Principal of Sardararapat school dismissed for not removing Artsakh flag from “Glory corner”

Karine Smbatyan, principal of the school in the village of Sardarapat, has been dismissed from her post by order of Vagram Khachatryan, governor of the Armavir region. As the now-former principal explained, the reason lies in her refusal to comply with an order to remove the Artsakh flag displayed in the school’s “Glory Corner.”

“After so much effort and dedication, I find the grounds for my dismissal framed as ‘LOSS OF TRUST’ to be unfounded and arbitrary. This is an affront not only to me personally, but to the years of hard work and the achievements of our entire staff, accomplished under the most difficult of circumstances. I want you to know that I will fight for my good name and for justice,” she said.

Speaking further about the reasons for her dismissal, she added: “A position is temporary; the Homeland is eternal. Today I no longer hold the post of school principal, but I will never stop being an Armenian educator and an Armenian officer at heart. My dismissal, my loss of this post, is the smallest price I could pay for everything I believe in and serve. I cannot stay silent when the spiritual and patriotic values of our students are put at risk. The flag that has become the subject of debate today is not merely a symbol, it is a living memory, a sacred thing, and a message to our pupils written by the hands of the heroes of our time. I am proud of my students.

They have shown that the years of our work were not in vain. When children raise the Artsakh flag to defend our cherished relic, it means we have raised a worthy generation. My answer to those who attempt to ‘erase’ our memory by decree is this: Mr. Governor, you may remove me from my post, but you cannot tear the patriotism from my heart. You may order the flag taken down, but you cannot erase from our souls the memory of our heroes. I have joined the Strong Armenia team because I see that our country today needs, as surely as it needs air and water, a fight for its values, its sacred heritage, and the future of our children. I will continue my fight as a free citizen, standing alongside all those who are unafraid to defend our identity,” the educator said.