Armenian Leader and Sparapet Garegin Nzhdeh

Thanks to the bold and thoughtful operations of Garegin Nzhdeh, the Armenian people retained the Syunik province without which, as Nzhdeh himself and the military leaders of the Artsakh liberation war believed, the existence of Armenia is not possible.

A talented person is talented in everything. In addition to the manifested qualities of a commander such as courage and intelligence, Nzhdeh also actively engaged in political struggle outside Armenia. And it’s very fortunate that we now have his works which have not lost their relevance after nearly a century.

Here are just a few excerpts from his works:

“… Outside of Armenia, Armenians are facing degeneration. Only with the help of deep knowledge and awareness of national values, virtues, and shrines can we fight this evil…”

“… Treat yourself as a doomed individual who is ready at any moment to accept death to protect his country and his people…”

“… Where are you, where are the people of Armenia worthy of respect and with the heart of a sovereign, whose soul always knows how to exalt itself in times of danger? Diaspora, you once again made me go through the bitterness of shame. Shame on you…”

At the beginning of the century, Turkey carried out anti-Armenian propaganda in European countries, thereby trying to divert attention from the Armenian Genocide and, to some extent, justify it. And of course, in some European countries, Armenians were perceived as potential robbers.

Nzhdeh set a goal for the adherents of the movement – they had to engage in counter-propaganda and demonstrate to the world the true face of the Armenian nation with their own example. They were to become warriors of the idea and fully devote themselves to the liberation and strengthening of the power of the nation.

And so that the adherents of Tseghakron (“carrier of race”, sometimes erroneously translated as “race-religion”) could fulfill the duties assigned to them, they had to know the soul of the nation. They had to know their ancestors, their history, and honor the great heroes of the past. According to Nzhdeh, only educated in this spirit youth is capable of providing a worthy future for their people.

G. Melik-Shahnazaryan, from stories about Tseghakron ideas