We Are Our Mountains
Encyclopedia
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
, the capital city of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
The sculpture, completed in 1967 by Sargis Baghdasaryan
Sargis Baghdasaryan
Sarghis Baghdasaryan, also transliterated Baghdasarian , was an Armenian sculptor; under the Soviet regime, he was the national sculptor of the Armenian SSR....
, is widely regarded as a symbol of Nagorno-Karabakh. The monument is made from volcanic tufa
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
, and depicts an old
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
and woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
hewn from rock, representing the mountain people of Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
.
It is also known as "Tatik u Papik" (Տատիկ ու Պապիկ) in Eastern Armenian and "Mamig yev Babig" (Մամիկ եւ Պապիկ) in Western Armenian, and it's translated as "Grandma and Grandpa". The sculpture is prominent in Nagorno-Karabakh's coat of arms
Coat of arms of Nagorno-Karabakh
The emblem of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic consists of an eagle wearing an ornamented crown. On the chest of the eagle is a shield with a panorama of a mountain range under a vertically set flag of Nagorno-Karabakh...
.
Eurovision image controversy
The use of the monument during a video clip preceding a performance at the 2009 edition of the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
was the first of several political conflicts during the competition surrounding Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The conflict stemmed from an introductory "postcard" video played before Armenia's performance in a semi-final round, which depicted the monument alongside other symbols of Armenia. Representatives from Azerbaijan complained to the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
about the use of We Are Our Mountains in the Armenian intro, since the country considers Nagorno-Karabakh a de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
part of Azerbaijan.
In response to the complaint, the image was edited out of the video in the finals. However, Armenia would retaliate for the decision by including multiple images of the monument in its voting presentation—on a video screen in the background, and on the back of the presenter's clipboard.