28 MAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY

[Arpa]

MAY 28, INDEPENDENCE DAY

ՄԱՅԻՍ 28, ԱՆԿԱԽ ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_Armenia.svg

 

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A few days ago we celebrated Vicroty at Sardarapat

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=18373&page=1&&do=findComment&comment=244369

Today, May 28 we celebrate the First Repuclic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Republic_of_Armenia

=====

The First Republic of Armenia, known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն),[note 1] was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state since the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1375.[15][note 2] The republic was established in the Armenian-populated territories of the disintegrated Russian Empire, known as Eastern Armenia or Russian Armenia. The leaders of the government came mostly from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF or Dashnaktsutyun). The First Republic of Armenia bordered the Democratic Republic of Georgia to the north, the Ottoman Empire to the west, Persia to the south, and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to the east.

From the very onset, Armenia was plagued with a variety of domestic and foreign problems. Many of its inhabitants were Armenian refugees who had fled the massacres of the Armenian Genocide in Western Armenia and it almost did not come into existence because of the advances of the armies of the Ottoman Empire, which were intent on eliminating the Armenian people living in the area.[18] The republic lasted for over two years. By late 1920, the nation was conquered by the Soviet Red Army. The First Republic, along with the Republic of Mountainous Armenia, become the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921 and, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the current Third Republic of Armenia in 1991.[19

[Yervant1]

Horizon:

 

June 2, 2014

Armenian flag on Vancouver city hall

Armenian flag on Vancouver city hall -

http://www.horizonweekly.ca/upload_files/wysiwyg/Vanc-2.jpgOn a sunny May 28th afternoon, AYF Arshavir Shiragian Chapter hosted the second annual Flag raising Ceremony at Vancouver City Hall.

Supported by ARFJOC Chirstapor Mikaelyan badanegan members, pastor of St. Gregory Armenian Church Father Hrant Tahanian, and members of the Vancouver Armenian community, the Ceremony commenced at 4pm with introductory greetings by the MC, AYF member Unger Hagop Agopian.

Unger Agopian made a special welcome to Deputy Mayor Adriane Carr, plus City Councillors Kerry Jang, Tony Tang and Andrea Reimer.

He continued with a brief history contextualizing the events surrounding May 28 1918, and the importance of that date to the survival of the Armenian nation.

Deputy Mayor Carr spoke of the importance of Armenia's first independence, and of the contributions of Canadian Armenians to this great city of Vancouver, and to all of Canada.

As she raised the flag of Armenia, her fellow councillors joined the Armenian community members in singing Mer Hairenik and O Canada, accompanied by badanegan member Pailg Kochkrian on violin.

[Yervant1]

Town of Markham Marks Armenian Independence Day May 28, 2010

 

Markham, Ontario, May 28, 2010 – The Town of Markham council has declared May 28, 2010 to be Armenian National Day. In honour of this special occasion, the Armenian tricolour (red, blue and orange) was raised on the flagpole at Markham Civic Centre at 8:30 am. on Friday, May 28, 2010.

http://www.anctoronto.org/PressReleases/Press%20Release%20Images/May%2028%202010%20Flag%20Raising%20Ceremony%20in%20Markham/Flag%20Raising%20in%20Markham.jpg

The Town of Markham officially recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2007 and since then, the Town has celebrated this triumphant move on every May 28th with a flag raising ceremony of the Armenian Tricolour Flag in front of the Markham Civic Centre.

http://www.anctoronto.org/PressReleases/Press%20Release%20Images/May%2028%202010%20Flag%20Raising%20Ceremony%20in%20Markham/Raising%20the%20Tricolour.jpg

Over 200 members of the Canadian Armenian community of Markham were joined by the students from the Armenian Relief Society (Armenian Private) School and the Homenetmen scouts. Deputy Mayor Jack Heath, Ward 3 Councillor Don Hamilton and Ward 8 Councillor Alex Chiu and others were on hand to congratulate the Armenian community.

http://www.anctoronto.org/PressReleases/Press%20Release%20Images/May%2028%202010%20Flag%20Raising%20Ceremony%20in%20Markham/Shaghig%20Kolandjian%20Speech.jpgDuring the reception, two grade 11 students from the ARS Armenian Private School, Shahe Papissian and Shaghig Kolandjian read their short speeches. Haig Manougian a grade 12 student and a member of Homenetmen scouts joined Deputy Mayor Jack Heath, Councillors Don Hamilton and Alex Chiu in the flag raising ceremony.

A reception was held in the council chamber hall following the Flag Ceremony where Deputy Mayor Jack Heath congratulated the Armenian community on their National Day and thanked them for helping to make Markham one of the best cities in Canada.

Markham Civic Centre is located at 101 Town Centre Blvd. on the north east side of the intersection of Highway 7 and Warden Ave.

The Armenian National Committee of Toronto is a chapter of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, a grassroots organization that was founded in 1965 to address the concerns of the Canadian Armenian community on a broad range of issues.

[Yervant1]

MAY 28TH IS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

13:42, 28 May, 2015

YEREVAN, 28 MAY, ARMENPRESS. "May 28th is one of the most brilliant
days in the history of the Armenian people. It serves as the glorious
example of our nation's heroic defense of the right to live and the
brilliant start of the reinstatement of Armenian statehood." This
is what President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan declared
as he delivered his address on the occasion of the First Republic of
Armenia at the Sardarapat Memorial Complex.

"The victories that the Armenians scored in Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan
and Gharakilisa in May helped save the last pieces of land of Eastern
Armenia and the Armenians living on those lands. It was clear to
everyone that the Armenians of Eastern Armenia would have the same
fate as the Armenians of Western Armenia. This year, on the occasion
of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, there have been and there
will be several events in Armenia and in the Armenian Diaspora. Today,
it is our duty to state that we Armenian workers, builders, soldiers,
politicians, teachers and clergymen stopped the annihilation of
the Armenians. We stopped it with the heroic battles in May and the
establishment of Armenian statehood. May 28 inaugurates salvation and
revival of the Armenians." the President of the Republic of Armenia
mentioned, as "Armenpress" reports.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/807116/may-28th-is-one-of-the-most-brilliant-days-in-the-history-of-the-armenian-people-armenian-president.html

[Yervant1]

FIRST REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA WAS TOO SMALL TO LIVE ON, BUT IT WAS TOO GREAT TO DIE - AMATOUNI VIRABYAN

15:57 * 28.05.15

Director of the National Archives of Armenia Amatouni Virabyan
regards as a miracle the May victories in Sardarapat, Gharakilis and
Bash-Aparan, when the Republic of Armenia was declared on May 28,
which the National Council members in Tbilisi had never expected.

"They were not ready for that and they had no program that envisaged
a victory that would be celebrated. In memoirs I read that all the
National Council members were sad when they discussed a resolution
after the victory," Mr Virabyan told reporters on Thursday.

The government was formed and the first prime minister of the First
Republic of Armenia Hovhannes Kajaznuni was told to "govern from
Tbilisi."

"If the then head of the Armenian Council in Yerevan Aram Manukyan
had not put forward an urgent demand, they would not have come, though
Yerevan was a provincial town, while Tbilisi was provided with grain
and food," Mr Virabyan said.

It was for the first time that the Armenian people had been united,
he added.

The situation was critical, Yerevan would have fallen and the Armenian
people would have been annihilated.

The Sardarapat battle broke out on May 22, and the National Council
did not know what was going in Eastern Armenia.

The Armenian population was in a disastrous situation as Turkey
decided to seize Eastern Armenia, after siezing Western Armenia,
and annihilate Armenians thus putting an end to the Armenian Cause.

On May 22, the Armenian troops united and launched an offensive and
seized Sardarapat. There were so many volunteers that recruitment
was discontinued.

Turkey's regular army, which had defeated the British troops in the
Battle of Gallipoli, suffered defeat and lost 3,000 soldiers.

"In fact, we had not had statehood since 1045, when Ani fell. And
our state was restored at that time. Although the First Republic of
Armenia was too small to live on, it was too great to die. It was a
state," Mr Virabyan concluded.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/05/28/Amatuni-Virabyan/1689836

[Yervant1]

THE REPUBLIC OF ARARAT - 97 YEARS AGO. 1918, THE GUARDIAN

May 28, 2015

As has already been announced, an Armenian Independent Republic of
Ararat has now been proclaimed and recognised by the Turks. This
republic consists of the districts of Erivan and Etchmiadzin, with
about 12,000 square kilometers of territory and 400,000 inhabitants.

Thus the Republic consists of only two out of the seven districts of
the province of Erivan, the other Armenian provinces of Russia being
entirely excluded, to say nothing of Turkish Armenia.

Reuter's Agency now learns from a well-informed source that the Turkish
authorities contemplate forcing Armenians from their homes in other
districts into the small Republic of Ararat, those districts being
populated by Turks alone.

>From the book, "The Times of the Armenian Genocide" by Katia Peltekian

http://www.horizonweekly.ca/news/details/68030