PROTECTING THE NATIONAL TREASURES OF ARMENIA

“Impudence is the worst of all human diseases.”
Euripides
(480-406 BC)

Z. S. Andrew Demirdjian, Ph.D.

For most people, the phrase “national treasure” usually conjures up images of monuments such as Taj Mahal in India, Garni Temple in Armenia, the Grand Canyon in the United States, but seldom has it referred to men and women who have contributed unselfishly to the making of a nation.

Unlike other natural resources, those cultural icons that have created the character of a people, who have contributed to the advancement of their fellowmen, are not properly protected by the government. Those public figures regarded as being emblematic of a nation’s cultural heritage or identity is not safeguarded by the government against trivialization or politicization of their names.

By national treasure, people in most countries also imagine images of shiny pirate booty or age-old cultural artifices from archeological digs, placed on museum pedestals for visitors to see. However, in Japan, the phrase resonates a different meaning. In 1950, the Japanese government established the  unprecedented “Cultural Properties Protection Law,” and dubbed it the “Living National Treasure” that has been used to describe a small group of living, breathing artists whose rare skills have merited their country’s protection as being national artists, and therefore, national treasures.

In addition to rebuilding its devastated infrastructure in the aftermath of World War II, Japan also strove to safeguard its cultural legacy, the program was established as an effective tool. Over 100 artisans have earned the title to date as artists among them over 50 living masters in lacquer, metalwork, woodwork, papermaking, kimono arts, and so on –are considered as “Living National Treasures,” or rather ceremoniously, as “Bearers of Important Intangible Cultural Assets”.  In addition to the honor, the Japanese government grants an annual stipend and expects these elite artists to share the secrets of their crafts with others, both younger artistes and the general public alike, whether in Japan or elsewhere in the world.

The Japanese government’s “Living National Treasure” initiative is a novel approach to cultural preservation. Many countries like South Korea, the Philippines, France, and Rumania to mention a few are among those that have now similar designations.

A massive search of the literature as well as a straw poll of various branches of the Armenian government such as the Ministry of Culture was conducted by Ms. Zara Mokatsian of the National History Gallery of Armenia. The result has indicated that the Armenian government does not have a law or a program to protect its dead and living national treasures.

What prompted me to research and write this article is the incident that happened on October 20, 2019. Briefly, on this day, the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region (ANCA-WR) honored Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese, by bestowing upon him the Khrimian Hayrig Award at a gala banquet. A lot of people were against the gesture for the simple reason Archbishop Derderian was accused of a litany of wrongdoings and had not even tried to clear his reputation. Many letters to the editor, commentaries, articles published by Mr. Appo Jabarian in his USA Armenian Life Magazine and in its Armenian companion Hye Kiank held the view that an award named after Khrimian Hayrig should not be trivialized by bestowing it upon an allegedly undeserving character. One person went as far as to characterize the act as “…Shameful and unacceptable”.

I have noticed four major problems here: The first problem pertains to the selection of the recipient of the award who happens to be embroiled into a controversy of serious allegations of misconduct. Yet, ANCA-WR representatives disregarded the hue and cry of a lot of diaspora Armenians to abstain from granting this honor until the intended recipient had cleared his name of unacceptable deeds for a man of God.

The second problem is the lack of protection of the use of Armenia’s national treasures by any organization other than the government. For example, ANCA-WR is just a grassroots, political organization of a fraction of the diaspora Armenians. Despite the inclusion of “National” in its organizational name, it is a local entity and it should not pretend to represent the whole of the Armenian people. It should not be allowed to include in its repertoire of awards a national treasure such as Khrimian Hayrig that belongs to all Armenians. A lot of people have found Khrimian Hayrig’s name being marginalized by awarding a clergyman, especially one that was accused of serious offenses.

The third problem revolves around the award competition. ANCA-WR should have made it public the criteria used in selecting among the nominees for the award. If I were a clergyman and had wishes for the Khrimian Hayrig award, I should know in advance what would be expected from me to win this honor. Without disclosing the standards used in the selection process renders the whole procedure subjective, arbitrary, and downright objectionable.  Democracy dies in darkness and, therefore, it demands transparency and objectivity of decision-making if ANCA-WR representatives want to maintain the respect of the people.

The fourth problem is the lack of Armenian government law(s) protecting the national treasures, our men and women who match our mountains from being trivialized and politicized by various sectarian organizations.

Here is what the government of Armenia must do:

❖ Pass a law to protect the tangible and intangible national treasures of Armenia’s heritage.

❖ Endow the Ministry of Culture with the power to establish and protect national treasures in various areas of human endeavors and sites of significance to the culture of the nation.

❖ Require the Ministry of Culture to come up with a constitution and bylaws in its jurisdiction pertaining to national treasures of Armenia.

❖ Ministry of Culture should form committees of experts in various fields, such as literature (fiction, nonfiction), painting (modern, classical), etc., geographical areas (forests, lakes, etc.), buildings (Ancient, Medieval).

❖ Each committee should come up with set of criteria relevant to a certain field for selecting a national treasure and make them available for the public to read and understand.

❖ Each committee to meet periodically (e.g., once every six-months or once a year) to nominate and discuss candidates.

❖ The Ministry of Culture should be organized to monitor the correct application of the names of the national treasures by national organizations such as by the Catholicos of All Armenians if the award is named after a clergyman.

❖ The Ministry of Culture should come up with a set of awards bearing the name of a national treasure (e.g., Khrimian Hayrig Award).

❖ At the end of the year, The Ministry of Culture should organize an event during which a certain award is given to a deserving person in a chosen area (e.g., religion). For example, bestowing Khrimian Hayrig Award upon Serpazan Nareg for his numerous exemplary contributions to the Armenian nation.

The basic idea of national treasure, like national epics (e.g., David of Sassoun)  and the national anthems (e.g., Mer Hayrenik), is part of the language of romantic nationalism. It is the product of late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nationalism in its simplest form is an ideology which supports the nation as the fundamental unit of human social life, which includes shared language, values, and a distinctive culture. Therefore, national treasure, as a part of the ideology of nationalism, is nothing but shared culture that belongs to all people.

A national treasure can be a shared cultural asset, which may or may not have monetary value. For instance, a skilled Duduke player would be a Living National Treasure. Or it may refer to a rare cultural object, such as the ancient manuscripts at Madenataran (repository) in Yerevan, Armenia.

The government of Japan designed the most famous artisans of the country’s cultural properties as National Treasures of Japan. While, on the other hand, Korea’s National treasures are a set of artifacts, sites, and buildings which are recognized as having exceptional cultural value. The government of Armenia should have both tangible (like the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin) and intangible (like the duduk player or Petrossian the chess Champion) designated as “Armenian National Treasures”.

Of the two major types of national treasures (tangible and intangible), Armenia should first recognize the nation’s famous men and women who unselfishly dedicated their lives for the advancement of the motherland. Then, work on tangible famous cultural places and objects.  Hence, in addition to a person, we should also protect a place (like Geghard Monastery), or an object (like  the duduk) that is deemed by the vast majority of the people to be of value to an entire nation, usually due to its cultural significance.

Mr. Nikol Pashinyan’s government has plenty on his plate of projects to move the country forward after having been debilitated and milked by the oligarchs and their cronies. The Ministry of Culture should reach out to the Diaspora for some help to materialize this important proposition of protecting our national treasures from being selfishly utilized and in the process be denigrated by having Tom, Dick, and Harry name an award after them. More importantly, the Ministry of Culture should stop the entity from formulating an award in the name of one of our national treasures.

There is Hovhaness Toumanian in my blood and consciousness for admiring his literary work; in yours, there is Yzabel Yeseyan for respecting her courage and dedication on April 24, 1915. We are all related by blood and mindset, and by a unique culture.  We all must be proud to be the descendants of those men and women who built the fabric of Armenian social and cultural lifestyle.

Over the years, those courageous men and women built the infrastructure of our nation’s language, values, and culture. We are the proud descendants of our past and present national treasures of the Armenian Highlands, the birth place of civilization. The government of Armenia, through its Ministry of Culture should stop those who knowingly or unknowingly trivialize the name of a national treasure by naming an award after him or her to serve their own social or political agendas as has been most likely done by ANCA-WR with the use of the Khrimian Hayrig Award. A blunder of this magnitude cannot be overlooked –for national treasures are a country’s credentials of its cultural heritage and they should be protected for all practical purposes.

We should not desecrate our national treasures by naming awards after them and by giving these awards to the wrong people. We cannot have a club named after General Antranik. We need to protect and preserve an artifact, an institution, or a public figure considered being emblematic of a nation’s cultural heritage or even identity.

Let me appeal to your sense of fair play. After indulging me with the opportunity to paint Khrimian Hayrig’s personality and character with a broad brush, I would like to ask you afterwards a serious question.

History has it that Khrimian Hayrig was a warrior. He instilled in his people a sense of liberty and social connectivity among the Armenian communities. Awakening the ignorant and the passive farmers of Western Armenia was one of his ardent passions. He tried to educate them, to stand up for their rights, especially after his participation at the Congress of Berlin (1878).

Khrimian is known to have been a truly refined person. For many, he epitomizes the quintessential compassionate clergyman. He was a man of all seasons, a clergyman, a warrior, a patriot, an educator, you name it, he had the will and resolution to do for the benefit of his beloved country.

This rare Armenian we all wish he was our granddad. His genteel, loving nature makes him possibly the most iconic national treasure in Armenia. Khrimian transcended the definition of compassion. In fact, he became “Hayrig” (father) to most Armenians for his nurturing attitude and behavior –deservedly so. He had a unique style of spirituality that became the touchstone of many who came after him and so often emulated him even inadvertently.

As a patriotic clergyman, Khrimian Hyarig is a league of his own. Without a doubt, one of the finest catholicoi ever graced our Holy Etchmiadzin Cathederal. Yes, he is a national figure, but in truth, he is so much more! He is the personification of the Renaissance man. The charm, the wit, the talent, the knowledge, the style –And obviously, his analogy of the paper ladle at the Congress of Berlin in 1878 puts him ahead of his times that Armenians have to depend on themselves and not expect salvation from any European powers.

There is no denying the impact he has gone on to have on those who came to know him –he is arguably the most famous clergyman on the globe (of Armenians). He is much a part of the Armenian fabric as apricot is. A gent and a patriot in every way; he is a true warrior in every sense of the word to advance his people. He is a sure national icon. To my mind, he has now ascended to the status of a singular national treasure. Virtually all Armenians revere Khrimian Hayrig as a national treasure and should be treated accordingly –with utmost respect.

And finally, here is my question to you, dear reader: Against the backdrop of the preceding portrayal of Khrimian Hayrig, shouldn’t the government of Armenia protect his name from being trivialized such as by ANCA-WR that has unabashedly bestowed an award named after Khrimian Hayrig upon an accused clergyman of much serious misconduct? Your answer is: “A resounding yes!” What about ANCA-WR’s choice of the recipient of this award? “!@#$%^&*+!”  What did you say?  “A DISGRACEFUL ACT!” Thank you for your candid answer. Most people will agree with you wholeheartedly!