Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Facebook post:
"Our Bolero" August 12, 2009, "Yerevan-Kentron" Children's Hospital In the morning I woke up to the sound of Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" fantasy. I was surprised. who would listen to "Bolero" in the "Yerevan-Kentron" prison at this hour, and so loudly that it would be possible to wake up a sleeping detainee? From which cell does Ravel's "Bolero" sound?
Not very quickly, however, I realized that "Bolero" is not playing from any cell or in any cell, but in me, in my consciousness. At first it surprised me, it seemed incomprehensible to me, then I realized that "Bolero" was inviting me somewhere, on some journey.
And when I understood, everything was arranged in one row. it became clear why "Bolero" sounds and where its voice comes from. On February 20, 2007, the first rally organized by the "Alternative" socio-political initiative, dedicated to the 19th anniversary of the Karabakh movement, took place in Yerevan's Freedom Square.
It was wonderful, bright weather, and when the equipment and loudspeakers were ready for operation, Samson Ghazaryan, a member of the "Karabakh" committee, the founder-member of the "Alternative" initiative, approached me and handed me a CD. "It's good music, let's play it before the rally," he said.
I didn't even ask what it was. I just turned it on, and Ravel's "Bolero" sounded on Freedom Square. only then did the rally begin. Before that, another rally was held in Yerevan in November 2005, during the days of the falsified constitutional referendum. 2006 became a year of civil despair for Armenia, and in the "padwal" of the "Armat" center, a new political path was being developed, and the authors of that path believed that "despair is also a resource".
A group of politicians of the first generation of independent Armenia, standing at the beginnings of the Third Republic, sitting at a table with inexperienced youths, looked for hope of civil struggle in despair. And they found it. On February 3, 2007, the great founding meeting of "Alternative" was held in the "Tigran Mets" hall of the "Armenia-Marriott" hotel in Yerevan, which was held in the spirit of triumph. Several hundred people were on their feet in the 700-seat hall.
On that day, we sent a message to those present and came to a decision with them: "We will not stop until the rule of law is established in Armenia, until the rule of the people is established in Armenia."
On February 20, 2007, the weather was wonderful. not many people came to the rally. barely 3-4 thousand. Ravel's "Bolero" was played in Freedom Square, and members of the "Karabakh" Committee Babken Ararktsyan, Samson Ghazaryan, Samvel Gevorgyan, future political prisoners Petros Makeyan, Davit Matevosyan, Conservative Party Chairman Mikayel Hayrapetyan were standing on the platform, that after March 1, 2008 spent more than a year underground.
Mher Manukyan, the famous author of "Freedom Songs", and Hrant Ter-Abrahamyan, the famous public speaker, were also on the stage. Three generations of Armenian citizens were represented on the platform, and "Bolero" was played. The names of all 11 members of the "Karabakh" committee were called from the platform, and the square applauded them.
Mher Manukyan gave a speech with a bunch of violets attached to his chest. violets bloomed early that year. Hrant Ter-Abrahamyan gave a speech in support of Vazgen Manukyan, a member of the Karabakh Committee. it was in those days that then Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan called Vazgen Manukyan an "idiot" on TV, and we, through Hrant's lips, told him: "Who are you to call our Vazgen Manukyan an "idiot"?
But it turned out that we defended Vazgen Manukyan's dignity in vain, it turned out that he has none of it. On February 20, 2007, the weather was wonderful, Ravel's "Bolero" was played in Liberty Square, and we, the participants of the rally, reached an agreement on the following: "The beast called Bespredel must no longer see our back. he must see our eyes and his end in our eyes."
"Bolero" was no longer playing from the player, but it was playing in the air. After the rally, we started a march. we went out to Sayat-Nova street. The police attacked us. they wanted to move our march to the sidewalk. we did not give way. Bespredel did not see our back. He saw our eyes, he saw his end in our eyes, he heard our "Bolero". The march was crowned with a triumph, a small one, but a triumph. Sayat-Nova street was ours, that is, the citizen's. this was the first march in Armenia since April 2004. On February 20, 2007, violets had already bloomed, on February 20 it was already spring. that spring, "Bolero" was played on Liberty Square, which was not Ravelin's anymore, that "Bolero" was already ours.
We no longer needed CDs, recordings. we used to walk in the streets of Yerevan and sing our "Bolero" by ourselves.
Some wanted to believe what they saw and heard, some did not want to believe what they saw and heard. Regardless of this, however, "Bolero" sounded, and it was our "Bolero", Ravel had written that "Bolero" for us. it sounds like the trumpet in "Bolero". The response was not long in coming, and one added one, added one, added one, added one, and it became obvious that the harvest would be abundant, and it was time to think about the reapers. Reapers were scarce...
Our march arrived on May 9, 2007, and Bespredel ambushed us at 104 Nalbandian Street, near the KGB building. Bespredel attacked us, but he didn't see our backs, he saw our eyes and his end in our eyes. Bespredel heard our "Bolero". Bespredel roared furiously, but could not silence our "Bolero", and the first Liberty tent appeared in Yerevan Liberty Square.
Our "Bolero" became elemental and polyphonic, but our hope was justified. the conductor's panel was no longer empty, and our voice became more confident and incomparably stronger.
Our process took on a quiet power. Bespredel was gnashing his teeth impotently, Bespredel had ambushed us, this time at the intersection of Abovyan-Koryun streets. But he was wrong, he didn't see our backs, he only saw our eyes and his end, in our eyes... Our "Bolero" sounded louder and louder, our "Bolero" spread all over Armenia. Bespredel roared madly, Bespredel craved blood. He wanted to see our backs, he didn't want to see our eyes, because he saw his end in our eyes. Bespredel was a conspiracy against us, Bespredel attacked us from all sides on March 1, 2008.
But he did not see, he did not see our back again, he saw only our eyes, our bright eyes and his end in our eyes. Our "Bolero" sounds louder and louder, our "Bolero" is no longer silent, and our "Bolero" will be crowned with triumph. Bespredel will not see our backs, Bespredel will see our eyes, and we will see our Victory in his eyes .
He will see our Victory in our eyes. He will see his end in Armenia, we will celebrate the Citizen's Victory in Armenia. Our "Bolero" is unstoppable.
P.S. I wrote this chapter of "Prison Diary" to the sounds of "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel. Try reading "Bolero" with it on. Listen to "Bolero" until the end.
