Araksya Melikyan: We are not a trading nation; Just we are good at it as well
ABC Interview’s guest was actress Araksya Melikyan from the Sundukyan Theater. According to Araksya, actors must be flexible and try different roles. The actress is always ready for new roles and, as she says, for new challenges.
– Araksya, what dangers do you think our compatriots abroad are facing today? Are you concerned about the realities in Armenia?
– You know, our compatriots living abroad are much more Armenian than we are here. You might ask what basis I have to assert that. I interact with them a lot. They don’t eat shawarma abroad; they say it’s Turkish. They maintain their Armenian identity better than we do it here. Perhaps it’s a protective measure that they find more necessary abroad. Our nation is often given labels that are unacceptable. I do not accept it when we are labeled as traders. That is not the case at all. Look at our history; perhaps we are good at it as well, because we have agile minds, but we are not just traders. By labeling us this way, they seem to bury our scientists and artists at once. Remember our musicians, our singers. There is no such thing; we are not traders; we are simply good at it as well.
– Do troupes often travel abroad from Armenia, and what performances do they give?
– Recently, a theater festival was held in Kazakhstan. One of our troupes performed with a non-Armenian piece and didn’t even make it into the top three. One of the actors told me, “You know, the groups that made it through were those that gave performances on national themes.” This means that the world, no matter how much they talk about globalization, still appreciates and values works that maintain a national identity.
– What is it that genuinely upsets you lately?
– Yes, there are things that truly worry me. I don’t blame those who honestly work hard, hard, and hard, then stop. Why? Because they see that there is another reality as well. They ask, “Why should I pay taxes while others steal?” They see it; they are not in Hollywood or Belgium. They continuously do their jobs, and then they stop doing it because those who do not do their jobs aren’t punished. I don’t know what tools are needed so that we can get out of this situation; I honestly don’t know. To hope that an honest person can resolve all this on their own seems unbelievable. I think we’re shortsighted, only thinking about today. There are nations that sow seeds not so that they and their children harvest but so that their grandchildren do. We say: “No, let us live today; who knows what will happen tomorrow? Besides, with so many taxes and debts piling up, who will pay? My child.”
– What to do and how to live in this difficult situation for our country?
– Yes, it’s not easy, but life hasn’t stopped. Who said life has come to a halt? On the contrary, we need to be stronger. Hayastan in my performance says we must live to take revenge. This is one of my character’s best lines. In other words, to take revenge for what has happened to me, I must live well. Living well doesn’t mean just enjoying good food and drink; it means living as well as possible—there’s no other way. That’s what I believe, and that’s what the Hayastan I play believes. We must live, always remembering who we are, while also directing our focus toward the greater world. By constantly being inward, we achieve nothing good. We need to have our own identity, our national identity, while also being open to the outside world.
Interview by Lena Gevorgyan
