Arman Navasardyan: We have many bright intellectuals, but we do not have the intelligentsia; State intervention is needed
-During the first Artsakh war, everyone was working toward a common goal: to unite Artsakh with Armenia. Now, was Artsakh seen as part of the homeland during the 44-day war?
– There’s the rub. Was it part of the homeland for many? For me, it is part of the homeland… I did my military service in Artsakh, two decent years of my life are connected with Artsakh. Those two years were bright and significant years. Now I can’t show the places I’ve been to and I can’t be proud of them…
– In one of your interviews, you said that Armenia has become a country of fakes. Do you think anything genuine has been left in that country of fakes?
– We can barricade ourselves in, close our ears, stick to our phones and believe in the reality of the virtual world. We do not like facing up the truths. Maybe there are certain reasons for this: We have become tired and do not trust anyone anymore; we have lost trust in everyone… Have you noticed that people don’t trust anyone, nor do I…
– Today, society seems to have been divided in two: some say that life is wonderful in the country; they attend festivals. The rest think that we are treading a dangerous path. Who do you think is going to win and what is in fact going on?
– Let’s imagine a glass filled with water; The cream, i.e. the elite, is at the top; The dregs of society are at the bottom, while people, the pure, the true people are in the middle. People tend to strive to the top, but sometimes they fall to the bottom. So, these dregs of society at the bottom and the cream at the top are always in conflict with each other. People tend to move toward the group that becomes stronger, thinking that is the right thing to do. People follow both of these groups. Today everything has become muddled up: People, the elite, the dregs have blended into each other, and one cannot drink that water as it’s dirty. But what is the reason for this? This is because it is the state that creates the elite, through the use of various methods. Pointing down to those people, the state tells people, “This is the elite, this is the head.” However, this policy is disappearing today. That is the reason why today we have bright intellectuals, but we do not have the intelligentsia. It cannot be formed as there is no state intervention. If this intelligentsia is formed, the dregs of society will remain in their place; people will remain in their place as well. Now everything has become confused, as the dregs have risen to the top, while some are coming down from the top, passing though the people and making people dirty on their way.
– What is it about the theater that can disturb state officials to the extent that they decide to close it down?
– With its ideas, by not obeying…
Well, if you don’t like a certain director, if you don’t like the head of the theater, then appoint someone else. What’s the point of closing the theater down? Theater is a person, a living organism, how can you kill that person? Was it you who created it? Well, don’t you realize that you started at point A and will finish at point B? You are going to leave, positions do not last forever, life does not last not forever. When you get off the bus at that point B, people will spit in your face in the street, they will hate you, they will curse you.
