The Spirit of Karabakh

by Armen Kharazian International mediation may have succeeded in silencing the guns in Nagorno Karabakh, but the prevailing "no war, no peace" situations remains threatened by the slow progress toward a lasting solution to the conflict. At stake is the safety and the right to self-determination by the region's 150,000 Armenians, along with the national security of Armenia itself.

by David Zenian The view from Mrav Hayrapetian's terrace is breathtaking. High on the mountain top is the 760-year-old monastic complex of Gandzasar overlooking lush fields of wheat and mulberry. The flowers in the garden are in full bloom. Chicken peck away in the courtyard and cattle graze in the distance on the banks of the Khatchen river. Everything seems picture perfect. But it has not always been like this.

by Louise Manoogian Simone

There is no apparent shortage of doctors, nurses and hospital beds in Nagorno Karabakh, but healthcare needs medical supplies and equipment without which even the best specialists are often unable to treat the sick and wounded. Dr. Ira Ghoukassian, an ophthalmologist, has not done a routine cataract operation in years and sends her patients to Armenia. Other doctors say they have to improvise on a case by case basis with the limited supplies at their disposal.

by Carolann S. Najarian, MD Dr. Najarian is an internist and a member of the staff of St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, MA. As President of the Armenian Health Alliance, she has made over 20 trips to Karabakh since 1992.

by David Zenian Amaras, Karabakh-Saint Gregory the Illuminator and Mesrop Mashtots gave Armenians their Christian faith and a unique alphabet-and both have endured the test of time in Karabakh. Saint Gregory converted the Karabakh Armenians to Christianity at the start of the fourth century. He began the construction of the monastery and church of Amaras in 360 A.D. Construction was completed by his grandson, Grigoris, who is buried there.

by Louise Manoogian Simone Defense Minister Samvel Babayan says he is tired of the reference to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh as if it were a "child custody" battle. "We are fed up of being treated like a divorce case where lawyers are negotiating with an abusive guardian and a mother without paying much attention to what the child wants," Babayan said during a rare interview in this capital city of Nagorno Karabakh. His views are echoed across this territory which 150,000 Armenians have called home for centuries.

by David Zenian The collapse of the Soviet Union shattered the infrastructure of many of its fifteen member republics, but also gave others a chance to build new states despite overwhelming odds.

by Ana Radelat Ana Radelat is a journalist working in Washington D.C. President Haidar Aliyev's warm reception at the White House and other places where the powerful gathered in his honor made it clear that the United States has intensified its efforts to make a good friend out of Azerbaijan. For his part, Aliyev went out of his way to display his willingness to cozy up to the United States before his U.S. tour of Washington and other major American cities in August, boasting that "Azerbaijan is a long-term partner for the United States."

by David Zenian Armenian culture is in a renaissance in Nagorno Karabakh after 70 years of oppression under the heavy hand of Azerbaijani rulers who had spared no effort to isolate the Armenians from one of the main pillars of their national heritage. Historical monuments were neglected, churches closed and stripped of their religious appearances. Some were used as warehouses and one converted into a spa.