Meltha Magazine Online

| | | | |

2000 No.10, pages 13-17

Leaders of the Assyrian Congress of the USSR. L to R: Dr. Tamraz Ivanov(Vice President), Dr. Srgis Osipov (Vice-President),

Dr. Vladimir Kalamoanov(President)

ASSYRIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT IN THE USSR

This year will see both the 75th anniversary of the 1st All Union Congress of Assyrians of the USSR and the 10th anniversary of the plenary session of the Assyrian Congress of the USSR. These two events can be viewed now as the perfect reminder of the nation, which has existed for 2500 years after they lost their hearth. What is the path these people have walked since that time? How did they manage to survive? And why cannot they have a country of their own? However, we know of the modem history of Assyrians as little as of its past. On the other hand, even a superficial study of the 75 year old event will make one feel convinced that history may repeat itself, and so any drama or tragedy in a while can be nothing else but a farce unless every mistake and every consequence of this mistake is properly analyzed and taken into account. It is a shame that our ancestors I mean fathers and grandfathers who took part in the first Assyrian national assembly in Moscow in December 1925 did not leave us the documentary accounts of this event to be studied in terms of its mischievous consequence. As is known almost every delegate perished in the purges in the late 1930s. And it was Dr. Fraidoon Atturaya who was one of the first victims of persecution: this outstanding Assyrian public figure as well as poet and physician was arrested as soon as the congress was over and executed in September 1926. Anyway some fragments of archives and biographical notes that were found in the families of the delegates could help us restore the picture of the event as far as it was possible. This way we were just surprised to find out how persistently Assyrians repeated all the aforesaid mistakes in 1990, and more to it, the similar turn of the tide caused the elimination of the Assyrian national movement in the USSR and later on in CIS countries as well.

I have no doubt that at a closer inspection the whole Assyrian national movement in the world, namely in the USA, in Iraq or in Australia, would inevitably have a similar outcome. The Assyrian mentality apparently is the only common feature rooted so deep in every Assyrian public leader so far. Anyway it is very important to define the main trends and most powerful instruments that caused failure of Assyrian organizations in between 1925 and 1990s.

The first thing that throws some light on this, it is the ability of Assyrians to quickly respond to the current socio-political situation in a sense that they are able to organize masses and/or lead national minorities in the legitimate strive for freedom. As a rule, the local powers have always tried to curb this ride. This ability fulfilled on a large scale in the USSR can be explained by the fact that the intellectual leaders of the Assyrian people finally found themselves in the USSR following the Assyrian holocaust in 1915 to 1918. In fact, the national socio-political center was transferred to Tiflis and Moscow from Urmia (Iran) at the time. Just within several years (1918 to 1925) many Urmian Assyrians made a very good career securing high positions in the Communist party, economic, educational and cultural organizations of the former USSR, to name quite a few, professor K. Allaverdov, professor S. Bet Isho (Osipov), Samson Piraev, Victor Piraev, Chairman of the Assyrian Association of the USSR (1925- 1934) Michael Badalov, colonel shmuel Badalov, colonel Shmuel Arsalan, Dr. Youel Bet Malik, etc. In this circle were chosen the Assyrian delegates to the Peace Conference in Paris in 1919, including Shimon Ghandja, Lazar Yakubov, and George Lazar. Tiflis was also the home for such prominent Assyrian military leaders as general Agha Petros, while he had his family there during several years, and general Malik Kambar d'Jelu.

In 1980s when under Gorbatchev the ideas of restructuring the life and economy in the USSR were gaining ground the national and socio-political activity was riding on a big scale. It is noteworthy that the Assyrian Congress of the USSR" was officially registered with the USSR Ministry of Justice even prior to such powerful communities as German, Greek, Gypsy, Kurdish and many others. In fact Assyrian associations were set on going in Moscow, Tbilisi, Erevan, Saint Petersburg, Alma-Ata, Krasnodar, Rostov, Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev and elsewhere as of 1987. It is quite understood that the most powerful regional organizations were set up in Tbilisi and Erevan where national cultures were permanently on the way even in the hardest times such as the time of Stalin' spurges and repressions.

Another way to underline the likeness of these two congresses in question is that like in 1925 in 1990 Tbilisi (former Tiflis) was a cultural, educational and socio-political center of the Soviet Assyrians. It was then the epicenter of Assyrian intellectual life. But anyway both Assyrian venues were hosted in the capital of the USSR, and as a consequence, all local Assyrian communities were run out of Moscow, and this administration was not always taken with much enthusiasm. This contradiction between actual and formal centers was in the way of the Assyrian unity.

The success of the Assyrian Congress of the USSR in 1990 was largely due to the fact that Assyrian community of Tbilisi and Republic of Georgia were taken into account because this community was in stiff opposition to the leadership of Moscow Assyrian association in the process of unification of all Assyrian communities of the USSR. Actually I was on the organizing committee of this congress, and I managed to convince the Moscow leader Dr. V.Kalamanov that the second role in the Assyrian Congress of the USSR (AC USSR) should be offered to the leader of the Assyrian community in Tbilisi Dr. Tamraz Ivanov who had previously been elected Vice-President of the AC USSR. However both leaders happened to go different ways not just because they apparently had not managed to agree on leadership in the AC USSR but rather due to the ideological and behavioral confrontation, which eventually split the national movement. As a rule, this was the major cause of a multitude of splits in Assyrian communal and public organizations.

On the other hand the split of the AC USSR was the result of confrontation of the three major forces in the Assyrian movement. Likewise split the All Union Assyrian Association "Khajadta" shortly after the congress in 1925. Moreover, as Vice-President of the Assyrian National Congress I had to deal with the world Assyrian national movement and finally I was convinced that confrontation had seized all Assyrian organizations in the world like AUA, ANC, ADM, ADO, etc. These forces are intellectual minds, moneybags and top executives. There is no way of compromise between these forces as they are very ambitious, and everyone wants to be rather at the helm of the movement. They even discard the possibility of being offered the post of Vice-President for them.

It is noteworthy that there is a struggle going on inside every major force in question and hence there obviously is no chance of consolidation even within one force, probably with exception of intellectual leaders who naturally ought to understand that consolidation of intellectuals can be a very powerful force although it is the lack of practical work experience that usually stands in their way.

In the framework of the AC USSR such a group of intellectuals was created early in the process of its formation. Formally this group counted on disagreement with some points in the charter of the AC USSR although it was clear that this disagreement was just on account that some of these intellectuals had been simply dismissed from power. As a consequence, they became isolated from Assyrian masses much due to their ill-defined position, inactivity and even pessimism in terms of some radical standing on decisions taken by the majority. After all they lost favor and soon they just put themselves aside.

The moneybags as the second major force of the movement had largely tried to collect themselves together around some practical idea. Sometimes they did it rather well as long as they saw some profit there. At other times they all were somewhat on a personal drive making headlong decision so clueless. This way they initiated the final split of the AC USSR and created as a counterweight LAROS (League of Assyrians of Russia). As they usually worked with persistence, the culmination was in 1993 during the ANC sixth congress in Moscow. The money bags had spent bundles of resources to put on an alternative act that is an international art festival of Assyrians just with a purpose to keep the grip on Assyrian communities in Russian Federation and CIS countries otherwise ANC might easily have come along its own way. Alas! LAROS like AC USSR just called it a day very soon.

Top executives as the most powerful force group in many ways tried to secure support from highest administration levels in both economic and political structures. As they normally were career minded individuals, their "nationalism" or "nationalistic identity" was counted as long as it was in line with the career pursuit. Frankly speaking, they usually managed to make it after all. However the Assyrian national movement was inevitably impaired due to this wrong exploited nationalism. This way the Assyrian movement went slowly down, and it is hard to believe that it can be revived in years to come.

It will be only fair to say that in every force there were individuals who really cared about the hardships of the Assyrians and tried to help this little nation to regain its legitimate rights and maintain cultural identity. But anyway they have never gone in this very far.

Almost the same way split the All Union Assyrian Association "Khajadta" in 1920-30s. The only difference was that the consequences were graver then. Anyway the absurdity of the current situation in the Assyrian national movement in the USSR and CIS countries is that its activists in many numbers are trying to claim general leadership in the world movement as they are convinced they are something bigger.

I think we must go back to make more to the analysis of the situation in the Assyrian national movement in 1920s. This experience might be very useful for next generations of Assyrians. It is a great shame that this current generation has failed to do it otherwise we would definitely have been able to avoid making same mistakes again.

Certainly trying to be mote positive in any situation is only worthwhile. So the predictions for the movement could well be done for an optimistic scenario even in the fix like this. The only thing we should hope for is anew generation of Assyrians who will be able to find a proper solution to reincarnate the movement.

Anyway today we just can suppose that the national movement in Russia and CIS be brought to life again, but it is quite a really possible thing only provided that,

1. Top intellectuals will find a way to work hand in hand with the money bags 1 and rid of career-centered activists; 'I

2. The moneybags will finally understand that they should be the economic basis of the movement rather than try to playa political or ideological role.

3. The career makers will see that careers should be pursued in no other field than in business or governmental organizations, and as a prerogative, they should take more care of our beloved people in their ever-lasting hardships.

Rabi Maron Arsanis with the Assyrian delegation from Tbilisi L to R: Mr. Sargis Aivasov, Mr. Gevargis Osipov, Mrs. Angelina Grigolia, Rabi Marona Arsanis, Ms. Tamara Artisheva, Mr. Jan Khamoev