Former Artsakh Minister Hayk Khanumyan Addresses ‘Illogical Hatred’ Towards Artsakh Army
Yerevan, April 20 – Hayk Khanumyan, former Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Artsakh, has published a Facebook post reflecting on his military service and criticizing what he perceives as ‘illogical hatred’ directed towards the Artsakh Army.
Khanumyan began his post by recalling his own military service in a unit located on the outskirts of Yerevan, near apricot orchards in the Ararat region. He emphasized that neither he nor his fellow soldiers ever took apricots from these orchards, respecting private property. He stated, “I and my fellow soldiers never ate apricots from those orchards, because, firstly, you could only leave the military unit on leave or vacation, and secondly, the orchard was someone else’s property, and being a conscript did not mean you could violate someone else’s property.”
He further recounted experiences during practical training sessions in a training center in Lori region, where soldiers occasionally stole from villagers’ gardens, leading to reprimands from villagers and punishment from officers. Khanumyan stressed, “In neither the first nor the second case did I ever think that the orchard owner or anyone else owed me for my military service. I had an obligation to participate in the defense of the state and I was fulfilling my duty.”
Critique of Online Sentiments
Khanumyan expressed his astonishment at individuals filling Facebook with complaints about not being allowed to steal pomegranates or grapes from orchards during their service in Artsakh. He acknowledged that such restrictions might have existed, but countered by sharing his observations during his time as a Member of Parliament, when he frequently visited various military units and positions of the Artsakh Defense Army.
“I have seen boxes of both grapes and pomegranates brought by farmers to soldiers in various weather conditions. My friend’s farm in Aghdam was located near a small air defense unit, and that entire unit benefited from my friend’s farm produce – watermelons, vegetables, pomegranates, and persimmons (korolyok),” Khanumyan wrote, highlighting the generosity of some farmers. He noted that while his friend acted willingly, other farmers might not have done the same.
He also mentioned knowing dozens of men who served in the 1990s and frequently visited Artsakh in the 2010s to see their commanders. He added that even today, he meets people daily who served in Artsakh and fondly remember their service despite the difficulties.
Addressing ‘Illogical Hatred’
Khanumyan concluded by expressing his dismay at the hateful comments about the Artsakh Army circulating online. He pointed out that many of these comments do not even pertain to the Defense Army, as the military units mentioned by users belonged to different corps. He stated, “I do not want to address the hateful posts about the Artsakh Army by various users, most of which do not even concern the Defense Army, as the military units mentioned by them belonged to different corps; I am simply amazed by the illogical hatred.”
He ended his post with a hopeful message: “Blessed are those whose souls are warmed by the memory of Artsakh. They are the drivers of our society’s recovery.”
Source: Hayk Khanumyan
