For the past several weeks, the “Hayrenaser” organization has been hard at work to organize the Diaspora’s main event dedicated to the famed Artsakh commander Monte Melkonian on the occasion of his 54^th birthday. As the program of the event takes shape, more details emerge of what awaits the community on December 4^th at the complex of the Western Diocese in Burbank. Most recently it was announced that Dr. Armen Ayvazyan, a widely respected historian and political scientist based in Yerevan, will participate in the event in person and speak on the strategic importance of the liberated territories. As Director of the Yerevan-based “Ararat” Center for Strategic Research, Dr. Ayvazyan has written extensively on the topic of national security of Armenia.

As communicated earlier, Professor Markar Melkonian, the brother of Monte and author of Monte’s biography “My Brother’s Road” will speak about Monte’s life. Professor Melkonian has spent years researching every detail of Monte’s path and his struggle, which has culminated in a valuable account of the phenomenon of Monte in the aforementioned book. Other speakers will join via Skype to present other aspects of Monte’s life. Seta Melkonian, Monte’s wife, will speak about the human qualities of Monte, whose extreme kindness is cited by people who met him. Renowned General Hmayak Haroyan will speak about Monte as a military commander. While currently retired from the Armenian Armed Forces, General Haroyan fought alongside Monte in Martuni during the most crucial period of the Artsakh Liberation War as both commanders used their skills and experience to build a well-trained regular army unit out of the ragtag and disparate groups of inexperienced freedom fighters of Martuni.

To present the view from the ground in the liberated territories, government officials from Artsakh’s liberated Kashatagh region will join the event via Skype, while “Hayrenaser” co-founder Nelli Shushi Martirosyan will brief the audience on the main findings of a research study in those territories she undertook. The research study was conducted to lay the groundwork for infrastructure projects by “Hayrenaser” in the coming years. In addition to speaker presentations on the present situation in these regions, the public will also be offered an exhibit of photographs of the millennia-old Armenian historical monuments in these regions. Most importantly, personal items of Monte Melkonian – samurai sword, Japanese kendo uniform, letters and pieces of military uniform worn in Martuni – will be displayed.

The organizers promise an evening of patriotic inspiration set by the example of Monte’s life. The event is open to the public and will commence at 6:00 PM. Zorayan Museum is located at the St. Leon Cathedral of the Western Diocese at 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504. Readers are asked to direct any questions regarding the event to [email protected].

Arlet Allahverdi