The first time I learned about Khrimyan Hayrik’s Paper Ladle was when I was a school student. I remember feeling deeply upset—why did others have iron ladles while Armenians were left with only a paper one? It felt unfair. As a boy, I thought: even if we only have a paper ladle, through hard work, I can forge an iron one. Later, as I grew older, I began to grasp the deeper meaning behind this great Armenian’s words.
Years passed. I studied, worked, and shaped my own path, only to realize that my initial instinct wasn’t far from the truth. But forging an iron ladle is no simple task—especially when so many around you have accepted the paper one as their only reality or, worse, are asking for permission even to hold it.
But I also realized that one, two, or even three individuals forging iron ladles aren’t enough for Armenia and Armenians. Everyone must forge their own iron ladle so that together, we create something unbreakable—one that belongs to all and can never be taken away.
— Smbat Minasyan
