Baku Survivor Adapts to a New World

In a world marked by violence and remorse, Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte considers herself a survivor—and rightfully so. She survived a pogrom in Baku at the height of the Azeri conflict. She faced assimilation and survived that. It was not easy being estranged from her native land and childhood friends, but she survived that. She survived being Armenian on hostile ground and survived the innuendoes of a new and often unacceptable world. And for all these survivals, she became a better woman for it, looking to justify her heritage and speak out about genocide in the far reaches of Maine where she practices law and raises a family. “I wondered what the future would be like for me in America and the person I would become,” she told an audience of enraptured listeners in North Andover recently. “As a 13-year-old immigrant, I was petrified with thoughts of what the new country had in store for me and my family.” It’s all there in a book she’s had published called “Nowhere,” her story of exile, a hot-selling nugget from a diary she kept. She travels a lot with her story and books in tow, much in demand, and extremely poised. On this visit to Merrimack Valley, she brought her family along so her two children (Armen and Evangeline) could visit the Museum of Science in Boston the next day. Not long ago, Anna drew a packed house in Philly, giving a voice to a horrific tragedy seldom reported in the West. She tells of her life as a refugee, documenting the organized terror in Baku and Azerbaijan amid the struggles to find herself, all against the decline of the Soviet Union. At a time of rampant ethnic cleansing, this child victim lived to tell about it while others were not as fortunate. “The independence of Artsakh was a major factor that escalated Azeri hostility toward Armenians,” she recalled. “The most memorable thing for me was having my father sitting in the dark with knives and waiting it out. I remember hiding in school when the demonstrations went bad. There was violence in the street but you never expect it to come to you.” Over her 36 years, Turcotte has become a strong voice in the global fight against ethnic cleansing and an inspiration for survivors around the world. After fleeing to Yerevan along with thousands of other Armenians, a new life was formed for the youngster. The family resettled in North Dakota in 1992 and five years later, Anna became a U.S. citizen. It didn’t come easy, often finding herself as an outsider surviving in an unheated basement facing discrimination again, this time by her own people. She graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2003 and became one of the first Americans to clerk for the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. She and husband John, another attorney, reside in Westbrook, Maine, where she now works in the financial industry. She started writing her book by hand at age 14 before completing it two years later. She dedicated the work to future generations, including her own children. The book was ultimately published in 2012. “Simply a young girl’s story of experiencing human beings at their worst,” as she puts it. “The tragedy was covered up. I want the world to understand that Nagorno-Karabagh is subjected to the same abuse we were, and the United States needs to recognize their independence. In turn, peace-loving people from the brutal Azeri hold must be released of their bonds.” The mere mention of a role model draws refute from Turcotte. A crusader perhaps, but not role model. Those she leaves to the survivors—people like her parents and friends and others who endured the strife. She’s been to Capitol Hill, lobbying for issues of importance to Armenian-Americans and the current situation in N-K. It came during the 21st anniversary of Artsakh Independence from the Azeris, hosted by the Congressional Armenian Caucus and Armenian National Committee of America, “I met many activists that fight daily for the people of N-K and their freedom,” Turcotte points out. “I hope through my book, I am their voice.” Among those she acknowledges in the book is Tatul Sonentz-Papazian for his editing work, as well as her resilient parents Norik and Irina Astvatsaturov.