THE DAYS OF AZERBAIJAN IN ARMENIA - SELECTED COMPOSITIONS

HI, MY CONTEMPORARY
FROM AZERBAIJAN!

I am very much delighted that I am offered this opportunity to write this letter. I know that there have been many wars before, for example, Karabakh war which took place in the years 1990-1994 and Azerbaijan lost that war.

I know that you call us aggressors, invaders, occupants for the lands that we have occupied. I think all of us are to be to blame.

But I do wish that we were on good terms. The events happening today are the matter of “adults”. I do wish that the growing generation have already made up and adjusted their relations with one another. I wish you good luck, my dear contemporary and let my dream come true, let peace and smile be spread all over the world!

Arman Ghazaryan
8-th class
04-05-2008

IF THIS TREND CONTINUES,
WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE ENEMIES

When an Armenian child is born, just one idea occurs to him or her and that idea is as follows: Turks are our enemies. Turkish people are living in Azerbaijan. It follows that Armenian children ought to consider Azerbaijan their enemies, too. But it is not so.

After I had conducted a few interviews with 12-year-old children who have studied the history and are well-acquainted with the hostile relations, I understood that my friends do not consider that Azerbaijan is an enemy to Armenia.

My friends find that today’s generation of Azerbaijan is not guilty of the fact that their ancestors caused great damage to Armenia and were considered to be enemies to Armenia.

Personally, I think that it is wrong to teach an Armenian child that Turks are our enemies. An Armenian child should be taught that one should forgive Turks. After all, by keeping our hostile relations we will never be able to return the deceased who fell victim during the Genocide and who were slaughtered by Turks. If this trend continues, we will always have enemies who will always wish us, Armenians, bad luck and will cause us damage.

I am certain that any citizen of Azerbaijan would like to put an end to such hostile relations. Here’s my personal opinion and the opinion of my surroundings: peace, peace, and once again peace.

Amalia Karapetyan
8-th class
04-05-2008

IF THIS TREND CONTINUES,
WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE ENEMIES

Azerbaijan: friend or enemy? If it is a question, I will give my own answer. Azerbaijan, to be more exact, my contemporaries from Azerbaijan are my friends. I have neither hatred nor fear inside of me.

I do know that Azerbaijan is willing to wage war with our country. But in any case I have no fear. No matter how much my father declares that Azerbaijan has bad intentions, in any case I have my own personal opinion and I am certain that our countries will get reconciled.

Finally, peace will be established. Probably, one fine day my family and I or together with the school will go to Azerbaijan. Those who do not share this intention and view of mine and think that there will be a war, will change their opinions.

Though we are not “adult” and mature enough to understand what war is like, but according to the history told by our teacher we do understand that it is better to live in peace than at senseless war.

And before levying a war, either of the sides ought to think about their mothers and children. I suggest forgetting all the events and discrepancies arisen between us in the past. If it is even difficult to do so, then let us make friends.

I do hope that many will agree with me. And if not, I will do my best to prove my rightness to my friends.

A “war-against” person

Ester Paloyan
9-th class
04-05-2008

An open letter to my contemporary from Azerbaijan

HELLO, BAKU ! – FROM YEREVAN
TO MY CONTEMPORARY AND MY FRIEND.
ERIK IS WRITING TO THE SAME AS HE IS,
TO HIS BROTHER FROM AZERBAIJAN.

YES, I CALL YOU MY BROTHER,
BECAUSE GOD WHEN CREATING US
THOUGHT ONLY ABOUT THE SAME THING.

AND BY AN OPEN LETTER OF MINE,
I SUGGEST CREATING BROTHERHOOD FOREVER.

LET US FORGET ALL THE MISFORTUNES
AND TURMOIL
WHICH OUR COUNTRIES FACED
IN THE PAST.
SINCE WE ARE NOT OBLIGED
TO BE INVOLVED
IN THE WAR OF OUR ANCESTORS.

THEY SAY TIME HEALS THE WOUNDS,
BUT NOT THE SCARS.
BUT SUCH SCARS ARE EASILY ERASED
IF UNITY AND LOVE PENETRATE INTO US.

THE HOPE IS THAT BY THE WORDS
OCCURRED TO ME
AND COMMITTED TO THE PAPER,
I AM SAYING FROM ALL PEOPLE’S
HEARTS.
WITH LOVE FROM YEREVAN,
FROM ERIK ASTVATSATRYAN.

Erik Astvatsatryan
10-th class
04-05-2008

AZERBAIJAN:
ENEMY OR FRIEND?

Under the present circumstances, the title “Enemy or Friend?” is not to the point. The word “enemy” should be focused on here. The above-stated word can be attributed, for example, to the USA and Iraq which are at war with each other or it can be attributed to the Great Patriotic War which took lives of millions people.

The being of the enemies and the waging of the war signifies a defeat of either sides, since the victims because of material goods become the people, after death of which no medals or monuments which are erected in squares are needed.

Now let us proceed to “Artsakh Problem” which has not been settled for already 20 years. The point is that the sides of the conflict, in this case Armenia and Azerbaijan, are unable to reach an agreement. As the either sides wish that the problem were settled in their favour and in consideration of their conditions, they are in no way able to arrive at a mutual agreement. Such negotiations are not called “enmity”, but they are called a disagreement of the sides. If after all this, the sides become enemies, then it is the ordinary people who will suffer. And if they come to an agreement, then people will not die, but Artsakh will become the territory of Azerbaijan.

Therefore, considering the faults and mistakes committed in the past I find that it will be better to be neither enemies nor friends, but adhere to a neutral position. It is desirable that no conflicts should exist between our countries, but unfortunately, it is beyond realization.

Argishti Karapetyan
10-th class
04-05-2008

Not to live with the past, that is what matters more! A letter to an Azerbaijanian friend

During many years Armenia has waged wars with its south-east neighbour, Azerbaijan, and up to now they have been on bad terms with each other.

I liked you at first sight. But then I did not know your name and my first wish was to make friends with you. And when I learned what nationality you were, that you were an Azerbaijanian, then I could not feel any abhorrence and hatred any longer. You were so innocent. Your face expressed your thoughts. Your face expressed some great regret and pity.

Samira, I have been thinking a lot, why we, ordinary people, should be at enmity with each other? Azerbaijanians and Armenians have fought a lot against each other. Azerbaijanians have been instigators for many times and in most cases the instigator was the government. Is the nation to blame? In retrospect, we can remember how O.Tumanyan, a prominent Armenian writer and an Azerbaijan writer used to walk along the villages with a white flag held in their hands and they propagated peace. We, the younger generation of today, ought to walk from house to house and propagate peace, friendship. Many days have passed since our last meeting. And today I have made up my mind to write to you, make friends with you and do my best so that no war will ever break out.

You and I have brothers and it is very crucial for both of us that they should be near us and that they should not expose themselves to dangers and bullets, and that we should not spend sleepless nights thinking about our brothers, fathers, fiances whether they are alive or not.

I, being an Armenian, and you, being an Azerbaijanian, ought to admit the historical reality and never forget our past and never live with the past. I think trying not to live with the past, that is what matters more! What matters more is to live in the present and think about our future. And the future of ours should be devoid of any confrontations, clashes, enmity and bloody consequences of misunderstanding. I am declaring about the future of ours with confidence because the future of ours should be built by us, you, our friends and me!

Many declare that the reason of our contradictions and discrepancies lies with our different religions. That is true, I am a Christian and you are a Muslim, but this fact cannot be an obstacle for our friendship. Personally, what is more important for me is that my friend was a believer and you can believe in your God and fulfill His commandments and I will believe in my God and fulfill His commandments. Sometimes it is unbelievable how Armenians and Azerbaijanian people who have been at wars and enmity for so many years, can make friends?! You and I can prove that the times have changed and the world has changed, as well. Our friendship can be a proof not only for the countries and nations, but also for the entire world. Our friendship can show that there still exists grain of honesty and kindness in the universe.

Let me finish writing this letter, though there is still much to say. If you agree with me a bit, then reply to my letter. I do hope to hear from you soon and I will be delighted to see you in our country.

Your new Armenian friend,

Azatuhi Yeranosyan
11-th class
04-05-2008

I AM WRITING TO YOU AND HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU WILL REACT

Hello, my dear contemporaries from Azerbaijan! You will probably get surprised at reading the word “dear”, but I sincerely declare that you indeed dear. I am writing to you and have no idea at the same time how you will perceive and react to it.

I know about our ancient and century-old enmity but despite it I am offering my hand of reconciliation because the dearest persons to me who partook in the war whenever ask them avoid recalling those horrible scenes of war. Whenever I ask them to tell about the war, they keep silent and by their looks and eyes I understand and even see the evil power and grasp of the war.

I think it is high time we stopped being enemies and feeling enmity for each other. I wish the war and irreconcilability were left in the past. We are the present and the future of our countries, aren’t we? Who not strive to do our best to stop the enmity and live in peace and order?

Despite the fact that we are close neihgbours, we have been at war with each other for many years. Both you and we lost our compatriots, relatives, friends in that war. It is one of the most violent and cruel event in life. I think no matter if Armenians or Azerbaijan people sustained more losses, the fact is that murder of a human being brings misfortune and pain.

In other words, I would like to point out that we are not inclined to feel enmity for you and we do wish that you were rational in this matter, as well and thought about our future. Let us love each other. Let us make it up and be reconciled and peace between us will be established automatically. I do request that you think over my proposal.

Ani Simonyan
Pedagogic college
second-year
04-05-2008

It is most important to be open and frank: an open letter to an Azerbaijanian friend

I hail you, my friend and contemporary. I would like to meet you very much in our homeland, Armenia or visit you in your homeland. I wish we could go a long way and reach the border that separates our countries. I wish we could erase the border with a rubber. I am afraid, we can only draw and erase this border in our own imagination. Anyway, it is the heart of the problem. What is most important is that I wish we could understand each other and be open and frank at the same time.

I have much to tell you that at the moment I even don’t know what to begin with. Life is wonderful, isn’t it? We are born to be individuals. We are formed as personalities, individuals and later each, to the best of his/her abilities, build his/her own personality. Everything seems to be so simple, ordinary, pure and bright that you cannot even imagine that there is another world besides the one we are living in. In our real life, like in fairy-tales, there is a constant and endless war between the good and evil. The one whose personality (individuality) is stronger is always a winner, and others always ought to obey him. But no evil power will ever make me keep silent and not tell the fact that I am an Armenian and love my Armenia, my culture, the history, my nation. I am dead certain that you can see eye to eye with me and you can declare the same about your own homeland.

We are seemed to be surrounded with orators, public speakers, including us. We say, deliver speeches, listen, praise and do nothing! Simply, we are scared of dark “clouds”. But these “clouds” have been accumulated on account of our faults and mistakes of our history committed in the past. Once a single fault or error looking like a flash is made, it then can grow up and spread and at the same time supported by numerous combustible materials will turn into fire, an eternal fire which wishes to abate and fade, but unfortunately it is in no condition to do so.

Today, I am a tiny point on the world map. Despite this, I wish, you see, from deep of my heart, to fill spring water onto the flaming fire. You, he, our friends, our generation and I do not assume responsibility for the traces left by our history, but we are guilty for the present and will always be condemned in the future.

If you agree with me to this question a bit, then let us declare about it and unite, keep our hopes and finally, let us get to know each other:
- Hello, I am Armenian, and you are Azerbaijanian?
- No. We are human beings made of flesh and blood. We were simply thrown here by turbulent wind, here where we are destined to be.


I hope to hear from you soon.

Mariam Markosyan
pedagogic college third-year
04-05-2008

A LETTER ADDRESSED TO
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN AZERBAIJAN

Dear colleagues! This is the letter from Gayane Hamlet Parvanyan and Manushak Grigor Chorekyan, the Russian language teachers of “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Education Complex.

We have an opportunity of communicating with each other because there is no any language barrier between us.

All teachers love their pupils and wish them happy life, long life and health. Like us, you are concerned about the conflict between our neighbourhood countries.

Let our common mission and task be directed at the fact that our pupils, future citizens of our countries will never see enmity in each others’ eyes, but instead see kind and peaceful neihgbours. We do hope that you will reply to us.

Sincerely yours, your colleagues.

You are free to contact us by our e-mails.

gajanep_var@rambler.ru
Gayane Parvanyan
manushak_var@rambler.ru
Manushak Chorekyan
04-05-2008