On September 17, the reconsecration of the newly renovated Saint Minas Church in the village of Hak in the NKR district of Kashatagh took place. Inscriptions on the church walls date the edifice to 1675 A.D.
In attendance for the historic occasion, carried out by the Tufenkian Foundation, with the sponsorship of Virginia Davis, were NKR President Bako Sahakyan, NKR Speaker of the Parliament Ashot Ghoulyan and other top officials.

The church was reconsecrated by a retinue of clergy lead by Artsakh Diocese Primate, Archbishop Bargev Martirosyan. The Primate, in his address to Ms. Davis, said that the Turks had also tried to carry out genocide on Artsakh soil as well but that luckily this time their effort failed due to the organized and unified efforts of the people. “Not only did we overcome the challenge but, as a result of our heroic efforts, we obtained two independent Armenian states,” stated Archbishop Martisosyan.
Virginia Davis donated the renovations funds in memory of her family members that perished in the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Tufenkian Foundation Country Director Maro Matosian noted that more than 50% of the foundation’s activities are directed to the liberated district of Kashatagh. Ms. Matosian stated that historical records attest to the fact that Hak was once a large community and that in 1918 the Ottoman Army succeeded in cleaning the area of native Armenians. In 1921, the area was ceded to Soviet Azerbaijan. Today, the community has 45 inhabitants.
Ms. Matosian singled out Hak Mayor Volodya Sahakyan as a mover and shaker; a person that gets things done. The villagers worked long hours assisting with the church renovation and take great pride in the accomplishment.

Maro Matosian said that it was high time for Armenians to realize that the nation has lost enough land already, Western Armenia, Javakhk, Nakhijevan, and that Kashatagh and the liberated territories aren’t for sale or barter.
“Today, we constantly hear about negotiation, documents and treaties, but all of us here, residents, government officials, Diaspora –Armenians, fully realize that no one from these lands will leave. No one is ready to forsake what we liberated at a very high price,” she stressed.

Ms. Matosian gave the example of the 1,500 Jewish settlers who moved to the West Bank after it was captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The United Nations and other international bodies reprimanded the Jewish settlers and still call on Israel to stop the settlements. She rhetorically asked where all those resolutions are now that those 1,500 original settlers have reached 225,000.

“Those settlers are living on occupied Palestinian land, but no one can tell them today that they must pack up their bags and leave,” she argued, adding that, contrary to the Jews, Armenians have liberated and settled historic Armenian lands and have every right to stay.
Ms. Matosian continued by saying that in this context the Tufenkian Foundation, with the backing of Virginia Davis, wants to renovate as many churches and other Armenian monuments in the area as possible.
Ms. Davis told the assembled crowd that the Holy Mother of God Church in the village of Mirik and Saint Stepanos Church in Hochants were next on their list.

Village resident Varsik Abgaryan and Mrs. Varsik relocated to Kashatagh from Sisian ten years ago. Both were present at the ceremony.
Regarding the possible return of lands to Azerbaijan, Mrs. Varsik minced no words. “It is totally out of the question. No one would allow even an inch of this land to be returned. It will not happen; never. All of here, from the elderly to the kids are guardians of this land.”

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