so that Armenians live in peace and see the light of day” (Harutyun Harutyunyan). “I can’t live anywhere else. My heart is the continuity of this land. I am happy that I was born on this biblical land and feel proud that I am the descendant of Mother Armenia” (Areg Stepanyan). “I love you, my Armenia! Every Armenian abroad needs to know that you are the home of the Armenians, their past and present, Mother Armenia!” (Anna Karapetyan). “Wait, Armenia, many Armenians abroad will come to you, unite around you and help you build your future. Wait, Armenia! I am your future citizen, the one who will continue the just acts of your ancestors and am certain and proud that each Armenian of my generation can safely say: “I am your child, Mother Armenia!” (Anna Avtandilyan). I don’t deny the fact that there were also students who didn’t write so well, but reading their essays, I felt proud that during the class hour, all the Armenians of Armenia were “speaking” in those creative essays.

Natasha Poghosyan

Merited teacher of Artsakh,

Armenian language and literature teacher of

Vladimir Balayan Secondary School of Martakert