Dro – A Revolutionary By Calling

During his years at the gymnasium, despite his quick wit and keen mind, teachers complained that Dro was lazy and undisciplined.

The gymnasium’s inspector would often express his dissatisfaction with the student and summon his father so that he would instruct his son. The father exhorted the “child”, instructed him to graduate from school, “become a man”, but the child did not want to “become a man.” His mind and thoughts were in the outside world, occupied by the rumble of hayduk guns that were coming from the other side of the border.

And Dro decided to leave the gymnasium and enroll in a military school to become a fighter of the revolution. However, to enter a military school, it was necessary to have high grades, and Dro’s grades were deplorable.

He approached the inspector, embarrassed: “Mister inspector, I want to go to military school, but… my grades. Can I do something?

“Dear,” the inspector rejoiced, “I will change your threes to fives, I will change the zeroes for your behavior to fives with a plus – all so that you leave. I wish you to become a commander.”

Then, with great marks on his hand, Dro dropped out of the 4th grade of the Yerevan gymnasium.

Eventually, a commander of the group by rank, a revolutionary by calling, experienced military man Drastamat Kanayan, the same Dro, would command the Aparan Front from May 23 to 27, 1918. The battle in Bash Aparan, indeed, became the highest point of glory for Drastamat Kanayan. In these days fateful for the Armenian people, he was able to not only stop the advance of the 13,000-strong Turkish army towards Yerevan but also inflict a crushing blow on the Turks, forcing them to retreat in panic.

From the book “Մրրկածին Դրոն”

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