All but a tiny few Americans are aware of what’s been happening since late September in the South Caucasus, the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea that includes Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. With scant exceptions, only members of the Armenian diaspora have closely followed the devastating and deadly aggression against the tiny democratic Republic of Artsakh or Nagorno-Karabakh, a formerly autonomous breakaway state that used to exist within the borders of Azerbaijan. It remains “autonomous,” but with much smaller borders under Russian protection.
I say “used to exist” because, as of early December 2020, much of the Republic of Artsakh has largely fallen under the control of the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan. This includes the city of Shushi, a place of deep historic and cultural significance to the people of Artsakh. This war has cost thousands of deaths of Armenian and Azeri military personnel and civilians on both sides and brought untold suffering to thousands.
Armenian artists have expressed powerful reactions to the carnage and loss of lives and to the resilience of the people of Artsakh.
Not surprisingly, artists represent an important dimension of this Armenian resistance. Visual art has always played a role in popular protest, and Armenian American and Armenian artists have expressed powerful reactions to the carnage and loss of lives and to the resilience of the people of Artsakh.
The longtime symbol of Artsakh is the monumental public sculpture “We Are Our Mountains” by Sargis Baghdasaryan. Erected in 1957 just outside of the now decimated capital city of Stepanakert, it features an old man and woman representing the mountain people of the region and their Armenian heritage. Having seen it personally, I can affirm its power and symbolic value.
Courtesy of Wikimedia.
We Are Our Mountains
"We Are Our Mountains,” a public sculpture by Sarkis Baghdasaryan.
Armenian American artists have appropriated this iconic symbol in numerous popular cultural expressions since the recent war. An outstanding example is the T-shirt by Arpi Krikorian that uses Baghdasaryan’s epic work and adds “Artsakh Strong” at the bottom.
Moreover, she depicts both figures with raised fists and the tri-color Armenian flag on their wrists. Wearing the shirt, by Armenian Americans and their supporters, signifies how the unified support in the diaspora remains strong and powerful.
Artists in Armenia have also used their talents to show solidarity with Artsakh. One the most accomplished contemporary Armenian calligraphers, Ruben Malayan, recently produced a series of works in both Armenian and English. “Recognize Artsakh!” exemplifies his work. It depicts the peaceful mountainous region and a warning recognizing Artsakh’s autonomy as the only solution to preventing another genocide of the Armenian people––a disturbing reminder of 1915.
Artsakh Strong
An “Artsakh Strong” t-shirt, designed by Arpi Krikorian.
“Armenian Hero Fighter,” a work by Glendale, California-based artist Zareh, is a study in determination. With details like the Armenian colors, a rifle, and a candle with its eternal flame, it shows, above all, the soldier’s steely expression in the face of overwhelming Azeri and Turkish military firepower.
Zarah’s image reflects real people, including those who tragically lost their lives since last late September. Armenia has reported that at least 2,425 servicemen have died so far; this includes many young people, even teenagers and some older people who volunteered to go to the front. Zareh’s painting also reveals that still others are resolved to fight to preserve their homelands, including both Armenia and Artsakh.
Historically, Artsakh has been an integral part of Armenia and its population is almost entirely Armenian. History, in fact, is vital to understanding the present war that concluded with a ceasefire that Vladimir Putin largely brokered on November 9. This present ceasefire established Russian influence over the entire region, which highlights a startling parallel to how Joseph Stalin had carved the region out of Armenia in 1921 and ceded it to the administration of Soviet Azerbaijan.
In 1991, as the Soviet Union unraveled, Artsakh held an independence referendum where the large Armenian majority voted for independence. In January 1992, the democratically elected leaders of Artsakh declared the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.
Ruben Malayan
“Recognize Artsakh!,” by calligrapher Ruben Malayan.
Since then, the young republic has been under constant attack. The present aggression emanated from Azerbaijan, which is supported by Turkey, and both are regimes led by the type of authoritarian rulers that Trump has regularly admired and sought to emulate.
That point is crucial: U.S. indifference and failure to aid Artsakh has dulled any attempt to hinder Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s apparent attempt to resurrect another Ottoman Empire impossible, while abetting the Azeri-Turkish success in the war over Artsakh.
I am among those few Americans who follow the geopolitical developments in the Caucasus closely. I have traveled extensively to Armenia and Artsakh, where I have spoken to governmental officials, current legislators, diplomats, educators, and university students. I have also made numerous presentations in governmental and university settings and experienced some of the vibrant culture of that beleaguered young nation.
Erdoğan has thrown full support to Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s equally autocratic leader. Thousands of Syrian mercenary fighters were deployed by Turkey to fight against Artsakh and its Armenian ally. Azerbaijan was able to use Turkish armed drones in the war, providing Azerbaijan military superiority.
To the dismay of many American progressives, Azerbaijan has also used an abundance of Israeli-supplied arms. Israel is a longtime arms dealer to that authoritarian nation and Israeli propaganda all too regularly showcases its friendly relations with Azerbaijan.
“Armenian Hero Fighter,” a painting by Zareh.
Erdoğan and Aliyev want nothing less than the return of all of Artsakh to Azerbaijan. Such a result would be disastrous. The Aliyev dynasty is reminiscent of regimes in North Korea with the Kim family and Syria with the Al-Assad family. Ilham Aliyev is the son of Heydar Aliyev, former dictator of Soviet Azerbaijan and later President, whom he succeeded. This is emphatically a major reason why Artsakh can never “rejoin” a nation that Joseph Stalin artificially and cynically cleaved out nearly a century ago.
But even more dangerous is the horrific persecution of Armenians. Azerbaijan has a history of pogroms against the Armenian population. Both Azerbaijan and Turkey have continued to deny the Armenian Genocide of 1915, adding untold emotional harm to generations of survivors throughout the world.
Both Azerbaijan and Turkey have continued to deny the Armenian Genocide of 1915, adding untold emotional harm to generations of survivors throughout the world.
Artsakh is a small nation (it has the roughly same population as Kansas City, Kansas), but one of great importance. Before the war, it was a democratic country that held free and open elections and had a vibrant civil society.
Azerbaijan, in contrast, is the polar opposite, with its extensive crackdown on civil liberties and attacks on journalists, human rights advocates, and others who are deemed threatening to the government. The fate of Armenians in Artsakh under such a regime would be unthinkable.
Americans should be keenly concerned with such a prospect and take every step to ensure that such a fate never occurs. This is especially important as the Artsakh population seeks to rebuild in the more limited geographic region it now controls, with Russians peacekeepers deployed (presumably) to ensure the population’s safety.
Throughout the world, Armenians and their supporters have mobilized to show their determination. Large demonstrations in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, D.C., London, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Berlin, and so many other cities revealed the extent and depth of horror at the Azeri-Turkish aggression.
Art is an important part of this process, but art alone will not save anyone. At best, it can elevate consciousness and propel people to higher levels of moral urgency. Immediate political action is required. The U.S. government under Trump has stood by while Azerbaijan and Turkey committed egregious aggression on the people and territory of Artsakh. It has remained silent while Azerbaijani forces have shelled civilian populations and likely tortured Armenian POWs.
As the Biden Administration comes to power, the United States must recognize Artsakh and provide urgent financial and humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered young nation. Funds are needed for reconstruction owing to the enormous damage and human dislocation from the war. It must support the people’s self-determination and autonomy.
It behooves America, even more deeply, to understand that the present conflict transcends the small Republic of Artsakh. I have little doubt that Erdoğan and Aliyev ultimately seek the destruction of democratic Armenia itself, so we must repeat once more: Never again.