Animator Robert Sahakyants has sharp and obstinate opinions on many issues. The talented and hard-working animator is a very good patriot and the Homeland is not abstract or shining for him, but rather more concrete-perhaps not that attractive, but a very dear place.
– Do you think it’s good that Armenian society is too involved in politics and cares more about that than, let’s say, art?
– Politics is a desire to live better or worse lives. Each normal person must think and analyze, in other words, everything around us is tied to politics. Working at a kindergarten, the good or bad food served and preparing better food is all politics.
Generally, everyone is interested in politics because everyone is living the bad life and is trying to understand the reasons for living that kind of life. People sometimes accuse me of sticking my nose in politics too much. I just tell them, “I don’t even know who represents which political party.”
– Will there be a leader or hero who will unite the people and instill some faith? How should he be?
– I don’t believe in heroes. The Sahakashvilis and Yushchenkos put down the hero’s reputation so much that even if a hero shows up, he will simply be yet another ridiculous scarecrow or a mannequin. There are no heroes today. The heroes of all times are like Chet Guerra or Fidel Castro. Taking on the responsibility of leading the nation is extremely difficult because one needs to have a “metal hand”. You won’t achieve anything without a “metal hand”. The leader can’t be a functionary. What we need are spiritual herdsman, but we don’t have any. The changing of society to becoming crueler is a process. The thing we have to worry about is how cynical people are because we don’t have spiritual herdsman and society doesn’t know whom to follow. Throughout history, functionaries, even those who are capable of theft, have always respected the herdsmen and have been ready to listen to them if, of course, the same herdsmen don’t come up to the functionaries asking them for money in order to take care of their expenses, but rather think about national interests. The people don’t want someone to teach them, but rather a dialogue. The intelligentsia looks at everything on the surface. The voices of the people with the ability to analyze things are not heard. They are not in the first row of people speaking out; they don’t have a microphone or a podium to speak from. Have you ever heard serious critical analyses? No, we simply do the right thing and feel happy to be victims. Children need to be disciplined with the spirit of victory and not being victims. Yes, Armenians have been massacred, but a question comes up: what should we do after that and why?
– What?
– I only see one meaning for the death of my ancestors-I have to go further than they did. If there is no animator like me in Turkey and never will be, then it means that Turkey didn’t win anything from the struggle. My grandfather died, but the Turks lost. As long as we Armenians are alive, they can’t do anything to us. Armenians exist; don’t forget that we have Gyurzadyan and Kochar. But we are burying ourselves alive, although we have made it to the finals.
– Don’t you get the impression that everything in our life is staged?
– Everything is staged and since Americans are the directors most of the time, they don’t stage that well. The American looks at everything from his perspective. I heard some rumors going around that Armenia is getting ready to build the region’s biggest Disneyland and develop sports and provide the flow of money coming into the country. I gave my answer to the authors of that project-you probably mean golf, because you are not used to asking what other nations play. Americans never take into consideration the mentality of any nation. I don’t accept the democracy of today. It’s just a fable made up for stupid people. When they were bombing Southern Slovenia, the Southern Slovenians could feel happy because they had the opportunity to vote whether or not they should install lanterns on the streets. That is today’s democracy.
– Does the high level of emigration make Armenia weak?
– I am rather indifferent and cynical about the emigration of Armenian intellectuals. Each nation develops at a normal pace because there is no such thing as natural selection. The people leaving the country are the ones who must leave. It means that they weren’t the ones to pass on the genes to the next generation of Armenians. Let them be in the center of attention, but biologically active and strong. Productive people are the people who live their lives calmly and cold-heartedly and they know that Armenia is their Homeland. But the people who conscientiously decide where their Homeland is are no longer part of the population, even if they are like Albert Einstein. The people that leave can’t continue the gene.
– It turns out that consciousness only causes danger.
– It doesn’t hurt the individual and it’s the same for the nation. History is not only about dates and years; history means to understand inheritance. It doesn’t just end with the life and death of a generation. The life we live is nothing and it can’t have an influence on the process. The Armenian people have a century-old history and a future too. Being a little cruel and complaining doesn’t have anything do with our history. People are the same; they are simply losing their culture. That’s why I just can’t stand today’s intellectuals. Years ago, Armenians were ready to listen to what the intellectuals had to say. Now, people are undisciplined. If they were a little disciplined and had some honor, they would return the lost cell-phones and wallets. The system of values is different now. I love and adore one characteristic of the Armenian people-we never lose our sense of humor and the chance to be ironic even in the most difficult times. I can’t really explain the Armenians’ reaction; it is mainly based on exclamations. For example, how can you explain the “Iiiii” expression that Armenians use? That’s something which can’t be transferred and that’s why I am proud to be Armenian. I am serious. The Armenian almost always has an ironic expression on his face and the sense of feeling that he has more than others do. The most important thing is that he doesn’t feel aggression. The Armenian won’t be amazed at anything; he has a 5,000-year old history. As an instinct, we Armenians look scornfully and benevolently at other nations with a short history. Other nations are clever, but they can never be wise like us. Ancient nations, like Armenians, the Jews, Greeks or Italians, look at the world with irony, laziness and tiredness. Even if they have only read three books throughout their entire lives, they are subconsciously tired and know that everything in this world is relative.
– Don’t you think that the youth of today has a harder time living, studying and working in Armenia?
– Of course, it’s hard. But it’s transitional. The youth simply need to get a good education. Armenia’s educational system went through some ups-and-downs, they printed stupid textbooks…but it won’t stay like that. Things will change for the better. Armenian youth may appear lame, not know anything about great architectural works or good books and easily believe in myths. They are simply continuing to believe in the myths of the people with the stupid, Soviet mentality. Everyone likes to consider Yerevan a pink city and that’s why we have to love our city. For example, I love Yerevan and as a principle, I don’t like other cities. But I don’t consider Yerevan a pink city and even beautiful. It is more of a dirty, violet color. Youth faces a contradiction, but they see the real color of the city. We say that Sevan is the most beautiful lake. What if we get back Van? What will we say then? There are millions of other beautiful lakes. We shouldn’t mix up the good and dear. The best is not always what’s dear to us. Armenians simply confuse the two every time. Many live in the country and then leave with the stereotypes.
– Perhaps we should come up with small but inspiring stereotypes?
– Rocks, mountains, “Jermuk” and the prince are the types of stereotypes you mentioned. Each person has the instinct to love. But Armenians don’t love spreading their love to other living creatures. We can be proud that we produce brandy, but forget about things that only characterize our nation. We can sanctify the crazy murderer Tigran the Great and forget about Artashes. Tigran the Great reminds us of Alexander Macedonian and Napoleon; we adore him, but we have kings who are one of a kind. Armenians only know Artashes, grandfather of Tigran the Great, as a king who loved theatre, but he was the only king who was against the politics led by Rome’s emperor. He gathered his army so that he could liberate other people, not with the purpose of seizing their lands, but he did that with the liberalist ideology. However, Artashes just doesn’t fit in with today’s stereotypes and while we remember him as a king who ruled Armenia way back then, we idolize his grandson Tigran the Great. The stereotypes of Armenians have nothing to do with the wars that Armenians have fought for honor.
– One of the Armenian myths says that the wife must always be next to her husband. Isn’t there a need to look that over?
– Women are not dumb like men to steal rights from each other. When they say that there is no female commander, you must understand that a woman is not totally stupid to dream of being Napoleon day and night and conquer, let’s say, Italy. I’ll be honest with you-do women really need those ambitions? Women are much clever than men. Arrogant men can get offended, but one thing remains a fact: when Armenians faced the dark, cold years in the early 90’s and it seemed like life was coming to an end, ladies and women went to study and went on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Those obstacles weren’t really obstacles for them. Their husbands and fathers lay down on the couches and started blaming the government and the state, thinking about where to go to live better lives. Women went on with their lives and got the country back on its feet. The woman is much wiser, realistic and doesn’t intend on becoming a leader because she simply laughs at men’s tries to become independent. She laughs when she hears someone say “Oh, I am already an emperor”.