Bishop Vratnes Abrahamyan has been serving because the Apostolic Primate of Artsakh since 2021. He spoke with The European Conservative concerning the historical past of the Artsakh area, the standing of native Armenians since Azerbaijan’s occupation started, and the way Christians can assist the persecuted devoted.
Armenia is taken into account the oldest Christian nation on this planet. Have European nations taken enough steps to guard the Armenians of Artsakh from Azerbaijani, and extra broadly, Turkic (Pan-Turkic) irredentism?
As one of many world’s oldest Christian nations, it’s with nice sorrow that we should acknowledge the completely detached stance exhibited by European nations relating to the genocidal insurance policies and displacement inflicted upon the Armenian inhabitants of Artsakh in their very own homeland—an atrocity dedicated in what’s claimed to be the civilized twenty first century. This chilly and detached perspective was, to some extent, surprising. Equally shocking was the same indifference demonstrated by worldwide organizations established by these so-called civilized states to guard elementary human rights. It’s evident that such apathy typically turns into a major issue resulting in nice tragedies, which nobody is resistant to. Subsequently, discussing whether or not “enough or inadequate measures” have been taken appears, in our view, pointless.
Father, may you present our readers with a broader understanding of the historical past of Christianity within the territory of Artsakh?
Definitely, because the query is each essential and well timed. Sadly, in our instances, politically motivated makes an attempt by Azerbaijan to manufacture and disseminate totally baseless and false claims about Artsakh’s Christian heritage have gained some traction among the many common public, even when they lack credibility in critical educational circles.
Relating to the unfold of Christianity, in response to the accounts of Armenian historians (Agathangelos, Movses Khorenatsi, Movses Dasxurantsi, and Stepanos Orbelian), Christianity was preached and disseminated in Larger Armenia throughout the earthly lifetime of the Savior by His apostles. It’s evident that Artsakh, as one of many provinces of Larger Armenia, was additionally included within the sphere of Christian missionary exercise. Based on preserved sources, St. Yeghishe, one of many disciples of St. Thaddeus the Apostle, continued the holy mission of the apostles and established Christian communities within the japanese areas of Armenia, in addition to within the left financial institution of the Kur River, thought-about the border between Armenia and Caucasian Albania. Notably, many church buildings in Artsakh and Utik bear the title of St. Yeghishe, underscoring his foundational function.
From the Fifth century, the episcopal see of St. Dadivank monastery is historically believed to have been established within the latter half of the first century on the burial web site of Dadi, one of many 70 disciples of St. Thaddeus. This will likely clarify why Mkhitar Gosh referred to the monastery as “Apostolic,” whereas seventh century sources like Movses Kaghankatvatsi referred to as it “Dado Monastery.”
Thus, the historic proof out there in the present day confirms that Christianity was launched and firmly rooted in Larger Armenia, together with the northeastern areas of Artsakh and Utik, ranging from apostolic instances. It’s completely logical, due to this fact, that the Armenian Church, within the phrases of Archbishop Maghachia Ormanian, has at all times “claimed and internalized the mark of Apostolicity,” presenting itself because the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In strengthening the Christian religion within the Armenian world, St. Gregory the Illuminator performed a pivotal function. By way of his efforts, Armenia turned the primary nation on this planet to undertake Christianity as its state faith. The primary Catholicos of the Armenians passionately preached Christianity, established church buildings, ordained monks, and opened colleges in all places. Artsakh was no exception; it held a central and vital place in these efforts.
Based on the Fifth century historian Pavstos Buzand and later accounts, together with these of Movses Kaghankatvatsi within the seventh century, St. Gregory the Illuminator additionally traveled to the japanese areas of Armenia, founding a church within the village of Amaras. Manuscript sources, together with the works of Movses Khorenatsi, Pavstos Buzand, and Movses Kaghankatvatsi, verify that after the Illuminator, the mission of spreading Christianity in Armenia’s japanese territories was taken up by his grandson, St. Grigoris.
Persevering with his mission, St. Grigoris expanded his efforts past Armenia’s japanese areas, touring together with his disciples to Caucasian Albania and even to the lands of the Masquts within the northeast, the place he was martyred. Based on Pavstos Buzand, the saint’s disciples retrieved his relics and buried them on the Amaras Church constructed by St. Gregory the Illuminator within the district of Haband in Artsakh.
The tomb of St. Grigoris, marked with the inscription “The Tomb of Saint Grigoris, Catholicos of Albania, Grandson of St. Gregory the Illuminator of the Parthians, Born in 322, Consecrated in 340, Martyred in 348 by Sanesan, King of the Masquts,” remained preserved in Amaras till the Azerbaijani occupation of Artsakh in 2023. Unsurprisingly, Amaras has at all times been probably the most cherished and vital sacred websites for the Armenian folks.
In your opinion, what modified within the world scenario that enabled Azerbaijan to provoke army motion in opposition to the Armenian inhabitants of Artsakh? There had been relative regional stability for the reason that early Nineties, when native Christians first declared Artsakh’s independence.
We should begin from the tip and make clear that Artsakh didn’t declare its independence for the primary time in 1991. All through earlier centuries, influenced by varied political developments, Artsakh constantly maintained its autonomous governance buildings, comparable to principalities, melikdoms, and even the Nationwide Council and authorities of Karabakh Armenians in 1917-1921. This historic context explains why, even after the illegal annexation of Artsakh to Azerbaijan by the Communist Occasion of Russia in 1921, the native Armenian inhabitants by no means totally accepted this determination. From the Nineteen Twenties via the Nineteen Eighties, they expressed their opposition via varied means and strategies.
As for the preconditions of Azerbaijan’s aggression, the continued Russo-Ukrainian struggle and the ensuing worldwide turmoil, coupled with behind-the-scenes agreements amongst key world gamers, clearly laid the groundwork for the tragic occasions surrounding Artsakh. It’s well-known that Azerbaijan’s aggression and clear plans to occupy Artsakh have been immediately supported and facilitated by Turkey, each militarily and politically.
Many reviews converse of the desecration and destruction of church buildings and different Christian holy websites. What’s the present scenario for the Christians nonetheless residing in Artsakh? And what number of are they?
It’s not solely in reviews; numerous movies out there on the web clearly doc the state-sponsored vandalism coverage carried out by that nation in opposition to Armenian cultural heritage. It’s broadly identified that even throughout the 2020 army operations, Armenian historic and cultural heritage websites have been overtly destroyed, generally utilizing superior explosive weaponry. On October 8, 2020, the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral was subjected to a double shelling, an incident the president of Azerbaijan casually dismissed as unintentional when questioned by worldwide media. Instantly after the struggle, the Inexperienced Church (St. John the Baptist Church) in Shushi was demolished, and following Azerbaijan’s full occupation of Artsakh in 2023, this church was completely destroyed. These acts are clear proof that Artsakh has by no means belonged to that nation, and it’s no shock anymore that they pursue a coverage of erasing Armenian traces in a local Armenian territory. Including to this, post-war movies of Ghazanchetsots Cathedral present its partial deformation and deliberate alterations. The foundations of a Fifth-century church found within the Tigranakert space are actually being falsely introduced by so-called Azerbaijani specialists because the remnants of a Muslim bathhouse. On March 27, 2021, a video revealed by Azerbaijani troopers shamelessly reveals them vandalizing and desecrating the St. Yeghishe Church within the Mataghis area of Martakert.
In March 2021, throughout a go to to the Tsakuri Monastery in Hadrut, the president of Azerbaijan overtly instructed the elimination of all Armenian inscriptions from Armenian monuments, utilizing baseless and fabricated interpretations. This directive ought to have prompted an acceptable response from related worldwide organizations, however there was repeated indifference towards the distortion and destruction of common historic heritage. Consequently, these directives aimed toward altering or erasing Armenian cultural heritage are carried out with out restraint. Shortly after these bulletins, a particular committee was fashioned below Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Tradition, tasked with eliminating Armenian traces from church buildings falsely labeled ‘Albanian.’ This course of is now carried out overtly, with quite a few examples. As an illustration, the handover of great Armenian religious facilities like Dadivank (devoted to St. Dadi, an apostle of Christ) and Amaras Monastery, together with different websites, to the Udi neighborhood is a blatant misrepresentation of Armenian spiritual heritage. It is a primitive expression of ignorance, to the extent that even Gandzasar is overtly claimed as non-Armenian.
All these actions are politically motivated and carried out below clear directives from the best management of that nation. That is evidenced by the assertion of Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, in a Might 28, 2021 interview, which is broadly circulated on-line. The president overtly declared:
Nobody can stress us; nobody can affect us. Now, some pro-Armenian nations are making statements—allow them to. That’s their enterprise. The European Parliament has adopted one more decision primarily based on false info. I by no means take note of them; they’re irrelevant. What issues is that we’re right here in the present day, standing, and we are going to proceed to dwell right here perpetually.
As for the scenario of Christians nonetheless residing in Artsakh, the reply is straightforward. In September 2023, all the Armenian inhabitants of Artsakh was pressured to go away their homeland below the specter of genocide. Barely a dozen Armenians remained, largely people residing alone and going through well being challenges. A few of them have been later evacuated with the assistance of the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross. You will discover on-line supplies exhibiting the inhumane therapy and mockery confronted by the one or two people nonetheless reported to be within the area.
It appears honest to say that the Artsakh battle finally stems from the Soviet authorities’s disregard for the area’s ethnic and non secular realities, in addition to the switch of the territory to the newly established Azerbaijani SSR. Why do you assume this was completed? Do you imagine the Soviet authorities’ anti-Christian stance performed a task?
First, allow us to state that it is a huge matter, but a extremely related and essential one for understanding the present realities of their entirety. Basically, it was a political determination, and we don’t imagine it was motivated by anti-Christian sentiments on the a part of the Soviet authorities.
It’s a well-known proven fact that earlier than 1918, there was no state formation referred to as ‘Azerbaijan’ within the area. In 1918, when Russia was internally unstable, Turkey launched one more assault with the clear purpose of conquering Transcaucasia. This try was unsuccessful, due to the Armenian Might Battles, through which Artsakh Armenians actively participated. Nonetheless, Turkey, not abandoning its political ambitions, sought various strategies to realize them. Since Azerbaijan’s makes an attempt to overcome Artsakh militarily between 1918-1920 had failed, the problem of Artsakh was resolved in Azerbaijan’s favor diplomatically via the Bolshevik authorities, led by Lenin. It’s broadly identified that till 1921, Artsakh was not a part of the newly fashioned Azerbaijan. To appease its new ally, Turkey, the Bolshevik authorities, via the Russo-Turkish Treaty of Moscow signed on March 16, 1921, first indifferent Nakhichevan from Armenia and handed it to Azerbaijan. Then, on July 5, 1921, Artsakh was equally transferred. Apparently, the unlawful nature of this determination led to protests in Artsakh throughout 1921, even escalating to armed rise up. Regardless of this, the choice remained unchanged, and Artsakh ended up inside Azerbaijan’s borders. The one concession made to the Armenian inhabitants, consisting of greater than 95% Christian Armenians, was the granting of an autonomous area standing, aligning with the communists’ coverage of nationwide self-determination. This was merely an administrative format inside the Soviet Union, the place autonomy was granted to territories primarily based on ethnic ideas.
It is usually essential to spotlight that Artsakh was the one area within the Soviet Union the place no church buildings have been operational.
Do you imagine there’s a future for Armenian tradition and Christian religion in Artsakh? What’s going to change into of this historical Armenian land?
Artsakh, an inseparable a part of God-given Armenia, can and, I imagine, will as soon as once more change into Armenian and Christian, supplied we acknowledge and rectify the errors and shortcomings that contributed to its loss. As beforehand talked about, highly effective states with vital affect and particular agreements performed a decisive function within the destiny of Artsakh.
Nonetheless, with religion within the Lord, guided by repentance, we should try to be worthy of the God of our ancestors, appearing in concord with His will and accepting Him as an unfailing ally. This religion will allow us to dwell and create once more on that sacred land. If this doesn’t occur, Artsakh will flip right into a hellish place the place our millennia-old sacred websites and various values will likely be destroyed, inevitably assembly the destiny of Nakhichevan and Western Armenia.
As a servant of God and an Armenian patriot, what’s your message to Christians in Europe and the broader Western world?
I’m a priest, and I dwell with the religion and hope of sustaining a transparent conscience and a imaginative and prescient for the way forward for my folks. For a Christian, it’s important not solely to consider the salvation of the soul but in addition to behave with religion. I pray for my Christian brothers and sisters to have enlightened minds and righteous hearts, residing and appearing in response to Christ’s message. I urge them to go to their brothers and sisters who’re enduring persecution, hardship, and captivity.
That is my fraternal exhortation and request. Might the Angel of Peace deliver peace to all humanity.
