Blog Archives
Remarks on the 21st Anniversary of Armenian Independence Day
On August 23rd 1990 the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) Supreme Council adopted Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, whereby the country’s independence process was launched. By the Declaration, Armenian SSR was renamed the Republic of Armenia. The very next day, that is, on August 24, the law on the country’s flag was adopted, whereby the tricolor was recognized as Armenia’s national flag.
A year later, on September 21, 1991, Armenia held its referendum on independence, and, as a result, 95 percent of the participants voted in favor of Armenia’s independence.
For the first time in many centuries, after being under the oppression of various invaders, Armenia gained independence in 1918: the Armenian Nation established its Republic. It was then that the cohesion of Armenians allowed stopping the advance of the Ottoman Empire. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union we regained our independence. We are quite a young nation, having been ready to defend national sovereignty and provide security for our citizens.
For many nations of the world statehood is just a dream. We are proud that we have it now. And it is quite natural because it signifies an exceptional event which we had waited for a long time, which we had dreamed about for centuries and for which the best sons and daughters of our nation had sacrificed their lives. We lived and struggled as independent Armenia since 1991; this is the new mentality and the new political thinking for more than 20 years.
For me personally, September 21st is a significant day because on that very day we changed our self-assessment. On that day, we told all neighbors, friends close and distant, as well as foes, that we will exist eternally; that we had interests and goals; that we would defend fiercely ourselves, our interests and would pursue our national goals. On the other hand, our Republic had adopted the most advanced ideas, democratic rule, and had set the standard of human rights at the highest level. We adopted on the state level the universal human and national values, with the conviction that they complement each other.
Today, we are far from idealizing our Nation, but the most significant processes have already happened: psychologically and politically we are an independent Nation, taking care of our internal issues, as well as contributing our piece of efforts in combating contemporary challenges that the international community currently faces.
On this very significant occasion I would like to congratulate all Armenians throughout the World and wish us all peaceful work and the image befitting a proud citizen of the state, no matter where they live.
Taking this opportunity, I would also like to thank the people of all our friends and allies in the Coalition and outside of it, who have always supported our cause and helped in our efforts to rebuild our Country and to become a more prosperous Armenia. Certainly, our people’s ties have more profound historical roots, and especially the Armenian communities in your respective Countries have a great and visible role in this.
We remain deeply interested in the future development of relations with all your Nations, hoping that nobody will ever challenge your national security and independence, preventing you from peaceful prosperity.
May God bless you all and keep in peace your States and people.
LTC Arman Mkrtchyan
SNR Armenia to USCENTCOM
Tampa, Florida
This article original appeared in Coalition Magazine.
Armenian Medalists at the 2012 London Olympic Games
By Grant Pakhtigian
FLArmenians Sports Contributor
August 10, 2012
As we are tuned into the Summer Games for this Fortnight in London 2012, our hopes for Armenia’s medalists run deep and wide. We are as wide as the Diaspora and deep as Armenia’s locals, it’s towns, villages and fertile soil in sporting history.
With our hopes for a showing like never before, twenty-five Armenian Olympians, with a slight caveat of not getting to be seen on TV at this year’s Opening Ceremonies, take their place and put their best foot forward every four years in this hallmark 30th Olympiad.
With the character and principals of fairness and truth, the games hold a distinct character led by International Olympic committee chief Jacques Rogge. On this 15th day of competition, we have some blips on the radar of medals from this little independent state.
Female Olympian Hripsime Khurshudyan was the first Armenian medalist in these games, and the first female athlete from Armenia to ever medal in any sport. In Weightlifting’s +75kg (super-heavy weight), she struck Bronze for her efforts.
She was soon followed by Arsen Julfalakyan in Greco-Roman Wrestling. He took the Silver medal by facing his last opponent Roman Vlasov of Russia in the +74 kg category. Meanwhile in the wrestling circle Arthur Aleksanyan took Bronze in the +96kg Greco-Roman category.
Mikayel Koloyan, who competed in the pool for the 100-meter freestyle, took away a mark of 53.82 and finished with a ranking of 8. Along with fellow swimmers, 18-year-old Anahit Barseghyan finished just out of the medal race, landing in 4th in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:08:19.
The U.S. won Gold in Water Polo under Armenian-American Team USA Head Coach Adam Krikorian, with his fearless assistants not far behind. The final jump in the pool for all those on deck after victory were awash in their congratulatory baptismal dip in the pool. Adam Krikorian is the Women’s Water Polo Head Coach at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
While another Armenian-American, Arthur Akopyan, personal coach for U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney, watched his pupil win Silver in the individual Vault competition.
Several Armenian athletes have yet to finish their events. They include 26-year-old Arman Yeremyan in Tae Kwon Do, and 27-year-old Mihran Jaburyan in +55kg Freestyle Wrestling. Armenia has garnered a total of three medals thus far.
The medal count represents two Bronze, one for Weightlifting, one for Wrestling, and one Silver for free style Wrestling.
Armen Nazaryan who competes in Judo scored a win moving through the draw but was stopped by fellow challenger Pawel Zagrodnik of Poland.
Kristine Harutyunyan, 21, competes in the Javelin throw. Her first mark was 47.65 feet, and she is from Gyumri. Olympian Tigran Martirosyan, also from Gyumri is 24 years old and competes in the +77 kg Weightlifting discipline.
Andranik Hagopian of Etchmiadzin competes as a middleweight boxer and won his round of 32 versus Terrell Gausha of the United States. Vardan Pahlevanyan won his qualifying event in men’s long jump.
For 2012, most Armenian competitors are just becoming young adults and we look forward in the coming years to more brilliant performances based from talented, supported, creative and youthful hopefuls.
Grant Pakhtigian is a sports writer for print and online sports publications. He received his Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from St. Thomas University in Miami and resides in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Florida Armenians 