TOURINFO-YEREVAN-Today, May 28, is marked as Republic Day in Armenia. It is a remarkable day in the history of the Armenian people as the country is celebrating the 102nd anniversary of a statehood born after the heavy battles of Bash-Aparan, Karakilisa, and Sardarapat.
The top leadership and clergymen of Armenia and Artsakh honored the memories of the heroes of Sardarapat Battle. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan attended the official event dedicated to the Republic Day and the May Heroic Battles.
They laid a wreath at Sardarapat Monument and paid tribute with a Lord’s Prayer.
Conditioned by the coronavirus pandemic the citizens of Armenia are not allowed to visit Sardarapat Monument this year.
The 1918 Republic of Armenia barely lasted two years. It was, however, a historic political entity – the first expression of Armenian sovereignty since 1375.
Its efforts led to the establishment of the Soviet Armenian Republic, which, in turn, allowed for an independent Armenia upon the collapse of the USSR seventy years later.
It was the Battle of Karakilisa of May 21-28, 1918, when the Armenian regular military forces and volunteers managed to repel the Ottoman forces, which broke the armistice signed in December 1917 with Transcaucasian commissariat entering Western Armenia, conquering Erznka, Erzerum, Sarighamish, Kars and Alexandropol and reaching Karakilisa.
The victory here and in Sardarapat and Aparan was instrumental in allowing the Democratic Republic of Armenia to come into existence.
On June 4, 1918, the Armenian-Turkish peace treaty was signed in Batumi, which remapped Armenia. Yerevan, Etchmiadzin, Alexandropol, Karalagyaz, Kazakh, Borchalu, and Nor Bayazet were perceived as Armenia, which in accordance with the treaty was established in the territory of 11,000 square meters.
On August 1, 1918, a ceremony of opening the Armenian parliament took place at the City Hall in Yerevan. Avetik Sahakyan (Father Abraham) was selected as speaker of the parliament, with Hovannes Kajaznuni becoming the first prime minister.
The First Republic had a short-lived existence, surviving until December 2, 1920, when the Soviet rule was established in Armenia.
