Ashot Gabrielyan is a true patriot, teacher and leader. He hails from the town of Askeran, which boasts a grand fortress. In Artsakh, Gabrielyan and his family lived a quaint life breathing in crisp mountain air and surrounded by picturesque landscapes. He is grateful to have experienced the happiness of simple pleasures of Artsakh.
Since the forced displacement of the Armenians of Artsakh in September 2023, Gabrielyan has resided in Yerevan, where he works for the Emergency Responses Team, closely supporting the displaced children of Artsakh.
“Our world came crashing down on September 19, 2023. Today our days are shadowed by melancholic sorrow. Losing our home meant losing ourselves. We’ve endured the exhausting hardships of a crippling blockade, surviving without electricity and proper sustenance. We’ve witnessed the horrors of four wars, and in the end…” Gabrielyan reflected.
Before the mass displacement, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on Artsakh for over nine months. Gabrielyan experienced the blockade from two perspectives. At the start of the blockade, he was in Yerevan and unable to return home. He took the risk and journeyed back to Artsakh using an alternate route. Under blockade, he faced the challenges of limited electricity, shortages of food and transportation. “We endured periods without food, yet the thought of leaving Artsakh was inconceivable,” Gabrielyan said.
Gabrielyan, who taught in the Artsakh village of Kolkhozashen with Teach for Armenia, values his experiences with his students. His heartfelt words regarding his students were very touching. “My students were the heart and soul of my classroom. They came from all walks of life, each with their own unique stories and dreams. Despite facing challenges, they showed incredible resilience and determination every day. Their laughter, curiosity and kindness filled our classroom with warmth and joy. Now, as I’m not teaching and my students have been scattered across Armenia due to displacement from Artsakh, I carry their memories with me. I miss the lively discussions, the shared moments of learning and the bonds we formed as a community. Though we may be apart, their spirit continues to inspire me, and I hold onto hope for their future wherever they may be.”
I asked Gabrielyan about his future plans, and he stated that one goal that every Armenian should have is the return to Artsakh. He knows it will be hard and take a lot of time. “We should never give up on the idea of having Artsakh Armenian,” he concluded.
Wishing you endless success, Ashot, and may the vision of an Armenian Artsakh be reborn in the soul of every Armenian.
Talar Keoseyan
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Tragically, Artsakh is lost forever, just like Nakhichevan and Western Armenia. Azerbaijan plans to populate Artsakh with 140,000 Azerbaijanis, who are rabid Armenophobes, who would kill an Armenian on sight. Azerbaijan is an ethnocracy, an ethnostate and a fascist dictatorship that barely tolerates ethnic minorities and ruthlessly assimilates them. Armenians are not allowed to live there, let alone set foot there. Azerbaijan’s mindset is just like Nazi Germany’s. It is impossible to make peace with such a fanatical arch-enemy, which teaches from kindergarten owards to hate Armenians as evil and subhuman, and which wants to destroy Armenia. Making overtures to Azerbaijan from a position of weakness, is like a sheep trying to be friends with a wolf, in the hope that it won’t attack.
It is crucial to rebuild the lives of the Artsakhis in Armenia, with homes and provide jobs, as well as Armenian citizenship. Nikol Pashinyan has betrayed them and callously won’t lift a finger to help them. Armenian NGOs, individual citizens and also from the Armenian diaspora are doing their upmost to help the traumatized, homeless and stateless Artsakhi refugees, but Pashinyan is sabotaging their integration and denies them Armenian citizenship. But Pashinyan won’t rule forever, though the longer he stays in power, the more perilous the situation becomes for Armenia.
And we will never give up on Artsakh. 🙏🏻