The TV Presentation of Hermine Avagyan’s Book “Farewell Eyes” (Video)
03/10/2025

Newmag Publishing House presented Hermine Avagyan’s collection of short stories, “Farewell Eyes”, on Armenia TV’s “Good Morning” program. The book was published as part of the Artsakh Writers’ Competition, initiated by Newmag and the Tovmasyan Foundation, with the goal of supporting and amplifying the voices of displaced Artsakh writers. The general partner of the book is the Tovmasyan Foundation, while the Amrots National Development Foundation serves as its main sponsor.
According to Knarik Jalatyan, Head of Programs at the Amrots National Development Foundation, preserving and sharing the history of the people of Artsakh is a central mission of their work.
“Artsakh and projects dedicated to Artsakh are of great importance to us. That is why we decided to sponsor this book. Our foundation is built on four pillars: homeland, language, faith, and values. Through literature, we can artistically present the history and reality of the people of Artsakh.”
Jalatyan also highlighted the foundation’s "Tsil" Young Creators’ Contest, which promotes writing in Armenian dialects, Western Armenian, and Eastern Armenian. Hermine Avagyan is one of the writers supporting the contest, which will take place in September, encouraging young creators to write and express themselves in Armenian.
One of the book’s first readers, songwriter, singer, and translator Lilit Bleyan, shared her impressions, noting that while the book depicts deeply painful experiences, it ultimately has a therapeutic effect.
“At first, we encounter the heavy, indescribable stories of war and displacement, which Hermine masterfully conveys with her delicate writing. But as we move through the book, we return to the past, to a time when people lived peacefully, never imagining they would be forced to leave their homeland.”
Bleyan also reflected on the past discussions about the "status quo" in Artsakh, questioning whether enough had been done to protect and sustain peace.
“Publishing Artsakh authors is essential because their books serve as living testimonies of Artsakh life. Hermine’s writing does not exaggerate or embellish reality, yet she presents it with striking beauty.”
For Hermine Avagyan, the book was born out of personal pain. Separated from her family during the Artsakh blockade, she turned to writing as a way to fill the emptiness in her soul.
“Beyond the bridge, there was an entire world I could no longer reach. A part of me, my youth, my dreams, remained on the other side. Literature became my refuge. I never imagined these writings would become a book.”
She admitted that she hesitated to publish her work, unsure whether she was ready to share such painful and intimate stories.
“I submitted my manuscript on the last day of the competition because I realized that today, more than ever, we must talk about Artsakh on all platforms. Many readers have told me they saw themselves in my stories, which reinforces my responsibility to approach my writing with even greater care.”
For Hermine Avagyan, war is the greatest tragedy of humanity, and the only remedy for its wounds is love. Through her poignant and heartfelt storytelling, she reaches out to readers, offering them not just narratives of loss and displacement but also a testament to resilience and the enduring human spirit.

Hermine Avagyan
4800 ֏
Description
Human destinies distorted, children who grew up prematurely, forced to leave their homeland, longing - this is what war brings with it. The people who have gone through all this are very similar to each other: there are empty corners in their souls that nothing can fill, make complete. After the war, a heavy silence remains, through which people who have lost their dreams communicate with each other. They speak to each other with their eyes, because in the gaze of a friend, neighbor, son, husband, they find their memories, losses, and faith in peace every day.