That presentation was not simply a presentation, it was something bigger, it was a platform where people could talk about topics like the Genocide and Karabakh issue.

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When perestroika started and the freedom of speech was not so much banned, not directly under the threat to be caught by the KGB, our discussions started to change from anecdotes, teasing, sarcasm to discussing the actions we could.

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In 1987 the problem was being discussed that while we were “asleep” and silent, Azerbaijan was constantly changing historiography

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Generally, we were on the same page in terms of our thinking

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Everyone seemed to accept that this was a sacrifice made for the sake of your country

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Honestly speaking we didn’t know anything about the Genocide, nor we understood anything from those movements. Yet, I remember that those movements and the following restrictions were such an issue that they became a discussion topic in our household.

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To this day I am amazed that no one asked about what we read, what was in the book, everyone asked “where did you get that book from?’’

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Bagrat Ulubabyan had to flee from Karabakh in 1965, and then we learned that there were also others who fled from Karabakh. What did fleeing from Karabakh mean? Why did they? There were these issues which did not have clear answers.

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I’m not even mentioning that during the time of flourishing socialism, during the stagnation period, PhD. students were sending condensed milk and sausage by train to their families. So, this was a country flourishing in socialism, where there were people

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When Gorbachev came, there was some fresh talk. They were reconstructing… no, honestly, that too became a disappointment quite soon, because the Perestroika was not clear.

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