While driving past the presidential palace on Baghramyan, we saw a noisy protest taking place in front of the presidential palace. Raised banners spoke of Karabagh and the liberated territories, the protest being against the proposed surrender of the territories in return for some kind of security and unknown future status for Karabagh. The protest was likely timed around the upcoming visit of Hillary Clinton, who will undoubtedly push the so-called peace plan, called “positive” by the ruling party.

Our taxi driver couldn’t contain himself. “See this,” he said, hitting his leg, the sound of wood reaching our ears. “I have a wooden leg because of injuries fighting in Karabagh. I went, and several of my friends went. I am Aparantsi. We did what we had to do to save our country.

“Now, we are ridiculed by our own government, which is run by the same people we saved. And now they say they’re ready to hand back the territories. And let Turks back in Karabagh. They’re spitting on all we did. The US is sending Clinton to convince our leaders, who only do what they’re told anyway.

“They’ve divided our country up between a few oligarchs, who own our mountains, the shores of Sevan, downtown Yerevan, everything. If somebody is building something in Yerevan, you can be sure it’s one or the other oligarch. What kind of country is this? What kind of future does it have?

“I hope they agree to give back the territories. That way there will be a revolt, a revolution, otherwise we’re stuck with these traitors, who care nothing about the nation. Nothing.”