«Does No One Have the Courage to Remind Us That Shushi is the Axis of Armenian Identity in Artsakh?» - Ashot Ghulyan

Former Chairman of the Artsakh National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan wrote on his Facebook page: “The discourse surrounding the ownership of Shushi does not rest fairly. One of the leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh movement, during a phone conversation with me today, could not hide his indignation and complained about why no one is responding to these erroneous interpretations. In response to my observation that many materials and historical data have already been published, he rightly noted that most of these materials are written on social networks and we are content with simply writing—we write and read them.

Demographic and statistical data, which are being cited from various sources these days as counterarguments, are very important. But we should not be satisfied with just that. There is a bigger idea at stake. First and foremost, Shushi is a symbol of keeping Artsakh united (the principality of Karabakh first divided when Shushi was given to nomads, and today’s ‘Panah Khan’ knows this fact better), Shushi is the main outpost connecting Artsakh to Armenia (those familiar with the terrain will understand, and for those who love comparisons, it is like our Golan Heights), and finally, Shushi is one of the symbols that nourishes our restored national dignity and rich spiritual-cultural treasury.

In my view, in thirty years of statehood, when a leader should respond to any question, it is appropriate for necessary information and data to be prepared by aides, advisors, and institutions. Doesn’t any of these responsible people have the courage to remind us that Shushi is the axis of Armenian identity in Artsakh, and that is precisely why outsiders are persistently trying to cut it off from us?

In May 1992, no one explained these profound ideas to the liberators of Shushi, but they believed that the liberation of the country would be impossible without value-based foundations. It is pointless to seek justification for surrendering Shushi; still, the liberators of our fortress city will never accept this disgraceful chapter. For this and future generations, Shushi is a driving force and a goal.”