Our Fatherland | Մեր Հայրենիք | Mer Hayrenik

Performer: Ara Guiragossian
Author: Mikael Nalbandian
Composer: Barsegh Kanachyan
Earliest recording:
1861
Also known as "The Song of an Italian Girl" (Իտալացի աղջկա երգը). Originally starting out as a mere poem written by Mikael Nalbandyan, this poem grew to become popular during the revolutionary years of the Armenian National Movement, with it's final lines...
«Ամենայն տեղ մահը մի է, Մարդ մի անգամ պիտ մեռնի, Բայց երանի, որ իւր ազգին, Ազատութեան կը զոհուի»
"No matter where, death is the same, Man must die at least one time, But blessed be, those who martyr, For the freedom of his land"
being sewn into various banners and such. Eventually Parsegh Kanachyan would write the score for the song (most likely prior to 1907), and in 1918 it would be adopted as the anthem of the First Republic of Armenia. Following the sovietization of Armenia, the anthem was banned and became a protest song for those against the soviet government. The Internationale would take its place until it was replaced by Aram Khachaturyan's "Anthem of the Armenian SSR". Mer Hayrenik would return as the official anthem after the fall of the USSR and independence of Armenia, albeit with modified lyrics to match the current situation. This video contains the original lyrics of the song.
This UA-cam channel is anti-partisan. I do not support or endorse any political party or faction, be it the Dashnaktsutiun, Hunchakians, Communists, or any of the past or present presidents or leadership. I aim to preserve these songs and make them easier to access by consolidating them to one channel, as well as repopularizing some of the old, forgotten songs lost to time. If you have anything you want to share or want me to make a video, please let me know.
Footage source:
National Archives of Armenia
British Pathé
National Archives of the US
UA-cam
Socials
Discord: / discord
Email: [e-mail]

[@Haykazunk]

My thoughts regarding the issue about changing the anthem.
No
And I'll list out my reasons like this
1. This government does not deserve a new anthem, neither do the previous governments or whatever democratic force comes to power. This anthem is the anthem of the independent Republic of Armenia and has served both the first and third republics of Armenia. For me, an anthem changes when the type of government changes, the communists had Khachaturyan's anthem, which is symbolic of the Armenian SSR (which is why I am against having Khachaturyan's anthem, it was made specifically for a communist Armenia). I'll only accept an anthem change when the type of government changes.
2. It has historic value besides being the anthems of the 1st and 3rd republics. There is an article that an online friend of mine wrote about the history of Mer Hayrenik and why it shouldn't be changed (read here: www.teotorosian.com/post/a-case-for-keeping-armenia-s-anthem-unchanged | Check out his other stuff on Insta and etsy, lots of cool stuff)
In summary, it was a revolutionary song that our forefathers sung in battle along with many other popular and forgotten songs. I can only name a few songs that could pose as potential alternatives (Komitas' Hayastan, Svachyan's Yerg Azg Sahmanadrutyun) to Mer Hayrenik in terms of historical value.
3. It's a good anthem, if you play it right. People tend to clamor about how slow, sad, and dreary this anthem is. My solution; play it faster and with more enthusiasm, like what Guiragossian did here.

[@m_r_menian]

And, IT IS BEAUTIFUL! ❤💙🧡
There is no reason to change it. Pashick has more important issues at hand than to worry about changing the Anthem.
This version you uploaded is the older version. Sadly (tshvar under) I feel it applies more at present with the difficulties the Homeland is facing. 😢😔

[@bati_yunanistan]

You guys changed your national anthem?

[@Haykazunk]

@@bati_yunanistan There's been discussion about it, but nothing has come to fruition just yet.

[@bati_yunanistan]

​@@Haykazunk A country should not change their old values since they get more important as the years pass. Atatürk made sure no one would change Turkey's anthem, flag, capital, city names for example. People doesn't feel like they need to respect something that is newer than them.

[@Haykazunk]

@@bati_yunanistan Sometimes, there are somethings that need to be changed as time goes on, the lyrics of the old anthem don't match the situation of the current republic, but large parts of the anthem remains unchanged. Also Ataturk changed a lot, including the anthem and thousands of city names.

[@ХоренГевондян-г6б]

👍

[@Armboy-z3s]

Mer hayranik azat ankax 😢🦾🇦🇲🫡✝️

[@armeniangirliee]

Ամենայն տեղ մահը մի է,
Մարդ մի անգամ պիտ մեռնի.
Բայց երանի՜, որ իւր ազգի
Ազատութեան կը զոհուի:
🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲

[@m_r_menian]

👍👍👍❤💙🧡

[@z.s.4921]

Երանի քայլերգը աս ուրախ ոճով պահէին