Page 16 - Microsoft Word - CMA BOOK_2

Cultural Migration in Autobiography Grundtvig Partnerships 2009-2011

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

e-mail: kszia@komesnet.com.pl http://cma.internetdsl.pl

16

I would like to sum up the past stage of my life.

Rita

I would like to tell a few words about myself as I think it is a good time now to sum up the past stage of my life. This offers the opportunity to view from a distance my existence and consider whether it was worth coming to Europe or maybe I made a fundamental mistake changing drastically my life in the mature age of 45. For last 28 years I have lived in Armenia. In Caucasian region people live in a close relationship; it is regarded as the most appropriate that a person in my age settles down, spends time on helping children and taking care of grandchildren; simply, lives her life of a carer of hearth and home. But such approach to life was capsized by a conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, war, blockade, earthquake in Spisak and eventually, a disintegration of the Soviet Union. All those tragic events made me feel lost, like a small part of the great machinery.

Thus, I will try to present my journey through life step by step. I was born in Azerbaijan, a Caucasian republic, which was the part of the Soviet Union. I finished there with honour my secondary and musical schools. In those times Azerbaijan was a home ground for a great number of Ormians, finally, the country had been their ancestral land since Roman times. Between 1960 and 1970 became obvious that Azerbaijani government would do whatever possible to expel Ormians; it was called “white genocide”. Due to the government’s policy young Ormians fled to Armenia or Russia in order to study or work, simply, because they had no future in their own country. Living condition in Azerbaijan became unbearable; being at the very edge of my endurance I felt that my world was falling down.. To study I went to Armenia to Yerevan where my uncle had been living. The rest of my family, my mum, dad, two sisters and brother stayed in Azerbaijan.

In 1981 I went to the State Engineering University of Armenia to study two faculties: technical cybernetics which I graduated in 1986 and medical cybernetics graduated in1987. These were immensely interesting years fulfilled with receiving education and wonderful students’ times. Our group consisted of good and wise people. There was no cultural event we missed. After graduation I was sent to a small city - Abowian, a partner town of Yerevan.

In Abowian there were operating two big factories, each of them was like a city in a city, apart from them some smaller manufactures existed. The city was populated by highly qualified experts who indulged in all goods. I hold a position of an engineer in Construction Office in the factory where thousands of people worked. There was a good infrastructure that included basic social services such as the hospital, bakery, greenhouse, even glasshouse where vegetables and fruits were planted according to the highest standards of Japanese technology. Everything was wonderful, I gradually climbed the ladder of my career. After three years I was offered a position in the Local Commission of the City Council. I had great plans for future.