Institute for Armenian Studies of YSU/

By the joint efforts of the Institute of Armenian Studies of YSU and Faculty of History an international conference on the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle of Musa Ler took place in YSU Palyans hall on September 17. The conference was attended by the Central Commission on the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle of Musa Ler, “Musa Ler” Youth Union, representatives of Sardarapat state museum of ethnography and history of the national liberation struggle of Armenia and Archeology and Ethnography Institute of NAS RA.

The opening speech was delivered by the deputy director of IAS, candidate in historical sciences Mher Hovhannisyan. “The heroic battle of Musa Ler is one of those few battles during which the Armenians proved their fighting spirit, their will to survive and rise again during the hard days of the Armenian Genocide. The event is remarkable because not so many conferences were held on this theme and there are participants who are the descendants of the people of Musa Ler.

Various issues starting from the description of demographic issues till historical ones, from the discussion of ethnographic issues till language and literature will be represented at the conference”. At the end of the speech, Hovhannisyan added that the best reports will be published in YSU IAS Journal “Armenological Issues”.

Then the head of the central commission on the 100th anniversary of heroic battle of Musa Ler, Yesayi Havatyan, thanked the RA Ministry of Diaspora, Rector of YSU, Aram Simonyan and the deputy director of IAS Mher Hovhannisyan for the support and the organization of the event. He also expressed his gratitude to all the participants.

The Vice-Minister of RA Ministry of Diaspora, Serzh Srapionyan, greeted all the participants on behalf of Hranush Hakobyan and especially the descendants of Musa Ler who came here from Ayntchar. “Currently it is more than necessary to organize such a conference in the frame of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide so as to show everybody that the Armenian people didn’t retreat but struggled for their rights and what they had”,- said S. Srapionyan.

The representative of “Musa Ler” Youth Union, Ani Pashayan, also greeted those presents and the participants of the conference. “The conference on Musa Ler heroic battle held in Yerevan State University can become an important platform in Armenia in the discussion and analysis of scientific and historical and cultural issues. The heroic battle of Musa Ler is the inseparable part of the historical and cultural past of the Armenian people, and thus, “Musa Ler” Youth Union expresses its gratitude to those who represent the history of the battle in scientific platforms”,-said Ani Pashayan.

The dean of the Faculty of History, Doctor in Historical Sciences, professor Edik Minasyan, lecturer Gegham Badalyan, Candidate in Historical Sciences, professor Ashot Nersisyan, Yesayi Havatyan, head of the Institute “Arpa” of California Hakob Panosyan, researcher of the museum of ethnography and history of the national liberation struggle of Armenia, Svetlana Poghosyan, Khoren Grigoryan, representative of the Archeology and Ethnography Institute, Doctor in Historical Sciences Harutyun Marutyan delivered reports at the conference. The reports referred to the history of the heroic battle, demographic composition of the population Suedia, expressions of identity, cultural and linguistic characteristics of Musa Ler. The conference ended with a with thematic and active discussion.