Society 20:26 14/04/2021 Armenia

Zaven Khachikyan's historical photos and the stories behind them

Author Tehmine Harutyunyan

Zaven Khachikyan started his road in photography to get the much-needed experience and ultimately turn to the cinema world, yet he stayed connected to photography forever. Back in 1988, in his early career, the photographer was fired from the editorial  staff of the Komsomolets newspaper and ironically received an award then for the best photojournalist form the Armenian Youth Komsomol Union. 

 

I was mistaken to start my interview with a question about this award. He turned out to be against the idea of awards, yet in 2018 he received the President's Award in the category of art (the photojournalist perceived the award as a financial support to his permanent freelance status though). In 1988, he received another award for developing the genre of photography and text in the Armenian journalism. With consideration of all awards and their value, the life does not lose its interest in valuable works. Recently, a publisher was looking for the beloved author of the images for a book about Monte, and Zaven Khachikyan turned to be the author of them. My next question to the photographer appeared more suitable.

 

 - Do you recall the day of photographing Monte? 

 - Certainly. It was in April 1993 - the day of liberation of Karvachar.  

  

- Was it easy to take the photos of Monte? Did he like to be photographed? 

 - Taking photos of Monte was easy as the process was not staged. One needed to only feel the reality. Monte was not a  model to pose. I photographed him in action. That photo was taken when he was giving the final instructions to the troops. In fact, with liberation of Karvachar, the Armenian fedayi struggle  came to its end. I accompanied Monte for two days in his car. He was brave and had no fear of death. He could have died during those two days, yet survived. His car was going in front of the tanks. In general, Monte was a few steps ahead of all of us throughout his life. 

 

 - Do you believe in the version that Monte was killed by Armenians? 

 - That is an absolute nonsense. Monte used to pass though roads and risked to being killed for several times during a day but not by Armenians. He was adored. No one would ever dare to lift their arm on him. The time made everyone live through the breath of the friend. One should have known the fear, humor, dream, the risk and everything about your companion. It was not like Nikol describes the war today  - to get 30 people, appoint a commander and head to the combat  positions. 

 

The war required good preparedness to live through that reality. The memoirs of Komitas, the friend and driver of Monte come to prove what I am saying. Monte fell accidentally. He was away from the daily routine and lived with the war. I recall a story when we entered a village. Monte was next to the driver of an ordinary 'Vilis' car. Ruben Mangasaryan and me were sitting in the back. Turks were retreating, however some enemy units were still in the village. Monte gave his camera to Ruben and asked to take photos of whatever he wanted. An armored personnel carrier suddenly appeared in front of us. Monte got out of the car and approached them with a gun in his hands. We were trembling with fear. If those were Azeris, he would probably shoot but there was no guarantee they could be Armenians. I remember how Monte got angry and furious when he found out those were wreckers. He didn't have the heart to punish them. He was heading to a war and had no right to kill own people. He opened fire to the TV set on board of the truck. The next day we were going to Yashak, when we met elderly couple  - a man and a woman with white flags as a sign of peace.  Monte got out of the car, talked to them, realized that a unit is retreating from a village yet took no action. We passed by the village knowing there were enemy soldiers in the back. The next day our troops neutralized the Azeri servicemen without any damage to the peaceful population. Monte didn't even punish that wrecker and traitor, who would ever dare to kill him? Never believe in versions suggesting he was killed by an Armenian. You better go and read the memoirs of Komitas, his comrade-in-arm and close friend. 

 

 - According to Seta Melkonyan, Monte's wife, the commander was killed by an explosion of Azeri artillery fire. In the process of trying to dive behind a wall for cover shrapnel from one of the artillery shells ricocheted off the wall and entered Monte's temple, killing him instantly. 

 

 - It was also due to the bad work of the intelligence. He was killed because of neglected approach but not of treason. The war is a dirty thing, and you may never reveal the truth, however one thing is clear for me that Monte was not killed by an Armenian. 

 

 - If a photojournalist is too sincere on the battlefield, what may his camera capture? What will be the result? 

 

 - They would be a paparazzi. The journalist who has decided to go to war should be more prudent. I didn't go there to document the war. 

 

 

 

 - So, why did you go there? 

 - I couldn't do the other way. I wanted to be there, next to soldiers and support them with whatever you could. You do not go there to create art, you are next to the soldiers, support them, walk along with them and in case of a need are obliged to shoot. The question I faced was mostly in the moral domain. What was my task - to act merely as a journalist or not? I didn't want to document the war, as it was not my topic. My best shots have been created in calm, unnoticed and peaceful environments. Regretfully, I lacked military skills, otherwise I would go there as a military.

 

 - There are many battlefields in a war. One of your legendary photos, showing an Azerbaijani elderly woman caressing the head of Armenian soldier - Sargis Hatspanyan, fought well in the information war. The photo conveys a great humanitarian message and came amid accusations about alleged atrocities of the Armenian side. 

 - That shot was one of the series made again in Karvachar. The unique thing about that photo is that a human being never dies even in the deadliest war. It was a warm April day, and we were conversing with Azeris. I am a physicist by specialty and there was a physics teacher among them with whom we talked a lot about the Karabakh issue and the prospects of its settlement. Then, I took a photo of him and others in his company. The turn of an elderly woman came. I tried to talk to her and then realized she didn't understand Russian. She was responding in Azerbaijani. Only Sargis knew the language and i asked him to translate. He came, sat down next to that woman and started talking to her. She was telling her story how she had been abandoned by her sons. Sargis got excited as he had a soul of poetic justice. The Azeri woman hugged her. All their interaction is well documented on the camera. 

 

 

I didn't take that photo for selling or becoming famous. It would be immoral to photograph soldiers and then sell the images for a profit. I didn't event think to publish them, given also the fact I was not affiliated with any organisation and was visiting Artsakh on own means. However, when I was back to Yerevan, I received a call from Armenpress news agency and asked for the photos. The reason was Azeris were launching a campaign to discredit Armenians with accusations of crimes. Herbert Baghdasaryan, who was an excellent photo editor, chose three photos, one of which depicted that woman and Hatspanyan, the second one was the photo of our tank in Karvachar and third  - showing a brave soldier with charisma resembling Che Guevara.

 

 

 

 

- Will we ever have new Montes? 

 - Are wars the only thing we want? Let us have leaders like Monte not only in the battlefield. Let us have a leader who would lead us and pull out of the swamp. The life has showed our nation can give birth to exceptional heroes. The April war came to prove that as well.  There was a difference between Monte and the April hero though. Those guys occurred there, while Monte got prepared for becoming what he wanted. We fist should establish a system in which we can survive without exceptional people and never rely on heroes. While glorifying Monte, we also should not forget others who are not with us today. The idea of a hero should be revisited as well. I recall Czesław Miłosz's words that we should get the right to speak on behalf of those who are silent for ever. Monte was exceptional, a hero, yet we see the title is distributed left and right after even a lost war. We should revise our approach to honor people with that title  wither by awarding all or only those who have shown exceptional courage.  We have thousands of missing people and are not aware of their deeds, maybe heroic as they are deprived of that honor. Not only our approach to heroes is worth to be changed but everything in our country. We have taken a wrong direction and are moving forward. We started the first Artsakh war with fedayi movement and ended with a regular army, while the recent war was started with the regular army and ended with fedayi units. What was this if not a collapse, chaos, uncoordinated and negligent approach. 

 

- Is there any hope? 

- The only way out is through education and work. I have always repeated everyone should be in their place and do whatever they do well. Any profession is a responsibility. We need a leader who will acknowledge this truth. We need a space to live and name it a country. We should understand who are our lords and what they want from us, what can they cede for what and what are the common threats we face. We are in a struggle for sphere of influence. We must get orientated and self-organize. We face an issue of survival. We need not a progressive but a standing Armenia. We need not revolutions and shocks but a smooth change of generations in all spheres. If we do not get that it means we are reconciled with being defeated all the time. We need a leader who is able to take the responsibility for both defeats and victories. We should live, love, create, protect, demand and never give up the hope to have a better country. We must never stop dreaming about jumping higher than our head and ...be free. 

 

Photos were provided by Zaven Khachikyan. 

 


Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

13:35
Analyst: The West doesn't care about Armenia
The West wants Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty as soon as possible and Armenia's territorial losses do not matter to it,...
13:06
Moscow concerned over anti-Russian bias of Armenia-EU-US meeting
The Armenia-EU-US meeting scheduled for April 5 is causing Moscow’s concern as Washington and Brussels are openly discussing its...
12:37
Pashinyan: Some circles displaced from Karabakh take actions threatening Armenia's security
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warns that the actions taken by “some circles” forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)...
12:04
Artsakh dissolution decree was 'the only way' to save people, president says
President Samvel Shahramanyan claims his decree ordering the dissolution of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic was the “only...
11:30
Japanese supplement products recalled after two deaths and over 100 people hospitalized
Health supplement products believed to have caused two deaths and sickened more than 100 people have been ordered to be taken off store shelves...
11:15
Today is Holy Thursday
The week leading up to Easter or Holy Resurrection is called Holy Week (in Armenian Avak Shabat). During this period, the Armenian Apostolic...
11:00
Upcoming Armenia-US-EU meeting not directed against any third party – Foreign Ministry
The high-level meeting scheduled for April 5 in Brussels is aimed at strengthening Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not directed against...
17:00
Azerbaijan's team opts out of Sambo World Cup in Yerevan
Azerbaijan's national team will not participate in the Sambo World Cup to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, Azerbaijani Sambo Federation official...
16:45
Biden calls Putin 'butcher'
US President Joe Biden has disparaged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the second time in two months, publicly calling him a...
16:30
Armenian parliament speaker defends land handover to Azerbaijan
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has defended the plans to hand over border villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan. He...
16:04
Azerbaijan must create conditions for safe return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh, UK says
The UK government is clear that Azerbaijan must create the conditions for a safe and secure return of ethnic Armenians who were displaced from...
15:35
Photo campaign calls for release of political prisoners in Armenia
A photo campaign for the release of Armenian opposition activists has been launched in Yerevan. Photos of political prisoners Narek...
15:15
Arthur Abraham's father dies at 68
German-Armenian boxing star Arthur Abraham’s father, Grigor Abrahamyan, has died in Berlin at the age of 68. “We’re deeply...
15:00
Armenian MP warns of threats after possible land handover to Azerbaijan
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has warned of threats to a number of settlements in Armenia amid Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s signaled...
14:31
EU mission hosts French ambassador to Armenia
The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) on Wednesday hosted French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies and members of the French...
14:06
Azerbaijan opposes Armenia-EU-US conference
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has deplored the EU-Armenia-US joint conference scheduled for 5 April, warning that it will create...
13:36
Political prisoner Vazgen Saghatelyan slams Pashinyan in letter from prison
Political prisoner Vazgen Saghatelyan has blasted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his regime for efforts to silence their critics in...
12:34
U.S. aims to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to bridge differences – State Dept.
The objective of the United States is to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to bridge their differences, U.S. State Department...
12:15
Ukraine tells EU to hand over 'missing' €5B in Russian asset profits
Ukraine is pushing for another €5 billion from the proceeds generated by frozen Russian assets that the EU has decided to withhold from the...
12:00
Eurovision 2024: Semi-final running orders revealed
The running orders of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 semi-finals have been revealed. Armenia’s Ladaniva will perform 8th in the...
11:45
Today marks Holy Wednesday
The week leading up to Easter or Holy Resurrection is called Holy Week (in Armenian Avak Shabat). During this period, the Armenian Apostolic...
11:30
Denialists Erdogan and Netanyahu shamefully exploit the term genocide to bash each other
By Harut Sassounian www.thecaliforniacourier.com For several decades, Israel and Turkey were in a honeymoon, supporting each other...
11:10
SME loan portfolio of Ameriabank reported more than 30% growth in 2023
The small and medium enterprise (SME) loan portfolio of Ameriabank increased by more than 30% in 2023 to reach to AMD 222.6 billion as of...
11:00
Lemkin Institute calls for pressure on Aliyev regime to release Artsakh officials
The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention "energetically" condemns the continued and unlawful imprisonment of Armenian officials...
17:00
ALC submits eight cases to UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
The International and Comparative Law Center of Armenia, under the auspices of the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, formally...
16:45
Lionel Messi's market value drops by €5m
With the Major League Soccer season in full swing, Transfermarkt has updated the market values of 122 players. In what is an intermediary...
16:34
New report reveals Azeri crimes against Armenian soldiers, civilians
The International and Comparative Law Center NGO (I.C.Law), Center for Law and Justice Tatoyan Foundation, Arbane Foundation and Union for the...
16:02
Political analyst calls for snap elections in Armenia
Political scientist Suren Surenyants insists on public pressure for the conduct of snap elections in Armenia to remove Prime Minister Nikol...
15:31
Vardenyats Pass closed to traffic amid snowstorm
The Rescue Service has warned drivers about road closures in Armenia on Tuesday afternoon. In particular, the roads linking the Amberd high...
15:04
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responds to EU envoy
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada has reacted to the statements of Toivo Klaar, EU’s special representative for the...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}