Hovhannes Baghramyan’s life has hung by a thread for several times. First, it was in the 1930s when some people were trying to recall his service at the “Armenian bourgeois army.” They say Anastas Mikoyan saved him back then.

The second was in summer 1942, when Stalin said that the failure of the offensive in Kharkov was mostly due to Baghramyan. According to historians, Zhukov saved Baghramyan from the tribunal.

The next years of the war were mostly successful for Baghramyan, who went down in history as one of the most skilled military leaders of the Great Patriotic War.

Why do I recall all these facts? Simply because the active participants (who, in every possible way, refrain from calling themselves “leaders”) of the recent events on Baghramyan Avenue should eventually understand that the life has its ups and downs, victories and losses. They should understand that to overcome the path leading from down to up they should have a clearly formulated goal, otherwise their struggle becomes an end in itself lacking any creative potential.

I don’t get what the goal of people blocking Baghramyan Avenue is. The authorities have taken a step suggesting that an audit be held and AMD 7 be subsidized by the time the audit completes. The fact the authorities keep the subsidy source in such a secret that even the Minister of Energy has no notion of it is a different matter.

In any case, the step has been taken, but no clear answer has arrived from “the other side of the barricade.” First, it’s not clear who should give the answer, and second, what measures might be taken in case the offer is disputed?

In his speech, the Armenian President had expressed readiness to involve “some of the active guys of the protest” in the audit. Who are those “guys?” Are they the members of “No to Plunder” initiative or are they new people? In any case, that offer should be either accepted or clearly rejected. Leaving it up in the air simply hints at the frailty of the movement.  And in case of turning down the suggestion, a cut and dried agenda of further struggle and steps should be devised.

We should understand which the ultimate goal of protesters on Baghramyan Avenue is. You can deliver an ultimatum to the authorities (irrespective of its qualities) only if you are strong. On what grounds does a force claiming “we don’t have a leader” say, “reversal of the decision and nothing else?”

Those who consider themselves responsible for this movement should give an answer to not only the authorities but also to us all and as soon as possible. After all, we don’t go to Baghramyan Avenue just to play football, listen to folk songs and dance?

A few days ago I came up a note the author of which was suggesting that Baghramyan Avenue be renamed as the “city’s central avenue should not bear the name of a Stalin’s marshal.” The longer this uncertainty lasts, the more such “original” posts with the absence of the real goal in their core will “pop up.”

Ara Tadevosyan is the Director of Mediamax.