This summer, I had the immense privilege of participating in Camp Javakhk, a two-week program that brings young Armenians to a lesser-known part of the homeland to engage with its youth and teach them about Armenian history and culture. Traveling to Javakhk showed me firsthand what our compatriots face while living in parts of our global nation that are not in Armenian hands. The camp visits Akhaltskha and Akhalkalak in the first week and Ninotsminda and Dzalka in the second week. The Armenian communities of these towns were inspiring, each with their own unique love for the Armenian nation and heritage.
Click to view slideshow.While most of the Armenian population of Javakhk settled in the region right after the Armenian Genocide, its history goes far beyond 1915. Javakhk has formed part of ancient Armenia since at least 428 AD, when it was a part of the Gugark province of the Arsacid Kingdom. The region hosts many Armenian churches and fortresses, some of which the Georgian government claims as its own. Many notable Armenians also come from Javakhk, including Hamo Ohanjian, the third Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.
I spent my first week in the city Akhaltskha, whose Armenian population is committed to preserving its identity and culture. Many of the campers were well versed in Armenian history and proudly performed traditional Armenian songs and dance. Although currently living under Georgian rule, the Armenians of Akhaltskha are determined to one day form part of a united Armenia.
My second week in Javakhk was spent in the Dzalka region in a village called Darakyugh. Unlike Akhaltskha, Darakyugh has an entirely Armenian population. Its proud Armenian community feels much more strongly about Javakhk’s connection to Armenia. On our last night walking through the streets of the village, we bumped into a group of locals and began talking. The local men shared that their village church, built in the 19th century, was constructed from stones brought from Karin in Western Armenia. They were proud that the legacy of a church used by their ancestors in Western Armenia before it was destroyed lives on in Javakhk.
It became clear to me, especially after a deep and insightful conversation with the residents of Darakyugh, that the Javakhk Armenian population shares a similar fight with our compatriots in Artsakh. Old and young, all seemed to know about the difficulties facing Artsakh today. Javakhk’s population, especially the residents of Darakyugh, see Javakhk as a part of the Armenian homeland, as they do Artsakh. As the Armenians of Artsakh struggle for their right to self-determination, the population of Javakhk watches in support, knowing that their turn to struggle and fight will come next–all to achieve the dream of a free, independent and united Armenia.
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