Behind the Pride: Recognizing Artsakh
Armenian Roots
My Armenian heritage runs deep, despite the fragmentation that occurred with much of my family. It is through stories my mother orates, the food we cook on holidays, photographs, and family heirlooms that my family history is uncovered. This year, my mother, sisters and I began taking Armenian language lessons to deepen our understanding of our roots, with the hopes of traveling to Armenia someday.
Armenia is landlocked and mountainous, which might explain why I feel so connected to the mountains. It is also known to be the Fertile Crescent where wheat was cultivated and wine was created. Armenia was the first nation to accept Christianity as its national religion in 301 A.D. by St. Gregory the Illuminator.
The Armenian Genocide and the Quest to the U.S.
In 1915 the Turkish Ottoman Empire exterminated 1.5 million Armenians. In their plight, Turkey claimed much of Western Armenia which is now Eastern Turkey. To this day, they deny ever committing the Armenian Genocide. My great grandparents immigrated to the U.S. to escape the Hamidian massacres that were happening prior to 1915.
Orchestrated by the despotic Ottoman ruler, Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who came to the throne in 1876, wanted to restore the declining Ottoman Empire to its glory. He felt to do so, he had to put a stop to religious minorities such as the Armenians, who had been second class citizens, (paying special taxes, who were not allowed to give legal testimony in Islamic courts, and who could not carry weapons) and were making increasing demands for legal reform and even independence.
Luckily, in 1912, when my great-grandma Maryam was 8 years old, she immigrated to the U.S. with her sisters and mother. At age 16, she became a seamstress at Mill Rubber. Hagop, my great-grandfather, traveled to the U.S. with his younger brother and became a garment tailor in 1930. As seamstress and tailor, they married and began to carve out a new life in Massachusetts. Like a running stitch, sewing has become a thread that has run in the family ever since.
Sewing took on a new meaning in the process of appreciating the lineage of stitchers in my family as well as taking into account the tragedies they faced. Sewing became symbolic for creating something new with what one has, mending what has fallen apart, and incorporating a piece of meaningful fabric to keep close to you (i.e. a patch), reminding you of who you are and where you came from.
A photo of my great grandparents, Maryam and Hagop Kalashian.
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105 years have passed since the genocide, yet Armenians still face the threat of extermination from outside aggressors who share direct borders with them. In the summer of 2020, as my family and I began Armenian language lessons, we had no idea the tragedies that would soon strike our homeland.
War in Artsakh
Image by Vartan M. Public Domain | https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3514115
Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, was historically part of Armenia for thousands of years, but it has been a disputed territory in the 20th and 21st centuries. The predominantly Armenian-populated region was comprised of 94% Armenians residing in Artsakh in 1923, and 76.9% in 1989. For a broader understanding of this regions’ history and conflicts, Watch the Film: Parts of a Circle: History of the Karabakh Conflict.
In the series of disputes and wars between the post-Soviet states of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the most prominent was the First Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1988-1994. There have been military offensives and several attempts to take over the region on both sides since. Peace treaties seemed to have no substantial ground for actually creating a lasting agreement over the years. One reason Armenia is adamant to keep Artsakh as an Armenian territory is due to the artifacts and architectural monuments that contain Armenia’s culture and history dating back hundreds of years.
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan waged war in Artsakh, initiating the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Attacks began with shelling certain regions of the territory. Azerbaijan had the financial and military support of countries such as Turkey, Israel, Syrian mercenaries, and the U.S. Besides a continued effort of ethnic cleansing, the war strategy had a stake in gaining access to oil reserves and other natural resources like gold. With help from other countries, Azerbaijan was equipped with far more advanced military weapons of war than Armenia was.
Azerbaijan uses phosphorus munitions to burn forests in the Martuni Region | Image Source News.AM
As the 6-week war dragged on, the lack of international news coverage, as well as propaganda, was disheartening. Many nations failed to intervene and provide direct support while the unfair and gruesome war unfurled. While bodies continue to be recovered, reports say that up to 4,000 people were killed during the war- with countless injured, missing, and tens of thousands displaced. Young Armenians, including members of the diaspora, traveled to fight for the land of Artsakh.
A ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia was signed between the heads of state in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. The formalities ended the war on November 10, 2020. In the aftermath of the war, Artsakh’s churches, architectural artifacts, burial sites, land, and forests were desecrated. Armenians in Yerevan marched to mourn the deaths of their fallen soldiers and protested the decision made by Prime Minister Nicol Pashinyan, pressing him to resign from his position. The opposition felt that Pashinyan had mishandled the conflict entirely.
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, favors the expansion of Pan-Turkism. Their support to Azerbaijan during the war only helps them to achieve dominion. With both states surrounding Armenia geographically, their “two states- one nation” would achieve this dominion by continuing to kill Armenians, erase their indigenous heritage, and occupy the land- all of which they achieved in the Artsakh War.
Pride & Resiliency
Bringing awareness to these issues holds great importance to me because I am an Armenian diasporan. My ancestors went through great lengths to ensure our survival, and I hold a responsibility to protect our people, land, and culture which has been under threat for so long. We must keep our history alive for the generations to come. The running stitch does not end with us, it shall continue.
We Are Our Mountains Monument | Image Source Young Pioneer Tours
Call to Action
Calling on all Armenian and non-Armenian allies to support these efforts- whether that be through educating, spreading awareness, or donating monetarily. With the influx of displaced refugees of war, provisions of ample support and aid will be crucial to house, feed, clothe and rebuild. If you are reading this and are financially able, consider donating to one of these organizations that are offering support and delivering aid on the ground to families of fallen soldiers and communities in need.
The Patchamima Armenian Flag face masks are an homage to the resiliency of Armenians in the homeland and in the diaspora. The colors of the flag are meant to unite us globally and raise awareness of the geopolitical issues we are facing. To all indigenous and displaced peoples, you have a right to sovereignty and autonomy. Peace to Armenia and Artsakh.
Donate
Listed below are reputable organizations delivering humanitarian aid and relief packages to Armenians affected by the war.
Kooyrigs - Delivering medicine, food, water, clothing, and other supplies in Armenia https://kooyrigs.org/
Armenia Fund - Providing Armenia with humanitarian and infrastructural development https://www.armeniafund.org/
Artsakh Relocation Project - Sponsor a family https://linktr.ee/Artsakh.relocation.project
Learn More
Artsakh Resources https://sites.google.com/view/artsakhresources/home?authuser=0
Naima is the founder of Patchamima, a small business that makes patches, tapestries, and masks from upcycled fabrics. Their mission is to make slow fashion, fashionable. They bring a network of fashion stewards together like a patchwork quilt, spreading awareness of global issues through the story of fabrics,