MOSCOW (Realist English). These and other questions were answered by the chief researcher of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), Doctor of Technical Sciences Gennady Amiryants, who wrote the book “Wise Men in the Balance”, dedicated to the dramatic fate of modern Armenia (and Artsakh as her most important historical part), the homeland of the heroes of this book — scientists, designers, military leaders, artists and cultural figures.
Gennady Ashotovich, what’s prompted you to write the book “Wise Men in the Balance”?
Gennady Amiryants: There is no brief answer. A lot of things hurt. Our homeland: Artsakh, and with it the whole of Armenia, are now in critical danger. Fascist in its undisguised, cynical nature, the regime in Azerbaijan, together with the more experienced executioner of the Armenian people, its elder brother Turkey, sharply intensified the implementation of long-standing plans to eliminate Armenia from the political and geographical maps of the world. Turkey, which has established unprecedented close, mutually beneficial political, economic and military relations with Russia today, directly or indirectly supported by the Turkic states, mercenaries from the Middle East, Israel, Pakistan, Georgia, Belarus … is closer than ever to realizing its long-standing dream — the Great Turan.
There is a well–known opinion that Turkey and Azerbaijan are not so much the main beneficiaries as an instrument in the big politics of some powerful supranational forces. They have long planned the creation of a wide “trade” transport corridor through the south of Armenia, independent of her and controlled by them. The more difficult is the position of Armenia, which is increasingly narrowing and turning into a pawn in the big game. The more dangerous are the threats to her existence as an independent, self-sufficient, prosperous State. Every tenth large-scale war in the world was between Russia and Turkey, and there was always an Armenian soldier next to a Russian soldier. Wars ended, the Russians left, and who found themselves next to the Turks? Armenians! Cruel, vindictive Turkey has never forgiven the Armenians for their long-standing and strong friendship with Russia, the age-old enemy of the Turks. And for the last at least hundred years, Russia, which periodically establishes a truce with Turkey that is strategically important for it, has repeatedly betrayed Armenia, and each time on a larger scale, more insensitive, more cynical.
The misfortune and irony of the fate of Armenia, which has become a bargaining chip for Russia in its relations with Turkey, are obvious. Due to the criminal limitations of its leaders in recent decades, our country has turned out to be blind, dumb and deaf. Therefore, in a multipolar world, it has become a disenfranchised ally — only of Russia. And this is despite the fact that the United States of America was ready to provide patronage to tiny Armenia in 1920. Then Soviet Russia entered into a collusion with Turkey, which turned out disastrous for the future of Armenia. The United States is ready to be the guarantor of Armenia’s security today (together, for example, with France and other Western countries), if Armenia were not part of the CSTO bloc that opposes them. The very block that, of course, did not protect Artsakh (and this is the heart, the key part of Armenia) from an attack on it by Azerbaijani and Turkish troops, reinforced by mercenaries from the Middle East, in 2020. Moreover, Russia, in the conditions of her unprecedented confrontation with the collective West, turned out to be particularly deeply interested in an alliance with Turkey and Azerbaijan. She armed Azerbaijan to the teeth and thereby pushed Azerbaijan to this war in order to play the role of a noble conciliator and savior of Armenians after 44 days of bloodshed.
The passivity of the CSTO was then explained by a far—fetched reason: Armenia did not recognize the sovereignty of Artsakh, and Artsakh is not Armenia. As if the enlightened world does not understand who did not allow Armenia to recognize the unanimously expressed will of the Karabakh people to self-determination. But Russia and the CSTO did not come to Armenia’s aid when Azerbaijan, with the powerful support of its friends, openly attacked Armenia in September 2022! So this book is an appeal to the Russians. To the equidistant, indifferent, uninformed, rational – such are most of them. To those for whom there is no difference: “Let’s go! Are we going to lose our guys for you, blackheads?!”.
Yes, today’s Russia strongly depends on mutually beneficial relations with Turkey and with its younger brother Azerbaijan. This is her choice and her right. The right to benefit. But how can you close your eyes to the fact that these friends of Russia do not hide their brazen, fascist ideology. Turkey is tainted with the insidious destruction of many hundreds of thousands of peaceful fellow citizens at the beginning of the last century. And Azerbaijan — already in our time, in the continuation of this genocide, expelled from its country all the Armenians whom it did not have time to brutally slaughter. All this has happened and is happening with the connivance, or even with the approval of England, Germany, Israel…
How can one not notice, for example, such words: “Turkey has the power to erase Armenia from history and geography,” Mustafa Destici, a member of the Turkish parliament, said menacingly recently. “There will be no state of Armenia in the South Caucasus in the next 25 years. These people have no right to live in this region,” said Safar Abiyev, Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, a country artificially created by the Bolsheviks at the beginning of the twentieth century from the nomadic newcomers of Central Asia and Altai, in 2004 on the lands where Armenians had lived for millennia. A year later, the Mayor of Baku, Hajibala Abutalybov, addressing the German delegation, said: “Our goal is the complete annihilation of the Armenians. You Nazis already exterminated Jews in the 1930s-40s, right? You have to understand us.” A major of the Azerbaijani army, known to the whole civilized world, who killed a sleeping Armenian lieutenant with an axe during the participation of the both in the NATO program in Hungary, said at the trial in January 2006: “If there were more Armenians there, I would like to kill them all… My vocation is to kill all Armenians.”
And here is what the dictator-President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the commander-in-chief of the country that attacked the tiny, self-determined Artsakh (Karabakh), who heroically held out for 44 days, together with the most powerful Turkish army in the region said in October 2020: “This is the end. We showed them who we are. We are persecuting them (Armenians) like dogs.” England, Germany, Russia, Israel are silent… Only when it became known about the brutal killings of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijanis in September 2022 – and especially barbaric with regard to women – the Council of Europe demanded from Azerbaijan “detailed and accurate” information about the extrajudicial executions of Armenian prisoners of war. Yes, everyone, including Russia, has its own benefit. Politics, as you know, is a dirty business. But there are people in Russia (I am addressing them) for whom such archaic but eternal concepts as purity, loyalty, gratitude remain important… One of my teachers, academician Anatoly Dorodnitsyn, said: “There is nothing simpler, kinder, more accessible, more natural than gratitude. And there is nothing more evil, vile, ugly, unnatural than ingratitude.”
Armenians have always selflessly served Russia: ordinary soldiers and generals, merchants and statesmen, builders and cultural figures. Armenians: military leaders, scientists, designers — faithfully served the Soviet Union as well — a significant part of my book is about them. Moreover, I limited myself mainly to those who were especially close to me by the nature of my activity. But the book speaks in detail or simply mentions several hundred outstanding Armenian names, and a good third of them are Artsakh people. I am a native of Artsakh, well aware of what would have been waiting for it if not for the unrecognized self–determination of the country. And it is no less legal than that of Kosovo, the LPR, the DPR… I am grateful to my heroes for what they gave me personally and I return them a grateful debt. And I am even more grateful to them for how much they gave to our great Motherland – the USSR. But I have the right to hope to awaken the same grateful feeling at least among some Russian people. I’m not even talking about how invaluable much the Armenians have given to Azerbaijan.
Suffice it to name at least the heroes of this book. Academician Andronik Iosifyan has done a lot for the origination and development of space research in Azerbaijan. Georgy Sharoev was the founder of the piano art in Azerbaijan and the teacher of the pride of Azerbaijan composer Kara Karayev. The fame of the “best voice of the world” Muslim Magomayev, to whom composer Arno Babajanyan gave an invaluable lot, is on everyone’s lips, according to Azerbaijanis.… And how much selfless work the Armenians have put into the creation of the oil and chemical industries in Azerbaijan, for the prosperity of Baku. It is easy to continue the enumeration, but to wait for gratitude from the “civilized” Azerbaijan, whose authorities in the XXI century (!) banned entry into their country to any person with Armenian roots?
In Soviet times, Armenia was a strong republic needed by the Union. Post-Soviet, robbed, utterly weakened, demobilized Armenia is nothing compared to the Soviet one. And Turkey and Azerbaijan, which have increased their combat power and geopolitical appetites, turned out to be desperately needed by Russia, as well as the corridor between them, which runs through Armenia, controlled by Russia. As an objective, thinking observer can see, Russia does not benefit from a long-term, decent and lasting peace around Armenia, as Russia loses the justification for her presence in the most important region for her as a justice of the peace.
I hope to awaken in Russians some sense of that gratitude to at least a few wise men – the heroes of our book. That’s why I appeal: “Russians, if you cannot or do not want to help your formal ally, tiny Christian Armenia, in the face of a deadly threat to its existence from monsters purposefully building the great Turan, then do not prevent us from asking for help and sympathy from the world community. You refuse us that, too!”. How many lies have we heard in Russia about the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Armenia in 2022. But she expressed the concentrated truth, writing on Twitter: “Our US Congressional delegation visited Armenia – an important front in the battle between democracy and autocracy. Throughout all our meetings, we have expressed strong support for Armenia’s democracy and security, especially after Azerbaijan’s offensive against Armenia.” But, most importantly, I am addressing my humble book to my compatriots. Without any bragging, without any arrogance — we are a unique people. Living in such a difficult environment for so many millennia and surviving is a miracle of the world history. It happened due to the fact that our small people is a great laborer. Thanks to unprecedented difficulties, trials, endless problems with survival, it had to look for more and more reserves inside itself. And it has found. How many Armenian emperors there were in the Roman Empire, how many outstanding statesmen there were in Russia and other countries of the world, how many generals (many of them of Artsakh) were in the tsarist and Soviet armies. How many different talents – scientists, engineers, doctors, artists, musicians — are scattered all over the world. We have something to remember about our heroes, to whom we are deeply indebted. We have no right to forget about the exploits of the sons of the Great Armenia, the exploits of the heroes of Sardarapat, Musaler, the Great Patriotic War, the Karabakh Wars…
And we must understand that now, by the will of fate and, most importantly, as a result of our mistakes, the country that our great ancestors have preserved for thousands of years is on the verge of extinction. We, their descendants, must, to the best of our ability, resist a truly national-scale disaster that has arisen at our doorstep. So the purpose of my book is an appeal to every compatriot of mine: young and old, atheist and true Christian, poor and rich, successful and unsuccessful, brave and not very, but not indifferent, worried about the future of their children and grandchildren, for the future of Armenia and the Armenians – we are the heirs of great and unknown heroes, wise men of our long-suffering people must do everything in everyone’s power to make Historical Armenia live forever!
In this appeal, all words are key, including the first one – historical. I am sometimes reproached for calling our opponents “smart”. But meanwhile, they, especially the elder fox, act very, very cleverly in their own way: their diplomacy is very flexible, purposeful, and their army is becoming more and more modern, powerful and combat-ready. The main message of my book is that it is possible and necessary to confidently resist our insidious and powerful enemy – united in a powerful fist by the strength, smart, flexible unity and purposefulness of the entire Armenian people. These are based on historical truth, on the heroic example of the ancestors and on the bravery of the current generation. We have nowhere to retreat!
I understand that Russia (with its large Armenian diaspora) has been and remains a very important state in the fate of Armenia and the Armenians. Therefore, I repeat, this book is my appeal to the Russians. But the main appeal is still to our compatriots: to the elderly, so that they once again remember the good things about their people, about their heroes, writers, artists. To the youth — to remind them that everyone should try to do everything possible to the best of their abilities so that the flow of our talents does not dry up but multiply. This is in the hands of the young. Moreover, the very existence of the country is in their hands, because the old people can only speak well, but it is necessary to plow, it is necessary to forge, it is necessary to study, teach, build culture, economy, as well as the defense and the army, the defense system built on this economy.
This fight is for a long haul, for decades, and we must be ready for it. The hope here is all for the Armenian youth, so this book is an appeal to the youth. A separate appeal to the Russian Armenians is with special pain and anxiety. Russia, I repeat, has been and remains a very important state in the fate of Armenia and the Armenians. Aliyev is not the smartest politician, but how skillfully he makes friends with Russia, Turkey, Europe, and Israel… We cannot sever centuries-old ties with Russia, realizing its temporary disinterest in Armenia being an independent, powerful country. A strong, democratic Russia will sooner or later stand next to Armenia. A strong, enlightened Russia will sooner or later realize that Turkey has been and remains a much more dangerous enemy for Russia than many other countries.
It would seem to be a huge, complex and most important field of activity for the “Union of Armenians in Russia”. The head of the “Union of Armenians in Russia” was for some time an intellectual-academician Samvel Grigoryan. He, a wonderful, open person, a brave speaker, as it seems to me, did not have the ability to raise enough money for effective organization of work, and he was not a particularly skillful organizer. He was replaced by Ara Abrahamyan, a rich man, they say. Well, what’s the use? As many people see, the passive, spineless structure headed by him is fit to be called the “Union of the Enemies of the Armenians in Russia.” If we are so smart but cannot find the personality of an active and fruitful leader of the Russian Armenians, then we could at least put together its collective leadership.
The Armenians in Russia are the most important part of our Diaspora. But many of them feel more comfortable being Russians than Armenians. The worthy leadership of the “Union” is obliged to call on each of the hitherto completely disunited, but interested compatriots to take a feasible and legitimate part in the fate of their long-suffering Homeland. To help her in building her economy, education, science, culture and, most importantly, her defense.
This book is addressed to the young Armenians of Russia: “We must do the maximum possible for our greater Motherland – Russia! But we must also do the maximum possible for the Small Homeland! We have wonderful examples. Young, you are smarter than us, more literate, bolder, stronger! Each of us who wants to be worthy of our parents, our ancestors, our unique multi—thousand-year history, should ask ourselves, sooner or later: “Have I done everything not only for my personal well-being and the well-being of my loved ones, but for the others?!” So let’s act – for the sake of a decent future for our children, grandchildren! They have the right to be proud of being Armenians! They are the people of a civilized world that opposes barbarism!”
Much more activity and meaningfulness in actions can also be expected from the Armenian Embassy in Moscow. It is not open to any broad discussion of the tasks of the Armenians of Russia and the related problems of Armenia. It seems to me that the Armenian Church in Moscow could also play a great consolidating and educational role in the social and cultural life of the Russian Armenians. At least it is in its power to stop pompous christenings, luxurious weddings and weddings of the rich, the competition of monuments in the Armenian cemetery, insane in waste and tastelessness. It’s as if the old, natural wisdom of decent behavior has been forgotten: to seem less, but to be bigger.
Our Church once united everyone in a difficult moment: believers and non-believers, well-fed and hungry. We have all always been united in the church. But today, at a critical moment, Armenians, including those in Russia, unfortunately, turned out to be disunited, demagnetized, disarmed. I really hope — this is temporarily! I received several enthusiastic reviews about the book from Russian readers. There are practically no reviews from compatriots to whom the books were distributed, literally three or four. There are questions: why is the circulation of the book so small – only 300 copies! And almost no one has practically any, even critical comments, on the content. A rich compatriot, unknown to me, was eager to finance a second, expanded edition of the book. But he completely cooled down after learning that his name was not even mentioned in the book… I flatter myself with the hope that, after all, the book did not go unnoticed by those in power. The fact is that the first person to whom I presented this book was Maria Zakharova, the head of the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. I met her during the coronavirus pandemic. And I was delighted with how accessible she turned out to be to the ordinary citizen of Russia.
Then I turned to her (via the Internet) with a request to help my daughter and granddaughter, who were hopelessly stuck at the Los Angeles airport, return to their homeland. Maria Vladimirovna intervened and masterfully handled a very difficult situation. And so, grateful, I decided to give her, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, this book of mine. Once again, M.V. Zakharova turned out to be completely accessible — this time during a personal meeting at the Foreign Ministry.
She gratefully accepted my books and presented her own — “We do not abandon our own” («Своих не бросаем»). It was a book about the epic of the return of compatriots who sought to return to their Homeland from various corners of the earth in extremely difficult conditions during that pandemic. Of course, I did not expect to receive any feedback from Maria Vladimirovna about my book, which contains a lot of critical words about Armenia’s strategic ally, Russia, and I did not receive it. But I flatter myself with the illusory hope that it played some hidden role in the recent change in Russia’s position regarding its proposed transport corridor between Azerbaijan and Turkey, which would pass through the south of Armenia.
Russia has always insisted that this strategically important for her corridor will be controlled by its military formations. And recently I heard that Russia seemed to understand that this is too serious infringement of the elementary rights of Armenia and, it seems, agreed to – Armenian – control this corridor. Blessed is he who believes… I also believe that by joint efforts it will be possible to eradicate, at least among some of our compatriots, the bacillus of indifference and ignite the fading love for their Homeland. After all, we have seen so many impressive examples of such love in our recent history of state-building. Let’s recall at least an example of a young, very successful Russian architect, one of the authors of the garden city project before the First World War, in the territory of Zhukovsky.
It was he, Alexander Tamanyan, who, at the patriotic call of the first leaders of Soviet Armenia, came to remote Yerevan and turned it into a beautiful city in a historically short time. Hovnan Kaprelian, the father of one of the heroes of the book, an outstanding, successful doctor from the well-groomed city of Baku, left his beautiful apartment, left the rich clientele for the dirty, poor, sick Yerevan. And in a short time, very decent healthcare was established in Armenia.
Academician Andronik Iosifyan, an outstanding electro mechanic who headed a research institute in Moscow that effectively worked for space, aviation, the navy and the national economy of the USSR, while working in Armenia managed to create an electrical industry and science of all-Union significance there. It was he who managed to convince the young scientist M.S. Minasbekyan, who successfully worked in the prestigious Moscow Rocket Design Bureau, to move to Yerevan to create from scratch a powerful aviation research and production association in Armenia. I will never forget my chance meeting on the plane with the great musician Oganez Chekidjian. As the chief conductor of the Istanbul Opera, he returned to his homeland and created a magnificent choral chapel almost from scratch. It was with the chapel that he flew on an international tour. The chapel of Chekijyan was the cultural pride of the Union. All this is a small part of the heroes of my book, the heroes of our recent past. Let’s hope that in the near future there will be a leader of Armenia among the Armenians who will be able to unite us all around the holy idea of the revival of the Historical Armenia.
We have everything it takes for this: brains and diligence. But today there is no effective wisdom of the guides of the country, there is no true patriotism. Azerbaijanis from the cradle teach their children to hate Armenians. And we are unable from the cradle to teach pride in our world-class achievements. Azerbaijanis have nothing to be proud of, they are proud of someone else’s, brazenly appropriated. And we are not proud of our true and do not put our achievements at the service of the future of the country. It’s mind-boggling. Such demagnetization, relaxation, disorganization…
The misfortune of the modern Armenia, as it seems to me, is that its government turned out to be unprofessional, short-sighted, unable to perceive someone else’s experience. We have already talked about Israel.
Another small country, Switzerland, is neutral, but no one will dare to attack it. Why? Because it is ready to fight back with force utilizing the most modern weapons and the national army, in which, as in Israel, all the men of the country are trained. Because Switzerland has smart, flexible diplomacy and many friends.
Because it has a compact economy but efficiently functioning at the highest level. Why go far: the experience of the Soviet Armenia, with its science, economy, in particular, the defense industry, excellent personnel of specialists in various fields suggests that our small country can be powerful. Where there’s the desire and the will of the people…
Which branches of Russian and Soviet science and technology were most influenced by Armenian scientists?
Gennady Amiryants: This is an immense topic. Dozens, hundreds of names! Some of them, mainly related to defense technology, are mentioned in my book, some of which I was particularly close to, I describe in more detail. Gurgen Musinyants was one of the closest students of the father of Russian aviation, N.E. Zhukovsky.
By the way, the son of Mkrtich Musinyants, the founder of the Armenian ‘cognac’ production, jokingly said that he was born in a cognac barrel of the Shustovsky plant in Yerevan. G.M. Musinyants actively participated in the creation and effective work of our Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute — TsAGI and played a huge role in the development of domestic aviation science and technology. Some other heroes of my book worked in the same direction, which is the most important for the country. Academician-aircraft designer Artem Mikoyan created outstanding MiG fighters-15, -19, -21, -23, -25, MiG-29. Until now, the MiG-31 interceptor aircraft remains unsurpassed, the same aircraft with a hypersonic missile, which Russia is now proud of as an unsurpassed weapon.
In general, the contribution of the families of Anastas Ivanovich and Artem Ivanovich Mikoyan to the creation, testing and combat use of aviation equipment is amazing. In addition to Artem Ivanovich and his son, aircraft designer Hovhannes, I was lucky enough to be especially close to the sons of Anastas Ivanovich – Stepan, an outstanding Soviet test pilot. Modest, clever head, a real hero, he was one of the main military test pilots, and after leaving the test work he became one of the leaders of the scientific and production association “Molniya”, which was engaged in the design and testing of the Buran aerospace aircraft.
His brother Alexey is also a general, a military pilot, and their third brother Vano was a great aviation designer. The family was unique.
The general or chief aircraft designersf, of their engines were R.G. Martirosov, G.N. Nazarov, M.A. Poghosyan, A.N. Rafaeliants, A.A. Sarkisov, A.D. Tokhunts, K.R. Khachaturov, V.A. Shirinyants.
The book contains many outstanding names of scientists and engineers in the field of aerodynamics, flight dynamics, flight tests, design, strength and materials science of aircraft, developers and researchers of aircraft controls, instruments and their power supply systems.
The merits of L.A. Orbeli, N.M. Sisakian, A.L. Kemurjian, A.G. Iosifyan, D.A. Minasbekov, M.G. Minasyan, G.S. Narimanov, A.A. Sarkisov, R.G. Chachikyan in rocket and space development and research are invaluable. A.A. Bunatyan, A.N. Grigoryants, S.G. Kocharyants, A.M. Petrosyants made a significant contribution to the development of Russian atomic science and technology.
In the book, this is stated much more detailed, but, of course, not exhaustive.
Imagine that you are faced with the task of reviving the defense industry of Armenia. What steps will you take first?
Gennady Amiryants: It’s a difficult question and not quite at the right address. I can only tell you the well-known. The Soviet Union began the creation of powerful aviation with copying. This was the case in the 1920s, when Soviet metal aircraft construction was just beginning, and we copied German technologies. It was the same after the Second World War.
Then, in 1945, Stalin gave the order to copy the American flying fortress B-29, and copy everything to the screw. This required the re-equipment of all industries of the country on a fundamentally new technological basis. This breakthrough became the foundation on which the further effective development of not only defense, but also many civilian industries was built.
China has been copying Soviet aircraft for decades. Now it is one of the leading aerospace powers. Armenia cannot create the entire block of the latest weapons.
This is too difficult and ruinous for the country’s economy. But she should have some minimum of her own defense industry. To do this, it is necessary to create legitimate conditions conducive to the return to their homeland (and effectively established remote participation) of defense specialists from around the world. This has been done systematically by Israel, which in a very short historical period has created a powerful scientific and production potential for the development and production of a wide range of, for example, unmanned military equipment – primarily for its military needs, but also for export.
It seems to me that in the case of Armenia, which had a very strong school of exact sciences and high technologies in the recent past, the development of fundamentally new military means with the involvement of scientists and designers of the diaspora may be of particular importance. I am not particularly familiar with the capabilities and needs of the Armenian defense complex, but today, as it seems to me, the possibility of copying mass samples of simple and effective weapons is real: small arms, guided missiles to fight tanks, airplanes, drones…
But in the end, the hope for a sufficiently reliable defense of the country against our enemy armed to the teeth is connected not only and not so much with our own defense industry.
Here is the Ukraine – a country with a very decent defense industry, but only with advanced Western weapons it was able to somehow resist Russia. Azerbaijan receives the latest weapons from Israel and other countries. Such weapons and, moreover, the latest Turkish weapons of the NATO model is to be opposed by the same weapons of Armenia.
To acquire it, one needs to have a lot of money, and in order to have such money, one needs to build a much more effective foreign and domestic policy of the country, a much more established economy, one needs to have a much more cohesive, mobilized (also financially) diaspora. So, I, not being a deep professional in this multifaceted issue, believe that first you need to copy samples of small arms, up to Kalashnikov, and the simplest guided missiles against armored vehicles, aircraft and drones.
But, on a large scale, one needs to buy weapons from the world’s leading weapons powers – from the United States, India, China, if you like, from Russia. That is, to have equal relations both with Russia and with the entire civilized world. After all, Russia is friends with Turkey, which sells drones to the Ukraine that kill Russians…
What should Armenia do to attract the best Armenian minds from the Diaspora? Gennady Amiryants: We need a government of the country, wise, flexible, honest, enjoying the trust of the people, of the diaspora. We need a leader, such, for example, as the hero of our book was, the professional of the highest rank, honest, incorruptible, Mikhail Minasbekyan – the first secretary of the Yerevan City Committee.
We need a modern education system – from school, even nursery level to university heights – as a starting point for the development of science and technology at a new level. As you know, there were excellent higher education institutions in Armenia, there were excellent scientific schools.
The country is able to revive and develop all this at a new level. Of course, in order to attract outstanding, and ordinary, young scientists more effectively, it is necessary to create favorable conditions and an atmosphere of work, we need a well-adjusted life, so that people accustomed to comfortable conditions of science, art and culture are more willing to strive for their homeland. But first and in parallel, online education and remote participation of foreign specialists in the scientific and industrial life of the country should be established. Top professionals from all over the world could be involved in this.
We need the fighting spirit in Armenia, the desire of the country to actively fight, work, defend. A bright and wise appeal is needed, and talented scientists and engineers, artists and writers, workers and peasants will flow to their Homeland, to the fertile land…
What do you wish to young Armenian scientists who are thinking about the future of the Motherland?
Gennady Amiryants: I admire the selfless devotion of Ruben Vardanyan and others like him, known to me, several, wisely, actively and effectively acting single professionals. My low bow to them. But I think they also clearly realize that the main hope in the inevitable success of our struggle for the survival and future of Armenia is connected with the army of young Armenian patriots, such as the hero of our book, the historian Arthur Mkrtchyan, who gave his life in the struggle for a decent life of the Artsakh people in their long-suffered unity with the Motherland-Armenia. It is these educated and wise young people, first of all, who are able, rejecting well-being, warmth, satiety, grooming, to serve their country to the best of their abilities. In the best case – to serve at home: some armed with a computer, and some with an anti-aircraft missile. Not everyone has the opportunity to go home, but even away from Home, a diaspora scientist has the opportunity to serve her by contacting remotely with a rural school, university, research institute. Again, it is important to have an efficient system that unites everyone who is ready to help.
We, Russian Armenians, did not know exactly who to send money to during the last war. They say the money were robbed. In general, corruption in Armenia, which we have heard so much about, is such a disgrace for our country. Theft is doubly terrible: well-fed people stop thinking about the hungry, about the future of the country. An effective system must be established to ensure a constant, tough fight against corruption, against dirt on the streets and in the souls. It is a great hope that young scientists will be able to lead our purification. We have a lot of scientists, political scientists, historians who speak publicly on many channels of Russian television. All of them faithfully serve their great motherland – Russia. It is not a sin to wish them both courage and honor in asking the natural question of a true patriot: “What have I done for my small Homeland? Especially now, when they openly threaten to wipe her off the face of the earth!”.
Why can Armenians invent in Russia, but in Armenia proper the same scientists cannot boast of similar achievements?
Gennady Amiryants: Why are there more Nobel laureates in America than anywhere else? An appropriate atmosphere, working and living conditions have been created. Look at Israel. Unfortunately, the country is unfriendly to us. But what an example for us. First, the world system of Jewry. My student flew with a young family to America, a graduate of phys tech, married to a Jewish woman. There were no acquaintances, the Jewish diaspora found out about them, carefully warmed them, helped with the apartment, with the wife’s employment, with the placement of the child in kindergarten. Time passed, the family got back on its feet. And now she is already obliged to help and actively, with a grateful desire, helps other Jews who need it in the slightest. To each one of them.
In Zhukovsky, the community provides all elderly single Jews with nurses, medicines at the community’s own expense… A small local synagogue is a place of gathering, spiritual, cultural communication and unity of the entire Jewish neighborhood. The Jewish cemetery in Malakhovka: cleanliness, order, well-groomed, modest monuments. And how Jews can be loudly proud of their outstanding sons. It is enough to take a closer look at the broadcasts of the Russian TV channel “Culture”.
These are my personal, random observations. Not envy. I was on a research trip to Israel. Its aviation industry has long been formed, I repeat, a compact, efficient industry and science that creates world-class drones. And in this, and in everything — even a casual observer catches the eye of a systemic approach.
A systemic approach not only to their survival, but to a decent life — and their small country, and Jewry in general. And in foreign policy, this is already visible to everyone: you can be friends with anyone, even temporarily, against anyone (against the same Armenia, it would seem, with a spiritually, culturally close people), but the principle and priority is the same: the benefit, even temporary, to your country — Israel.
The main thing is to systematically anticipate threats and problems of your country — both in everyday, hourly, tactical, and long—term, strategic dimensions. Israelis, like us, are surrounded by countries with a different religion, culture, mentality, and have long understood that they will have to fight for their existence until the end of the century. They are ready for war every day of the week. And at the same time, it is a normal, democratic, Western country with a high standard of living, excellent medicine, education, excellent science.
So for us, the example of Israel can be very useful. The emphasis on science, world—class universities, high-tech economy, with its own niches – both in industry and agriculture. Tireless work is the foundation of long–term well-being.
An Israeli scientist I know was upset when he learned that their geologists had discovered large gas reserves on the shelf of the Mediterranean Sea. He proceeded from the fact that what is given for free is demagnetizing.
I recall in connection with this understandable “concern” the statement of a self-critical and wise Arab sheikh who said: “My father rode a camel, my son rides a Rolls-Royce, and my grandson will ride a camel.” That is, yesterday, when was not yet discovered, his tribesmen were poor people, and tomorrow, when oil runs out, the biggest rich man will turn into a poor man. You can be sure that Israel will dispose of gas wisely as well. All Israelis are always ready to fight for their dignity, for the future of their homeland. They are ready to lay down their lives for Israel to remain forever. Once, a long time ago, in the midst of perestroika, I flew in an airplane next to one of the famous writers — the Weiner brothers — Arkady. We flew to America. The road was long.
We get into conversation, fortunately, the flight attendants generously poured cognac into our glasses. Suddenly, it would seem, quite unexpectedly, the writer said fervently: “I will never forgive Turkey for what it did to the Armenians.” I was so touched by this, and I immediately responded with pain: “I have such a terrible fear that both Armenia and Israel are awaiting one and the same fate. I told him about a talented, like Malevich’s black square, recently seen short film, very simple in appearance, but deep animated film — “about environment”.
There is a huge bright golden ball on the screen, and suddenly this ball, symbolizing the sun, begins to fill with darkness gradually, but quicker and quicker, until the last bright golden ray goes out on the almost dark screen. Here’s the whole movie. The film is about how people recklessly allow beautiful nature to be destroyed. To destroy everything except the many—faced, poisonous, rapidly multiplying insects that are not afraid of high temperatures or radiation – afraid of nothing. “I am afraid,” I said, “that Armenia and Israel will face one and the same fate, because they are surrounded by the same aggressive, most cruel and prolific neighbors!”.
Weiner, just as unexpectedly, immediately raised a glass of cognac and, clinking glasses, firmly, confidently said: “I don’t know about Armenia, but Israel will live forever!”. The Jews, as I understand it, created their modern state illegitimately, with the help of the Soviet Union, the very government that artificially created the new state of Azerbaijan, gave it Artsakh and Nakhichevan, and Turkey — even earlier and even larger native Armenian lands. Artsakh, which legally declared independence after the first Karabakh war, could become the core of Armenia’s revival. But alas! This chance was stupidly, criminally missed by us.
Modern, illegitimate, compact, mighty Israel started in extremely difficult conditions: surrounded by enemies, among swamps, mosquitoes… But the Israelis have created an effective system of their survival, uniting almost every Jew of the world diaspora.
Utilizing clever and cunning diplomacy, inviting and welcoming the brains and hands of patriots from all over the world, they are all, from childhood and women among them, ready to selflessly, intelligently and effectively fight for their homeland, they are ready to fight for Israel to live forever. And we? We are glad to hear complacently from someone (I, for example, from Academician A.A. Dorodnitsyn) and repeat the well-known humorous observation: “Where there is one Armenian, there is nothing for two Jews to do!”. I do not exclude that this joke was invented not by demagnetized Armenians, but by eternally mobilized, wise Jews.
The purpose of my book is the appeal to every compatriot of mine, young and old, atheist and true Christian, poor and rich, successful and unsuccessful, brave and not very, but not indifferent, equally rooting for the future of their children and grandchildren, for the future of Armenia and the Armenians: each of us as the heir of great and unknown heroes, The wise men of our long-suffering people should unite their efforts and do everything possible to ensure that Armenia lives forever!
