The book by the former president of Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Robert Kocharyan, sheds light on one of the most complex and controversial pages in the history of the Armenian people. As an organizer and participant of key events in Armenia and Karabakh, Kocharyan presents his account of this period.
The book contains previously unpublished information and once-classified documents, along with historical photos from his personal archives.
The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh became one of the first precursors of the USSR’s demise. The weakening central power was evidently unable to cope with the economic challenges, while «perestroika» and «glasnost» were swiftly and dramatically undermining the nation’s system of governance. The authorities proved ineffective in proposing anything innovative, appealing, and capable of mobilizing society. The country, anchored in absolute centralization and held together by a uniform ideology, was rapidly losing its bearings. But despite all of this, the threat to the Soviet Union’s integrity became real and even inevitable only when cracks appeared along its most vulnerable fault line – the ethnic divide.
This book is about
• the collapse of the Soviet Union and its aftermath for the former national republics
• the most important matters in the newest history of Nagorno-Karabach and Armenia
• how small unrecognized country won the outnumbered opponent
• many attempts to solve the Karabach conflict
• how the personality of a leader influences the politics of the country
• how the years, spent at the top of the powers, reflect in the soul of a human.
During these turbulent times, I found myself at the epicenter of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, emerging as one of the key figures. Whenever protest rallies, strikes, states of emergency, martial law, armed militias, ethnic clashes, confrontations with the military, or war took place in the Soviet Union, they first happened in or around Karabakh.
Оглавление
Роберт Кочарян. Life and Freedom. The autobiography of the former president of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
FOREWORD
PART I. PEACEFUL LIFE
CHAPTER 1. CHILDHOOD
CHAPTER 2. MOSCOW STUDENT
CHAPTER 3. THE ARMY
CHAPTER 4. SUCCESSION OF CHANGES
PART II. KARABAKH
CHAPTER 5. BEGINNING OF THE LIBERATION MOVEMENT
CHAPTER 6. ON THE BRINK OF WAR
CHAPTER 7. GUERILLA WARFARE
CHAPTER 8. BETWEEN EUPHORIA AND DESPAIR
CHAPTER 9. BREAKTHROUGH IN THE WAR
CHAPTER 10. FROM WAR TO PEACEFUL STATE-BUILDING
PART III. ARMENIA
CHAPTER 11. FROM BEING PRESIDENT TO… BEING PRESIDENT
CHAPTER 12. EMERGING FROM THE ECONOMIC TRENCHES
CHAPTER 13. TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE PARLIAMENT OCTOBER 27
CHAPTER 14. THE BEGINNING OF COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS
CHAPTER 15. ONE STEP AWAY FROM THE PEACE ACCORD
CHAPTER 16. POLITICAL CONFRONTATIONS – POLITICAL ALLIANCES
CHAPTER 17. QUALITATIVE LEAP IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 18. DOMESTIC POLICY
CHAPTER 19. AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERESTS
CHAPTER 20. LIFESTYLE AND WORK CULTURE
CHAPTER 21. MY CONSCIOUS DECISION TO LEAVE POLITICS
CHAPTER 22. THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF 2008
CHAPTER 23. ANOTHER LIFE
P.S
P.P.S
PHOTO
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The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh became one of the first precursors of the USSR's demise. The weakening central power was evidently unable to cope with the economic challenges, while "perestroika" and "glasnost" were swiftly and dramatically undermining the nation's system of governance. The authorities proved ineffective in proposing anything innovative, appealing, and capable of mobilizing society. The country, anchored in absolute centralization and held together by a uniform ideology, was rapidly losing its bearings. But despite all of this, the threat to the Soviet Union's integrity became real and even inevitable only when cracks appeared along its most vulnerable fault line – the ethnic divide.
During these turbulent times, I found myself at the epicenter of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, emerging as one of the key figures. Whenever protest rallies, strikes, states of emergency, martial law, armed militias, ethnic clashes, confrontations with the military, or war took place in the Soviet Union, they first happened in or around Karabakh. Ensuing events revealed that we didn't have a choice in Nagorno-Karabakh: we were desperately defending our right to live on the land of our ancestors. As a Communist Party official, I quickly became one of the leaders of the Karabakh Movement. I was in charge of its political component and led the creation of the underground armed resistance – the foundation of the future NKR Defense Army. The summer of 1992 was a particularly tragic period – Azerbaijani armed forces occupied half of Karabakh. In this perilous situation, I suggested an emergency crisis management model suitable for responding to the threat of losing Karabakh. I assumed responsibility, creating and leading the highest governing body of the Republic vested with extraordinary authority – the State Defense Committee. Its success was spectacular! In less than two years, we not only regained full control of Karabakh, we also managed to create a reliable security buffer around it.
.....
After being discharged, my relationships with my army friends didn't last for too long. We went our separate ways, and long-distance communications back then – without mobile telephone service and social media – required much effort.
I was discharged from the army at the end of December, right before New Year's Eve, and made it home for the holidays. By then, all of my friends, classmates, acquaintances, and neighbors of the same age had already returned to Stepanakert, having concluded their military service. The phone rang almost every day. "Oh, you're already here? We have to meet!" I wanted to see everybody, and I met up with someone every day. During one of these get-togethers, I got drunk for the first time. Luckily, I realized it when I was already home.
