Renowned Armenologist, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Armenia Alexander Bozhko was recently in Armenia. It’s always a pleasure to talk to this wonderful person whom I met in the 1970s when I was studying at Yerevan State University.

“Hayern Aysor”: Dear Mr. Bozhko, you were recently presented with the “Ambassador of the Native Language” Medal of the RA Ministry of Diaspora. I congratulate you on behalf of all our readers and especially the Diaspora Armenians who know you and highly appreciate your contributions to the strengthening of Armenian-Ukrainian relations.

Alexander Bozhko: Thank you very much. It was a great honor for me to receive the medal. It makes me work harder for the dissemination and preservation of the Armenian language in Ukraine.

“Hayern Aysor”: You haven’t been the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Armenia for a long time now, but you often visit Armenia and are closely linked to Armenian cultural and literary life in the country. How would you assess Armenian-Ukrainian cultural relations in the past decade?

A.B.: I’m really closely linked to the literary process in Armenia. My visit to Armenia with my wife, Raisa Gharagyozyan, who is a translator presenting contemporary Ukrainian literature in Armenian, fell in line with the conference of Armenian writers, and we attended that important event for my Armenian colleagues. I had a meeting with the new leadership of the Union of Writers of Armenia. Unfortunately, I must say that Armenian-Ukrainian cultural relations aren’t at the level that they should be. Neither side is content. Yes, there are new translations such as the translations of L. Khechoyan’s book “Trees of Incense” and Y. Charents’s book “Book on the Road” by A. Mesropyan and M. Nesterchuk respectively, Vsesvit magazine has devoted pages to Armenian writers, and last year Raisa Gharagyozyan released her translations of M. Kotsyubinsky’s book “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” and S. Parajanov’s one-volume book “Eternal Movement”. I wrote the prelude for the latter. But this isn’t enough. The process isn’t ongoing. Contemporary Armenian and Ukrainian writers don’t know each other well. We Ukrainians are almost unaware of the events taking place in Armenian and Ukrainian literature…So, we have a lot to do to fill the “crack” that has emerged as a result of the political changes that have taken place in our days.

“Hayern Aysor”: Armenia and Ukraine have different geopolitical positions and different approaches. How would you assess the political and economic cooperation between our two countries? Are you satisfied with the current level of relations?

A.B.: You’re probably referring to Kiev’s decision to sign the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union at the Summit in Vilnius and Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union. True, every country forms its development strategy based on conditions in the country, as well as socio-economic and geopolitical conditions. But this doesn’t mean that there will be a barrier between our countries after the signing in Vilnius. On the contrary, if the President of Ukraine resists Russia’s pressures and signs the Associated Agreement in late November, then yes, Ukraine will start taking a difficult path and will meet European standards in all spheres step-by-step. We hope to achieve success, and this will set a good example for other CIS countries, including Armenia.

“Hayern Aysor”: The fate of our nation has led to the expansion of the Diaspora. Some Armenians are pleased with the existence of the Diaspora, but I personally view it as a national tragedy. There is an Armenian community in Ukraine that traces back to centuries. Is the Ukrainian-Armenian community being established today able to become involved in Ukraine’s politics, economy and culture?

A.B.: If people are leaving the country, then this is truly a national tragedy. Let’s recall the mobility of Armenians in different periods of history, particularly the mobility of Armenians due to the genocide perpetrated in the 20^th century that led to the reduction of Armenia’s territory and the emigration of Armenians. As far as the Armenian community of Ukraine is concerned, it is really becoming established and is becoming more and more influential year after year. Thanks to their talent and diligence, Armenians play an active role in Ukraine’s politics, economy, culture and education. In ancient Armenia, people would count the numbers like this-one, ten, hundred, a thousand and then they would say “several”. That is how many Armenians there are in Ukraine, and they’re growing in number. When I go on vacation in Crimea, I definitely participate in the Armenian Vardavar celebration held at the 15^th century Holy Cross Convent, which is located in a beautiful corner of Crimea.

Armenians from Crimea and other corners of Ukraine gather here with their families. They also hold an annual festival for Armenian cultural groups, and I always see more and more youth here. I remember how I looked at those nice, young Armenians and felt like asking them, ��?Boys, whom have you left your beautiful Armenia and the marvelous Artsakh…? It’s not the year 1064 when the Seljuk Turks seized Armenian lands and destroyed the wonderful capital of Ani…” There is no sense in hoping that all Armenians will return to the homeland. Some will, but the smart and hard-working Armenians will stay in Ukraine so that they can become established and help the country grow. Of course, God bless them, but I would like to see more Armenians in Armenia.

“Hayern Aysor”: You know a lot about Armenia, our language and history. Are we making enough effort to present ourselves, our cultural heritage and the present-day country to the world?

A.B.: Yes, Armenia has a rich history and a great culture, was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion and the country that expressed its orientation earlier than the Roman Empire. And the nature…For instance, Zangezur and the wonderful cliffs in Goris where my wife was born…And the ancient architectural monuments….And the poetry, Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, the Matenadaran…I can go on and on. Armenia is a real heavenly country for tourists. I think Armenia has to make a lot of effort and a lot of contributions to present the country, its cultural heritage and the present-day country to the world. In addition, this is time-consuming.

“Hayern Aysor”: What does Armenia mean to you-in the past, today and perhaps the future?

A.B.: When I first visited Armenia decades ago, I fell in love with the country, its culture and history, the sun and the plants in Armenia and finally-the people. I feel like I can never get enough of Armenia, and that’s why I always visit to get some kind of force and inspiration. Like my homeland Ukraine, Armenia was also a Soviet republic and is now an independent country, but has a lot to do to finally become a strong and independent country. As for the future, I’m certain that everything will be fine. After all, the world is changing for the better. For instance, Yerevan has become beautified. I only wish builders would no longer have the obsession to build skyscrapers, destroying the harmony in the city and overlooking the contributions that Tamanyan made.

Interview by Levon Mutafyan