Song | 'Where were you, God, when prayer froze on the lips of my nation?'

It is the most awkward New Year’s countdown ever: a time of carols, hymns, and prayers, marred with acute suffering and uncertain future. Yet, the newly released version of the all-time classic, “Ur eir, Astvats,”  which has been dubbed “cinematographic” by its producers, strives to raise a dignified cry and offer a twinkle of hope in these hazy days.

Sandra calls French and English her “strongest” languages, but speaks Armenian as her mother tongue.

“Armenian is the first language I spoke. It’s the language I speak with my nephews and nieces—and with my dog!” she says, and laughs.

“Where were you, God, when an entire abandoned nation went crazy?” (Screenshot: "Ur eir, Astvats")

Armenia has always been a nation fighting for existence at the crossroads of empires. It’s hard to tell how it has survived through centuries of invasions, turmoil, massacres, and exile. There are more churches than castles in the lands historically populated by Armenians. More often than not, pious prayers of the faithful, “May God protect and save all Armenians,” were drowned out by the thundering battle-cries of charging enemies.

Hundreds of thousands of native Armenians perished in unprovoked attacks. Fleeing persecutions and wars, many chose the way of eternal salvation, relying solely upon faith and divine grace—a legacy of Gregory of Narek —transcribed on parchment and passed down the generations. History is rife with tales of priests, who crossed mountains fraught with danger, carrying bundles of illuminated manuscripts to safety.

The Armenian Genocide of 1915 was a severe blow that wiped out indigenous populations in Western Armenia—the cradle of Armenian civilization—in most extreme acts of dehumanization and humiliation. It marked yet another chapter in the grueling history of man’s inhumanity to man. 

The world was silent, and so was God, as one and a half million Armenians were marched to their death in the deserts, and their places of worship vandalized.

The nation’s survival was a miracle. And once again Armenians offered hymns  and prayers to God as they built new churches in exile and affirmed their Christian identity. 

Fifty years after the Armenian Genocide, it took a sixteen-year old boy from Yerevan to break away from the conventions of the past and rage against God, demanding an explanation for the sufferings of his people.

Arthur Meschian, one of Armenia’s most versatile artists and the legendary keeper of the nation's conscience during the Soviet era, wrote the lyrics and music of “Ur eir, Astvats” in 1965. As one of the founders of Armenian rock, his own haunting rendition bellowing from deep within his heart, came late to the Armenian world, long after others had picked up the song.

“Ur eir, Astvats,” with its heart wrenching lyrics and rebellious beats, was destined to become an Armenian rock classic. Over the years, many musicians experimented with different interpretations of the tune. However, the core elements of its spiritual dimension—being painfully aware of God’s absence and descending into maddening grief, remain consistent and timeless, so does the rage, poised between the poles of hope and despair.

“Where were you, God, when they were destroying a beautiful country?” (Screenshot: "Ur eir, Astvats")

Through their collective prayer, Sandra and C-rouge invite you to donate to three funds, to “alleviate the pain of those most in need due to the recent war in Artsakh.” 

To donate, check out the links in the description of the video below.