It was not enough that Armenians had lost two thirds of their population in their historic homeland; they had to pay their dues during World War II, in defense of the Soviet Homeland, by sacrificing another 300,000 lives from their male population.

In addition to those sacrifices, Armenians had to endure Stalin’s terror, losing the cream of the crop of the Armenian intelligentsia.

With all the evils associated with the Soviet system, Armenia enjoyed a number of advantages that it had missed throughout history.

As part of a monumental global economy, Armenia was able to develop its industrial base, not only on the consumer level but also in cybernetics and space technology. The development of science and technology reached unprecedented levels.

The Soviet education system proved to be on the highest level at the time. Victor Hampartzumyan, the Alikhanyan brothers and Grigor Gurzakyan explored the universe and the stars and placed Armenia’s name at the cutting edge of physics and astronomy.

A very serious scholarship took deep root in Armenia; Ajarian, Mananian, Chahukyan, Gharibian and Malkhasyants developed world-class scholarship and historiography. Aram Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance was performed throughout the world. Works by Sarian, Minas Avetisian and Kochar were on display in museums around the world. The literary creative impulse propelled writers like Mahari, Hrant Matevossian, Silva Kapoutikian, Shiraz and Bakunts to the pan-soviet summit and beyond.

Armenia became a center of attraction for many Armenians around the world and many repatriated voluntarily to the revived homeland led by writers and artists like Kochar, Ara Sargsyan, Sarian, Avedik Issahakian, Vahan Totovents, Zabel Yesayan and others.

In addition to repatriation, one evil aspect of Soviet system became a blessing in disguise: Soviet citizens were not allowed to leave their country. That ban contributed to the enhancement of Armenia’s ethnic profile.

After centuries of turbulent history, Armenian found peace and stability, where life was predictable. There was full employment, free education and healthcare, free vacation packages and retirement benefits.

Today, in our independent republic, the questions in every family’s mind are where the next meal will be coming from and what the future will hold for their children.

Today, when Armenia is a free and independent republic, Armenians are confused as to how to use that freedom. After wasting the economic base of the Soviet era, that freedom has led to depopulation.

While Soviet Armenia was prospering, the world Armenian community was deprived of sharing the culture developed in the homeland because it was shielded by an Iron Curtain. It was destined that the Armenian Democratic Liberal (ADL) party should take the leadership role in piercing that Iron Curtain to bring Armenia’s living culture to the diaspora, at the expense of being called “communist agents,” “fellow travelers” or “Soviet sympathizers.”

The only purpose that the ADL had for reaching out to Armenia was to bring out the music, literature, dance and culture to the diaspora and to develop a spiritual unity for the world Armenian population. Similarly, the ADL reached out to the center of the Armenian faith to keep the spiritual unity between the Diaspora and Armenia.

Many ADL leaders, editors and rank and file members suffered the consequences of their patriotic stands; they were subjected to verbal abuse, physical injury and even death. But the endeavor paid off eventually. When Armenia attained independence, the two segments of our people were not alienated from one another.

Lo and behold, an ironic development came to prove that the people who labeled the ADL a Soviet tool turned out to be on the KGB payroll themselves. Indeed, the Soviet KGB General Oleg Kalugin published lists of names of Soviet agents in the west. And the two most ardent ARF leaders from the Middle East were on that list.

The past is present; whatever the Third Republic inherited from Soviet Armenia, it has been building on that legacy.

Today, when the Soviet empire is gone, we can call a spade a spade, without any fear of being labeled as an agent. Thus, the patriotic ADL policy has been vindicated.

Soviet Armenia is part of our history and its legacy has to be evaluated objectively and its patriotic leaders should enjoy the historic respect they deserve.