Four Armenian wrestlers walked away from the 2024 European Wrestling Championships in Bucharest, Romania donning gold medals around their necks. The weeklong competition had more than 500 athletes representing 38 nations fighting for intercontinental honors. 

Malkhas Amoyan became a four-time European champion for his dominant performance against Turkey’s Yunus Emre Basar with a 7-0 score in the gold medal match. Amoyan’s quarterfinal and semifinal bouts were decided by just one point (3-2 and 2-1 respectively) before he clinched gold in the men’s Greco-Roman 77-kg competition. 

Amoyan, during his return to Armenia, told reporters at Armsport.am that this gold medal victory was difficult for him. “Everyone is preparing against you. They say that becoming a champion is difficult. Keeping the title is even more difficult. It really is. Thanks to the coaches, I was able to wrestle correctly and be recognized as the winner.”

The Yazidi-Armenian wrestler has his sights set on the Olympics, where he could become the second Armenian (after Artur Aleksanyan) to win gold in the European Championships, World Championships and Olympics. “I will do everything to return from Paris with a gold medal. The European Championship was the first tournament of this year. I’m glad I started with a win. This gold medal gave me more confidence to be able to move forward,” Amoyan said. 

As for the Greco-Roman 97-kg division, the legendary Artur Aleksanyan outwrestled Magomed Murtazaliev, representing Individual Neutral Athletes, to win his seventh European championship. The 32-year-old Aleksanyan’s illustrious medal count rose to 23, including his gold and bronze victories at the World Junior Championships.

Aleksanyan told journalists at Zvartnots International Airport that every championship comes with its own price. “Becoming a European champion is always difficult. Every year I feel that everyone is basically preparing against me. In this sense, it gets harder every time, but thank God, I manage to win,” Aleksanyan said. 

The ‘White Bear’ also alluded to his wrestling future. “I don’t know what will happen later. The Olympic Games are ahead, after which it will be clear.”

In men’s freestyle, Arsen Harutyunyan was first to medal after sweeping every opponent he faced with 10-0 scores to become a four-time European Champion in the 57-kg division. Harutyunyan faced Azerbaijan’s Islam Bazarganov and Turkey’s Muhammet Karavuş in the semifinals and finals respectively to win gold, scoring a 10-0 win in the final in just 54 seconds.

Harutyunyan credited not only his success, but the entire Armenian wrestling team’s success, to hard work and teamwork in an Instagram post. “We have been preparing for this European Championship for months and going through a lot of difficulties with our coaches, but we are ready to do more to get the Olympic gold,” Harutyunyan wrote. 

In the 70-kg freestyle competition, Arman Andreasyan had a European championship to remember. The 20-year-old underdog bested France’s Seyfula Itaev 6-5 in the quarterfinals, world champion Ismail Musukaev 8-5 in the semifinals and Akaki Kemertelidze 7-3 in the gold medal match for his first career European championship. 

Andreasyan nearly missed out on competing in the gold medal match. During his semifinal bout, the Armenian wrestler scored four points with less than 10 seconds remaining, going from a 4-5 disadvantage to an 8-5 victory.

“I am very happy that I managed to become the winner of the European Championship. I had silver and bronze medals and the desire was very big to win the gold. I thank God for giving me a chance to achieve my goal,” Andreasyan said in an Instagram post.

Armenia’s newest European champion also took time to dedicate his win to his late cousin, Taron Andreasyan, who died during the 44-day war in Artsakh in 2020.

Other Armenian wrestlers to medal include Manvel Khachatryan in Greco-Roman 55-kg (bronze, Armenia), Mezhlum Mezhlumyan in Greco-Roman 61-kg (bronze, Armenia), Edmond Nazaryan in Greco-Roman 63-kg (bronze, Bulgaria) and Narek Oganian in Greco-Roman 72-kg (bronze, Individual Neutral Athletes).

The focus now shifts to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Arsen Harutyunyan (men’s freestyle 57-kg), Vazgen Tevanyan (men’s freestyle 65-kg), Slavik Galstyan (men’s Greco-Roman 67-kg), Malkhas Amoyan (men’s Greco-Roman 77-kg) and Artur Aleksanyan (men’s Greco-Roman 97-kg) have already qualified. Olympic wrestling will take place August 5-11.

“My dear Mélinée, my beloved little orphan, 

In a few hours I will no longer be of this world. We are going to be executed today at 3:00. This is happening to me like an accident in my life; I don’t believe it, but I nevertheless know that I will never see you again.

Mélinée Manouchian

What can I write to you? Everything inside me is confused, yet clear at the same time. I joined the army of liberation as a volunteer, and I die within inches of victory and the final goal. I wish for happiness for all those who will survive and taste the sweetness of the freedom and peace of tomorrow. I’m sure that the French people, and all those who fight for freedom, will know how to honor our memory with dignity. At the moment of death, I proclaim that I have no hatred for the German people, or for anyone at all; everyone will receive what he is due, as punishment and as reward. The German people, and all other people, will live in peace and brotherhood after the war, which will not last much longer. Happiness for all…I have one profound regret, and that’s of not having made you happy; I would so much have liked to have a child with you, as you always wished. So I’d absolutely like you to marry after the war, and, for my happiness, to have a child and, to fulfill my last wish, marry someone who will make you happy. All my goods and all my affairs, I leave them to you and to my nephews. After the war you can request your right to a war pension as my wife, for I die as a regular soldier in the French army of liberation.

With the help of friends who’d like to honor me, you should publish my poems and writings that are worth being read. If possible, you should take my memories to my parents in Armenia. I will soon die with 23 of my comrades, with the courage and the serenity of a man with a peaceful conscience; for, personally, I’ve done no one ill, and if I have, it was without hatred. Today is sunny. It’s in looking at the sun and the beauties of nature that I loved so much that I will say farewell to life and to all of you, my beloved wife, and my beloved friends. I forgive all those who did me evil, or who wanted to do so, with the exception of he who betrayed us to redeem his skin, and those who sold us out. I ardently kiss you, as well as your sister and all those who know me, near and far; I hold you all against my heart.

Farewell. Your friend, your comrade, your husband.

Ps: I have 15,000 francs in the valise at the Rue de Plaisance. If you can get it, pay off all my debts and give the rest to Armène.”

This beautiful letter is the last letter written by Missak Manouchian, on February 21, 1944. It was addressed to his beloved wife Mélinée Manouchian. Sadly, shortly after writing these words, the Armenian hero who defied the Nazis was executed by a German firing squad at Fort Mont-Valérien in the western suburbs of Paris.

Missak Manouchian

Exactly 80 years after his death, on , Missak Manouchian is entering the Panthéon mausoleum in Paris, where he will join France’s most revered historical figures. Located in the fifth arrondissement of Paris, in the Quartier Latin, the Panthéon is an architectural marvel and one of Paris’ most prestigious monuments. The edifice was commissioned by King Louis XV of France in 1755 and built as a church dedicated to Saint Geneviève. In 1791, the church was transformed into a mausoleum (Panthéon in Greek means “Every God”) and destined to house the remains of France’s greatest men. Interment in the crypt of the Panthéon is severely restricted and is only reserved for individuals who have played a major role in France’s history. Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Marie Curie, Émile Zola and French Resistance heroes like Jean Moulin are among the French figures who were reinterred in the Panthéon. Known as being “pantheonized,” entering the Panthéon is the greatest honor that can be bestowed on anyone in France, and God knows Missak Manouchian deserves this eternal recognition. Missak Manouchian is not entering the Panthéon alone. This true Armenian hero is entering the Parisian mausoleum with his beloved wife Mélinée, who passed away in 1989 and was buried by his side at the Ivry Cemetery.

The first time I heard the name Missak Manouchian was in 1994, at my school in the west of Paris. Back then, I was already interested in World War II, so when a teacher mentioned that the Manouchian group was the most active French Resistance group, I was captivated and had so many questions. On that day, I discovered the incredible story of Missak Manouchian, an Armenian Genocide survivor who went on to become a French Resistance hero. Born in 1906, Missak arrived in France in 1925 and worked at a Citroën car factory. Despite seeing the true face of evil during the Armenian Genocide, Missak never lost faith in humanity and always believed that a better world was possible. This ideal led him to get involved in politics and join the Communist Party in 1934. When the Nazis occupied France, Missak led a small group of foreign Resistance fighters, who carried out attacks against German forces and risked their lives to liberate the country they loved.

I couldn’t possibly write an article about Missak and Mélinée Manouchian without visiting their home in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Located at the N°11 Rue de Plaisance, this little building is where they lived from 1941 until November 16, 1943, when Missak and his group were arrested. Standing there, I couldn’t help but think about all the memories that they shared in their home, and how this extraordinary couple sacrificed everything they had, for everything we have. They knew that German forces and their local collaborators on any day could storm into their building and arrest, torture and execute them, but this terrifying thought never discouraged them. It gave them strength. 

In 1934, Missak Manouchian met Mélinée, the love of his life. Born in 1913 in Constantinople, she lost her parents during the Armenian Genocide and ended up in Marseille, where she learned French and studied accounting. During the Nazi occupation of France, Mélinée became a heroic companion to her husband. Whenever the Manouchian group attacked a German target, she observed the movements of each actor and noted the results of the operation. Month after month, Mélinée demonstrated remarkable courage. In June 1941, when Missak was arrested for the first time and sent to a camp in Compiègne, she asked someone to take her to the camp on his bicycle and succeeded in passing some food to her husband. Thanks to her efforts, Missak was released after a few weeks.

Missak and Mélinée Manouchian’s grave at the Ivry Cemetery

I couldn’t honor Missak and Mélinée Manouchian without visiting them (just before their remains were transferred) at the Ivry Cemetery, which is located in the southeastern suburbs of Paris. As I approached their grave, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I spent a long moment with them and thought about the profound love that they had for each other. Mélinée never fulfilled Missak’s “last wish,” which was to marry someone who would make her happy. Missak was the only man she loved, so following his death, Mélinée never remarried, remained a widow all her life and had no children. 

I also thought about the members of the Manouchian group who are buried next to Missak and Mélinée at the Ivry Cemetery. These true heroes are: Celestino Alfonso, Joseph Boczov, Georges Cloarec, Rino Della Negra, Thomas Elek, Maurice Fingercwajg, Spartaco Fontanot, Jonas Geduldig, Emeric Glasz, Léon Goldberg, Szlama Grzywacz, Stanislas Kubacki, Cesare Luccarini, Armenak Arpen Manoukian, Marcel Rajman, Roger Rouxel, Antoine Salvadori, Willy Schapiro, Amedeo Usseglio, Wolf Wajsbrot and Robert Witchitz. Olga Bancic, the only woman of the Manouchian group, was taken to Stuttgart, Germany, and beheaded on May 10, 1944. These heroic Resistance fighters all sacrificed their lives for our freedom, and it is our duty to honor and remember every single one of them.

Today, on , Missak Manouchian is making history by becoming the first foreign Resistance fighter and the first Communist resistance fighter to enter the Panthéon. French President Emmanuel Macron recently paid tribute to Missak Manouchian’s “bravery” and “quiet heroism,” adding that Manouchian “embodies the universal values of France” and “carries a part of our greatness.” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also commented on this historical day by saying: “This is just and long-awaited recognition by the Republic of the role of foreigners who, at the cost of their lives, fought for the liberation of our country and our freedom. They are the face of France.” 

Exactly 80 years ago, at Fort Mont-Valérien, Missak Manouchian and his brave comrades lined up in front of the German firing squad and faced death with honor, dignity and pride. Seconds before being shot, these heroic freedom fighters all shouted “Vive la France!” (Long Live France). 80 years later, a large and grateful crowd gathered along the Rue Soufflot (road leading to the Panthéon) to shout “Vive Missak Manouchian!”

In the Soviet era, Armenia, like other SSRs, had its own coat of arms. The Armenian Coat of Arms had an image of Ararat wreathed in two stalks of wheat with a red star and hammer and sickle above the two peaks. In the 1950s, Turkey complained to the USSR about using ‘its’ mountain on the Armenian SSR Coat of Arms. It was concerned that the USSR might have designs on taking Turkish territory. Per his memoirs, Nikita Khrushchev retorted, “Why do you have a moon depicted on your flag? After all, the moon doesn’t belong to Turkey, not even half the moon. Do you want to take over the whole universe?” I distinctly recall reading, years ago, that Armenian Communist Anastas Mikoyan had a similar exchange with a senior Turkish official, who asked, “Who gave you permission to use our mountain on your Coat of Arms?” Mikoyan supposedly answered, “Who gave you permission to use the moon on yours?” (I say supposedly because I have been unable to verify Mikoyan’s version.)

The Turks have raised the issue of Ararat on official Armenian symbols again this year. They object to the use of Ararat on the current Armenian Coat of Arms and the word ‘enemy’ in the Armenian National Anthem. How they figured out that they themselves are the enemy is beyond me. By chance, as I write this I am wearing an Ara the Rat hoodie with a picture of the two peaks and the words, “Out of bounds, but never out of sight.” This is our circumstance, our vidjag, that the symbol of our nation, the mountain of our hearts and souls, revered in song, poetry and art, lies not in our country but in our enemy’s country.  

Mount Ararat (Photo: Serouj Ourishian, Wikimedia)

Imagine if, because of war and arbitrary borders, Mount Fuji was no longer in Japan. It is unfathomable for any educated person with a basic knowledge of geography and history. Well, with regard to Ararat, the unfathomable is a reality Armenians can see every day. 

At many Armenian cultural events we attend or in articles we read, we see or hear the line, “We are unmovable, like our mountains.” I understand the sentiment and its inspirational intent. But, as it often can be, the truth is much harsher. Our borders can and have been moved; our people can and indeed have been moved from our unmovable mountains.

Who moved the borders? Who eliminated our people from our unmovable mountains? 

This was done in 1915 in Western Armenia and again just a few months ago in Artsakh. Might we call these people, oh, I don’t know, enemies? Turkey has an issue with the word enemy in the third verse of our national anthem. Again, for some reason, they believe it may refer to themselves. Sounds like paranoia to me. They ask for this change while simultaneously supplying their latest drones to surrogate Azerbaijan, who keeps threatening to take what it calls ‘Western Azerbaijan.’ This sure sounds like an enemy to me. I would want more than a tricolor to shine against such an enemy – maybe some seriously high-tech weapons of my own. Perhaps we can call it ‘the iron ladle’ drone.

We would not feel any safer by acquiescing to these requests to change our National Anthem or eliminate Ararat from our Coat of Arms. It rings more of subjugation than negotiations for border delineation and security. Yet, the government of the Republic of Armenia is considering these changes. But negotiations tend to go the way of the 800-pound gorilla in the relationship, and clearly, the Republic of Armenia is not the 800-pound gorilla.

Maybe we can borrow from Prince’s playbook and no longer refer to Ararat or Masis but instead ‘the mountain formerly known as…’ We don’t even have to use the words Ararat or Masis. We could conjure up an abstract symbol, again a la Prince, to replace the names Ararat and Masis. I might recommend, and I am just spit-balling here, the Greek letter beta:  β. They might not get that it is just a stylized graphic of Ararat rotated clockwise 90 degrees.

Per the Khrushchev-Mikoyan story, this is nothing new for Turkey. Here is another example. About a dozen years ago, I organized a concert with a singer born and raised in Istanbul. One of the songs we planned for her to sing was ‘Khnjouki Yerk,’ based on the endearing poem by Armenian poet Sarmen. The first two lines of the poem are:

Seghann eh arad,
Timatsn Ararat…

The abundant table
Set under Ararat…

She had learned a version of the song without a reference to Ararat. Even though she attended an Armenian school, they had to comply with state regulations and censorship in this regard. It would be beyond horrible for schools in the Republic of Armenia to ever have to follow the same rules as Armenian schools in Istanbul.

If this were to happen and, sadly, such concessions have been considered, I would surely be in favor of changing Armenia’s National Anthem. But I would also change the first line from:

Mer hayrenik, azad angakh…
Our fatherland, free, independent…

Back to Mikayel Nalbandian’s first line:

Mer hayrenik, tshvar, ander…
Our fatherland, miserable, barren…

Why is it that our church infrastructure and our communities are often discussed as interchangeable terms? The church goes beyond the spiritual needs of the diaspora, given the unique relationship between our faith and our heritage. The vast majority of our communities in the diaspora are centered around a local parish with a complement of patriotic, philanthropic and educational organizations. It is rare to see a community in the Armenian diaspora without a functioning church parish. When our survivor generation came to these shores, they brought their familial lifestyle with them, which was centered around the church. Even today, as changing demographics expand our community base into other geographies, the establishment of a new community usually begins with a mission parish. This reflects not only the importance of spirituality in Armenian life, but specifically the importance of the institution itself in sustaining the diaspora. In the absence of the church, our communities would operate as several loosely connected secular organizations. 

The church should never take its communal importance for granted and neither should members of the community. There are several barometers of the sustainable health of the church. We can look to spiritual health, outreach programs, financial stability or parish membership. These are all important and contribute to the overall picture, but I believe that the engagement of the youth is one of the best indicators of vibrancy and the future direction of this institution. Ironically, the youth represent the future but are underrepresented in the decision-making processes of the church. We assume we know what is in their best interests. This is one of the reasons why I am always interested in the health of the Sunday school programs. Traditionally, our Sunday schools are designed to offer Christian education according to the teachings of the Armenian church from preschool through high school. In some parishes, high school students are blended with other programs, such as the ACYOA in the Diocese. Using Sunday schools as a barometer of a community’s health, we should be very concerned. Usually our proxy decisions for the youth work, but in times of rapid change there is dangerous latency. Such is the case with the digital revolution as it relates to education. 

Harry and Elise Markarian of Providence bow their heads in prayer in front of their computer as Sunday School class began in 2021.

Our Sunday schools, whether in the Prelacy or Diocese, have been in decline for a few decades. We can use almost any metric to illustrate the points of regression. The number of students according to registrations has declined consistently since the late 70s. Registration is actually a more forgiving measurement, since it simply tells us who signed up in September but does not account for the inconsistent attendance week to week. We have teachers in every community who prepare lessons weekly only to have the students attend inconsistently. Imagine the challenge of teaching with less kids and a different group week to week. One of the ironies is that a significant emphasis has been put on curriculum and other teaching material. We are well prepared in this area, but it has not slowed the decline. This week I had the pleasure of speaking with someone who taught Sunday school for many years and recalled when the parish Sunday school had 400 students; today, it has a small fraction of that. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example. Most of our parishes are experiencing this tragedy, and we have parishes that do not have a Sunday school. What can their future be? There are many dedicated volunteers in parishes and staff at our Diocese/Prelacy who have discussed this problem at retreats, teacher training seminars and conventions. The challenge has received significant attention, but we seem to be pushing the wrong buttons. Are we reaching the intended audience?         

The data tells us that Christian education is simply not as important to the current generation. By debating the symptoms, such as competing sports, assimilation or intermarriage, we have provided ourselves rationalizations to explain away the problem. We have not lost the children. There are hundreds who find joy in our schools. We have lost the parents. They are making choices other than a church education for their children. Many cave to the peer pressure that sports on Sundays are vital to their child’s development. I have never understood why our clergy are not more direct with parents, articulating that this is not in their best interests. Our priests can say this as a part of their ministry without being accused of being judgmental. We are trying to solve this problem in our churches through teacher training, curriculum and activities. Yet the problem is in the home. Until we find a way to build spiritual families, they will never understand what they are missing. We ask our families to pray together during meals. How many families even share a meal amid their overly scheduled lives? In recent weeks, I have shared some thoughts about the importance of change for maintaining vitality and relevance. We need a new approach with our Sunday schools. We have pilot programs for church membership and stewardship integration. Why are we not piloting new programs that bring God and the Armenian church into the home for our parents and children? What would that look like? Here are some ideas to consider.

An increasing number of students have no home experience to attract them to church. No connection has been made to draw them to Sunday services. We rely on the commitment of the parents, which is a diminishing proposition. Most parents, however, will prioritize what interests their kids. If there was something exciting happening in their homes relative to Armenian Christian education, it may provide the connection that is missing today. The argument that a church education is more important than conflicting social or athletic events has not worked. Children must discover the value in their homes. 

Our educational practices must reflect what these children are used to in their daily lives. They are growing up with web-based learning, streaming programs and digital integration. This is how our children are learning during the week in their public or private education. In the simplest form, we must design digital programming for the home that can be viewed by parents and children and open new doors for families. Imagine the possibilities if students connected to streaming platforms, YouTube channels or web-based programs using age appropriate animation and other graphic tools. The children would have weekly programming during a window of time, maybe 2-3 weekdays. Soon it would become a part of their weekly schedule, if done professionally. Episodes would be connected to Sundays for continuity and building interest. Animation is a proven method of building interest and teaching primary grades. Interactive programming would focus on the needs of secondary students. Instead of watching programs that serve as babysitters, older students could equally become hooked on innovative educational programs that focus on Armenian Christian education. Make it fun, connect with characters and tell the stories. Students could receive merchandise of important characters through the Diocese/Prelacy. In addition to a hundred stuffies that kids collect on their beds, there might be a St. Gregory or St. Hripsime. With more children participating in the primary grades, there will be a foundation for transitioning to the secondary grades. This is an area of significant attrition today. These are just a few of the possibilities.

One of the objections to this type of programming is that everything must take place in the church. I am suggesting that in order to achieve a breakthrough, the programming should be under the control of the church but not limited to its four walls. Some of our more traditional leaders do not understand how young minds learn today. I don’t think that any of us in the adult community actually fully understand it, and for this reason, we should consider focus groups with students to feed the development process. It would be a closed loop process of adjusting to what works and what doesn’t. We should ask ourselves: Is it riskier to the health of the church to maintain the same approach or to focus on the core of the issue – the home? This would represent a significant shift in funding, resources and leadership. Programming could be national or regional, thus relieving some of the redundant burden in parishes. A pilot program could be launched in a few parishes before full implementation. There are two critical elements to this strategic shift. The focus will be building interest in the homes that will be reflected in participation, and content will be designed to connect with the existing digital culture that our children understand. We love our church, and its future should be our motivation. Our methods must be better aligned to current educational vehicles. This will not alter the theology or the history of our church but open new doors for its acceptance. We are experiencing a tragedy in that so few have experienced the beauty of our church and what it has to offer. I have heard the term “irrelevant” too often from those who have left the church. It hurts me to the core to observe the gap between ignorance and substance. We must do better if we are to pass a healthy institution on to the future. We are stewards during our time on this earth.

Utilizing different teaching methods does not compromise the essence of who we are. On the contrary, it honors it by providing new avenues of knowledge acquisition. Once our children establish a better connection with an educational opportunity, we will begin to see the creative branches blossom, with our students offering prose and poetry as expressions of their experience. I have watched carefully how my grandchildren learn. It is different from my generation or even my children’s generation. The goal of current educational methods is to establish a passion for knowledge within the students, and once that is established, their self-motivation will take them to new heights. With digital programming, our children will better identify with the content and position themselves for peer _expression_ in the near future. Absorb and express is a powerful two-step method to bring Armenian Christian identity into the fabric of children’s lives. It starts with the will to change our approach.