Speaking to One Another - The International Raoul Wallenberg ...

In the village of Ujan, where the villagers initiatedthe construction of monument of Andranik 1 in 1967,problems with the various levels of authorities werefrequent. Villagers had collected the money for themonument construction. It was installed on April 11,1967. According to Saribek Tovmasyan, who was 13at the time: “In one night, secretly, villagers built thefence around the place where they intended to erectthe monument. I remember clearly when, how andwhat they brought, the car that brought it. Around1:30-2:00 am the monument was brought and installed.We, all the children and adults, were helping.I was there, too. It was put up secretly during thenight. Guards were placed around so that nobodycould interfere. Even 3-4 years old kids in our villageknew that it was prohibited. We were aware thatthis is anti-soviet action. Then, authorities tried todemolish it, but our villagers didn’t let them. Policecame to demolish it several times, but our villagerswould fight them with shovels and pitchforks. Almostten years they guarded the monument at nighttime. Then authorities probably got used to it.” Evenin this period people were still afraid to speak abouttheir heroes. The mother of our interlocutor fromthe Chqnagh village of Aparan was the only survivorin their family line. Russian soldiers found heramong dead corpses when she was ten and deliveredher to an orphan asylum. Only at the age of 60Andranik Monument in the village of Ujan.she dared to show her husband the photographs ofAndranik, which she had been carefully hiding: “Mymother said that in 1965, when the Movement wasinitiated in Armenia, at that time she called my father, telling him: «Come, I am going to tell you some-1 Andranik – Ozanyan Toros Andranik, born in 1865 in Shapin Garahisar, died in 1927 in USA, near Sacramento. Armeniangeneral and freedom fighter, he was member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnakcutyun party, left it in1907, was restored in 1914, and then left again in 1917, making a public announcement. Andranik participated in the defensebattles, displaying personal valor. He fought in the Balkan war (1912-1913). MoushIn 1916-1917 he exerted major efforts tohelp out the Armenian refugees. In 1918 received the title of Major-General. He fought at the Caucasian front. After 1922 helived in the USA. He has been awarded with highest military awards of Russia, Bulgaria, Greece and France. Andranik’s relicswere buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Numerous monuments have been placed in his memory, many streetsnamed after him. The grandparents of some of our respondents knew Andranik personally and took part in defense battleswith him.86