I found out about the “What are YOU doing for Karabakh?” pan-Armenian movement from Hayern Aysor electronic newspaper of the RA Ministry of Diaspora. This is exactly what is aimed at ensuring proportionate development of the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora triumvirate, and to ensure that, it is necessary to use the collective potential of the Armenian people and take advantage of their unity. The nation needs to unite around one idea, and the safety and welfare of citizens need to be ensured.

I consider this a call for alertness to all Armenians around the world, and the question sounds the alarm about what we Armenians are doing for this piece of land…But what am I doing? I live in Martakert and teach at the middle school named after devoted fighter of the Artsakh war Vladimir Balayan.

We didn’t choose to live by surviving in our bordering settlement. People of all ages of this settlement are dedicated individuals. The right to live becomes more significant near the border. No matter what the price is, people are persistently clung to the land in order to save it, and the right to live freely becomes a key objective.  We hear the mines blow up near the border and feel that, at that moment, a person becomes a hero not only on the frontline, but also on his native land, and the “sound” of the land is heard within a person.

Sometimes my steps take me to the basement of our residential building that is referred to as a shelter. It smells horrible in there. The walls are moldy, it is very humid, and there are even rats, but I touch the walls in darkness to find the light that keeps us here. I see children who have seen war at school, and sometimes I have soul-stirring emotions…

When the shootings become louder, the real images of the soldiers of our days become the literary heroes I know, the discussion on the topic of motherhood ends with the prayer of a mother waiting for her son to come home, and the analysis of a love story becomes complete with the touching words about the love for a soldier…At those moments, I want to “hug” a word that itself radiates, and every time, my emotional soul “hugs” a bright life that will become a barrier between me and the shootings heard from the other side of the border…

Although I am concerned about the destiny of our generation, I become more and more convinced that the will of an Armenian is unbreakable. The representative of a generation full of faith, persistent and with an infinite love for the homeland could write the following: “I don’t know a lot about the art of the military, but I know very well about the sincere spirit and unwavering will of a human being. All of us, regardless of gender, are sworn-in soldiers of this sacred land. Most of our friends could have been with us today, if their lives were a higher value than dying for the homeland. I can’t even picture myself without a homeland. The borders of Artsakh are being demarcated with the blood that Armenian soldiers shed every day, and it is our sacred duty to maintain and protect that border.” (Varduhi Javadyan)

My soul is at ease. So, these generations have the feeling of patriotism and are unconditionally dedicated. We the people living in the bordering settlement of Artsakh who have chosen this difficult path to live forever on this land want to see all Armenians united as one. We hate this disastrous war and dream of peace.

Merited pedagogue of Artsakh,

Teacher of Armenian language and literature at Vladimir Balayan Middle School in Martakert

Natasha Poghosyan