Nothing Is Irrevocably Lost: Serzh Sargsyan

The third president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, issued a message on the occasion of the Victory and Peace Day.

“On May 9, we have celebrated our sacred triad for many years. Unfortunately, two of the holidays, which were a testament to our glorious victories in recent decades—the anniversary of the liberation of Shushi and the establishment of the Artsakh Defense Army—have been squandered due to the unpatriotic policies of the current leaders of Armenia. However, nothing is irrevocably lost. We have had glorious victories, and those victories call on future generations to restore our victorious celebrations.”

“Today we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and proudly remember the heroic and selfless examples of the brave sons of Armenia and Artsakh even during the years of the Great Patriotic War. The children of our people have bravely traversed that great and difficult path. Two decades after the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian population living in the Soviet Union brought forth nearly half a million soldiers and officers against the enemy. They were joined by our brothers from the diaspora, around 100,000 of whom fought in the armies of the Allies during World War II.”

“World War II is one of the most brutal events in human history, claiming around 50 million human lives, while the peoples of the Soviet Union sacrificed about 27 million lives on the altar of victory. The Armenian people, as direct participants in that struggle, endured great sacrifices and made a significant contribution on the battlefield alongside other Soviet nations. Eight decades ago, our fathers and grandfathers triumphed against the universal evils of fascism, oppression, and intolerance. They defended our homeland, our homes, our dignity, our God-given right to live free and independent, and they prevailed.”

“But today, fascism, adopting modern forms and disguising itself under fashionable slogans, is still alive. Many peoples, including Armenians, are again forced in the 21st century to fight against neo-fascist ideologies in all their expressions. The Armenian people, unfortunately, are still fighting against the state-level sowing of national hatred, genocidal policies by Azerbaijan, impunity for the destruction of spiritual and cultural heritage, and the erasure of historical facts.”

“The lessons of the Great Patriotic War teach us that no agreement with evil is possible—it must be conquered. We are obliged to continue defending the values for which millions of lives were sacrificed 80 years ago.”

“Today, we bow our heads in gratitude to the memory of all those brave ones who paid the price for the glorious victory and peace with their lives. Glory to our heroes!”