The first president of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, published an article stating:
“After reading the book ‘Wilhelm Matevosyan…’ ‘The Last Pages’
Recently, one of my close friends, literary critic Yervand Ter-Khachatryan, gave me a book he compiled in 2024, “Wilhelm Matevosyan, The Last Pages,” dedicated to the memory of the talented artist and philosopher Wilhelm Matevosyan. Matevosyan is known for his monographs on outstanding 20th-century Armenian artists such as Hakob Kojoyan, Martiros Saryan, and others, as well as articles on world-renowned foreign artists.
My goal is not to discuss his scholarly achievements, which are the work of artists, but rather to reflect on Matevosyan’s thoughts on the suffering of the long-suffering Armenian people throughout the centuries. In this regard, it’s enough to read the following excerpt from the book in question:
“February 1, 1981, Yerevan
How can the Armenians (the Armenian people) be blamed for taking a child by the paw and taking him abroad?” language, not for the Armenian school, not only for not speaking it, but also for mercilessly destroying and spoiling the golden monuments of its historical architecture, for destroying and throwing to the wind the remaining tombs of its great ancestors in search of treasures (many years ago they did the same with the tomb of Mkhitar Gosh), for spreading dirty gossip (and with what love!) about their geniuses and talents, for the quick and final oblivion of their own songs and music (from the past, even from the recent past, nothing has reached us, pristine or almost pristine) and instead accepting (with what greed!) someone else’s (mostly bad, cheap, cheap), that…, that…, that…, that…, that… What can be blamed for the fact that among today’s Armenian people, the so-called Armenians and those who have national dignity are 99% narrow-minded, walk barefoot, terribly arrogant, blind to the good of others, incompetent in their actions, ridiculously whiny nationalists or almost nationalists (but, for the most part, ready to betray, if the opportunity arises – what patriotism would a nationalist have?). Perhaps this is normal for a people experiencing decline and disappearance… Apparently, the Armenian is tired of being an Armenian (of course, being an Armenian is terribly hard), and he cannot bear the suffering associated with Armenianness, he wants to forget his Armenian identity and get rid of everything that reminds him of Armenianness… He wants to forget, independently of himself, spontaneously, subconsciously, with a kind of instinct… because from time to time, when sober, he lets out a disgusting squeak, groans like a dead man, beats his chest and says: “I am Armenian!”… Perhaps belonging to the Armenian nationality does not allow the Armenian to be a man (a man by nature, a man like people of other nationalities)… Or, perhaps, the Armenian is worn out. After all, he is very old. Perhaps the time has come to leave the arena of history—a tragic time. “Whether the time has come or not, it is obviously already leaving. And with all the painful, pitiful, and terrible, multicolored manifestations that inevitably accompany this departure. Should we have shown at least a little chivalry? Is it not possible to leave with a little honor (though perhaps not…?). Poor Tumanyan, poor Charents…”
At first glance, it may seem that we are dealing with a despairing genius, a momentary nervous breakdown, or, in Charents’ words, “a clouded consciousness.” In reality, this is not a sign of despair, but rather a necessary recognition of the need not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.