KeghartBy Nerses Amirian, Toronto, 7 February 2014
For centuries Armenians dreamed of having their own state and after each national tragedy and slaughter hoped it would be the last time. My paternal grandparents dreamed of an independent Armenia but didn’t see its birth. I consider myself a lucky Armenian: I saw the
emergence of an independent Armenia; what my ancestors hoped for centuries became true in my time.
My father, who doesn’t speak Armenian, says to me after each visit to the motherland: "Son, I feel that my soul is nourished and I can’t live without this feeling.” Despite the negative narrative among many Diaspora Armenians who turn their back to their ancestral land and the non-stop propaganda that Armenia is ruled by oligarchs, that depopulation will mark the end of the country, that the president is a crook, etc, I feel Armenia is intelligently managed in the turbulent Caucasus, a buffer zone and an extension of the Middle East.
By Nerses Amirian, Toronto, 7 February 2014
For centuries Armenians dreamed of having their own state and after each national tragedy and slaughter hoped it would be the last time. My paternal grandparents dreamed of an independent Armenia but didn’t see its birth. I consider myself a lucky Armenian: I saw the emergence of an independent Armenia; what my ancestors hoped for centuries became true in my time.
My father, who doesn’t speak Armenian, says to me after each visit to the motherland: "Son, I feel that my soul is nourished and I can’t live without this feeling.” Despite the negative narrative among many Diaspora Armenians who turn their back to their ancestral land and the non-stop propaganda that Armenia is ruled by oligarchs, that depopulation will mark the end of the country, that the president is a crook, etc, I feel Armenia is intelligently managed in the turbulent Caucasus, a buffer zone and an extension of the Middle East.
One of the latest arguments in the Diaspora is that Russia is a threat to Armenia and that Moscow plans an Armenia without Armenians. I hear these arguments from Diaspora Armenians who live in the West and most of whom haven't visited their homeland, lack solid information about Armenia and cannot understand that there is an Armenia because Armenians are considered by Russians as loyal friends, an ancient Christian people who are Russophile and have contributed to Russia in many fields and still continue to do so. Those who want Armenia destroyed hope Armenia becomes anti-Russian. Thus they spread their anti-Russian propaganda.
In 2008 Russia didn’t abandon South Ossetia–one of the tiniest nations anywhere, with no oil or other natural ressources. Their only asset is their loyalty to Russia. In 2008, during the August War with Russia, Georgia received arms from many Western countries. Western private militias fought side by side the Georgian army. At the end Russian tanks were closing in on Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It was only through President Sarkozy's intercession that the life of Georgian President Miheil Saakashvili was saved. The Georgian leader had been called ‘son’ by U.S Secretary of State Colin Powell while Georgia was praised as a 'model' country by the Europeans and Americans for its intention to join the EU or NATO. At the end of the war, Georgia was once again humiliated and as a result of the war Georgia lost Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
In recent centuries Georgia has survived thanks to Russian protection. But this fact is no immaterial to Georgians. Millions of Georgians live in Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's family originated in Georgia. Georgians who live in Turkey are Islamized and only a few can speak a sprinkling of Georgian. If a conflict emerges between Turkey and Georgia these Georgians will side with Turkey because their Sunni faith keeps them loyal to Turkey.
Samuel Huntington stated that religious or ethnic affiliation shape peoples’ perception of different conflicts. Why, for example, was NATO member Greece unenthusiastic about the bombing of the Serbs by NATO forces in 1999? The reason is simple: Serbs, like the Greeks, are Orthodox Christians and have an affinity to the Byzantine Empire just, like the Greeks.
To which civilizational group does Armenia belong? Are we western like the British or Islamic like the Libyans? As Eastern Christians we belong to the Orthodox world headed by Russia. Russia is the only superpower which cares about the fate of Eastern Christians, just as it cares for the wellbeing of Syrian Christians.
International relations are, in general, based on interests. States have long-term agendas; they follow them right or wrong. But what if states also have a subconscience and memory? Syria is home to a Russian naval base in Tartus, a city on the Mediterranean. People can say that it's because of the base and arms sale that Russia doesn’t abandon Syria. I agree. But let’s look back to the 1990s when the Soviet Union broke apart. People mocked "Evil Empire" Russia. People said it was "Bangladesh with nuclear weapons". Even the tiny Chechens defeated them and created their own independent state. Even "Slavic Orthodox Brother" Bulgaria, which also owes Russia its independence from the Ottomans, declared Russians were no more welcome. Sofia joined NATO and became a member of the European Union. Experts predicted that following the Chechens' victory more secessionist nations would emerge within the multinational Russian state and that Russia was doomed to collapse.
What was the Syrian approach to Russia in those years? They kept the Russian naval base in their country and continued their warm relations with Mosow. I propose Syria is so dear to the ‘’Russian state memory” that Moscow will not abandon it just like Damascus didn’t abandon Russia in the latter's vulnerable years. Propositions to transfer the base to Cyprus (the Greek part) or the multi-billion Saudi bribe to bring down Assad didn’t influence Russia. It didn't compromise its friendship and rejected the ‘Libyan scenario’.
In Istanbul some years ago an Ossetian official told me that President Yeltsin of Russia was so embarrassed by the negative attitude of Western leaders toward Russia that he stated: "I will find such a man [as my successor] that nobody among will ever dare laugh at us.’’ Myth or reality? President Yeltsin, the sad image of Russia during that country's years of vulnerability, selected Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to replace him in 1999. Under Putin Russia recovered and found its place in the world. He stopped the looting of his country, re-organized the economy, boosted the military power and reasserted its territorial integrity. Russia rose from the ashes like the phoenix and refound its glory. It is once again a respected superpower. The Bear is back.
But Russia is an enigma to Armenians living in the West. We are mostly ignorant about Russia's history and what it is today. We know about the evil Communists, the gulags, the state atheism of Soviet times. Most of us don't know that Moscow is the Third Rome: after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks Russia became the main center of Eastern Christianity. The coat of arms of the Russian state is the double-headed Byzantine Eagle. (Some Armenologists say that the symbol was imported by Byzantium from Armenia). Russia is the continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, aka the Byzantine Empire. It was the Byzantines (Armeno-Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius) who converted the Russians to Orthodox Christianity in 988. It is a country where the cathedrals are more majestic than those of Italy.
Communist rule was a rupture in Russian spirituality. Tsar Nicholas II wanted to reconquer Constantinople and save the Armenians and other persecuted Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire. Earlier on, when the Russian army reached (1878) Hagia Stephanos, a province of today’s Istanbul called Yesilkoy, Western Powers such as Britain, France and Germany interfered and convinced the Russians that the Ottomans would no longer persecute their Christian subjects. The Russian army withdrew. We know what Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the Young Turks, and Ataturk did following the withdrawal of the Russians. For more than 200 years the West has protected the Ottomans when Russia defeated them over and over. Even today no Western state cares for the plight of Christians in the Middle East.
Saddam Hussein was an irrational and brutal leader but Iraqi-Christians, including the Armenians, lived a comfortable life and were not oppressed. Before the American invasion, Saddam Hussein sent his Chaldean Foreign Minister Tarek Aziz to the Vatican. Aziz met Pope Paul John II and begged him to act as an intermediary. The pope tried to convince the U.S and the other members of the Western coalition to find a peaceful solution. His efforts were in vain. Only a shadow of Christianity remains in Iraq. Around 15,000 Armenians still live in the country.
How can one forget the mass slaughter (1922) of the Greeks and Armenians of Smyrna (now Izmir) by the Kemalist forces as British and French navies, docked at the city, idly watching?
Armenians remember the French rescuing one part of Musa Dagh’s Armenians and taking them to Port Said in Egypt. That was the only help that we got. We were betrayed over and over by the West and our blood fed rivers. Some Armenians would say "the Russians betrayed us, too. They retreated from Van in 1915.’’ It was the Soviets who retreated, not the Russians. When civil war broke out (1917) in Russia, the Tsarist army was urged to retreat to defend the regime. The Tsarist army lost and the Bolsheviks succeeded. If there was no Bolshevik Revolution, Armenians would have been saved by the Russian army and the Ottomans wouldn't have dared launch the Genocide. The Bolsheviks killed millions of people and the majority of their victims were ethnic Russians. Despite Lenin’s treachery, Soviet rule saved Eastern Armenia and Armenians later acquired high positions in the Soviet state. Nothing remained of Western Armenia.
Russian Communism is gone. Russia has a Patriarch named Kiril who can tell to Putin during a tete-a-tete: "If you abandon the Christians in Syria, we won’t support you anymore.” And Putin heeds the patriarch’s advice. There's no way a Western leader would take into consideration the opinion of a Christian spiritual leader in defense of the Middle East's Christians.
For me, as an Armenian, Russia is the bearer of light. The great Russian people have always defeated warrior tribes surrounding their country and managed to create a great civilization. They defeated the Mongols, Napoleon, the Turks, and with the help of other Soviet republics beat the Nazis. Russians have kept the secret of survival which the Byzantines forgot. Russia has the best missile technology and more nuclear warheads than the United States. Russia is the saviour of many nations (Serbs, Bulgarians, Ossetians) who suffered from tyranny. It was the Russians who saved the Jews from Aushwitz in 1945. As an Armenian, I am thankful to this great nation.
Do Armenians of the West know of the strongest Armenian Diaspora? The strongest Armenian Diaspora is not in the Unites States or in France but in Russia. Its members are ministers, generals, billionaire businessmen, scientists, media personalities, university professors. Did the one-million strong California Armenians have a Secretary of State of Armenian origin? They had Governor Deukmejian or House Member Pashayan but they never had a cabinet minister. Russia’s current foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is half-Armenian. Russia is the talisman "kismet" of Armenians just as the United States is for Israel. I thank the Armenian government for erecting the United Cross Monument in Yerevan, symbolizing the Russian-Armenian brotherly relations which was unveiled during President Putin’s December visit to Armenia.
Armenia has no bigger friend than Russia. Despite Russia's selling of weapons to Azerbaijan, I have confidence in Russia's friendship–a friendship based on self-interest, knowledge, and sentiment. America also armed Saddam. The West sold chemical weapons to Iraq. Americans promoted him as the leader of the Arab World. Where is Saddam now?
Keghart
Keghart
24 comments
Sorry to Tell You
Dear Nerses,
I am sorry to tell you that your article is full of emotional statements which are far from being politically accurate. There is no such thing as friendship of nations or Christian solidarity or whatever you want to see in Russia and Armenia relations. As long as our interests coincide, Armenia is "protected". In fact, Russia need a foothold on Armenian territory to advance its geopolitical agenda. When it fails, Moscow will abandon Armenia, as it did at the beginning of the 20th century.
Foothold in Armenia
Dear Garo,
It's not that Russia that needs "a foothold on Armenian territory". It's the expansion of the imperialism near to the Russian borders, which is endangering the security of Russia and it's allies, creating instability and undermining peace in the region.
I am almost sure that Russia is the only superpower which will defend Armenia's independence and security for any price. Can you imagine Armenia's future without the support of Russia?
This is not a game of words. This means playing with fire. Just imagine if we surrendered to the allies of the Turks (the Americans and the western Europeans) how our future would look like. I will pray that this will never happen.
"The friend of our enemy is our enemy". Haven't you heard that saying?
May God bless Russia and the Armenian people.
Yours faithfully,
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Russia is Our Best Friend
Dear Mr. Amirian,
I am very glad to see that there are still Armenians, like you, who care about our homeland and our people, are honest and far from sectarian communities.
I would like to thank you for your intelligent and wise analysis of Armenia and our real friend Russia. Even a child knows that without Russia Armenia will be swallowed by our enemies and the imperialists.
Thank you, Mr. Amirian. Armenian sectarians do nothing more than nod "yes" against Armenian rights. Remember the people of the Soviet Union? After offering more than 20 million victims during the Second World War, they began to win the most Olympic medals. Yuri Gagarin was the first astronaut in orbit. In folk dance, chess championships, classical music, ballet and orchestras, the most popular authors came from the Soviet Union. The United States and the West couldn't take it anymore. They had to bribe many of these Soviet musicians and chess players not to return to the Soviet Union after triumphal performances in the United States or in other Western countries. It's a chain with no end. The United States and the Western countries did everything in their power to destroy the Soviet Union.
Look now at the poverty in the United States and in Southern Europe. If, for example, tomorrow the Greek people start to demonstrate against their impoverished condition, Europe will lend Greece billions of Euros knowing that Greece can never pay these billions back. These same imperialists destroyed the Soviet Union to create the European Union, which at the end will be a big failure. The United States and the Western countries also successfully bribed the Armenian leaders to destroy the Soviet Union, the capital of civilization. And even after 99 long years they refuse to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Nowadays we need strong political leaders with the courage of politicians such as Angela Merkel to crucify these so-called leaders of justice, freedom of speech, and human rights.
If the survivors of the Armenian Genocide couldn't witness justice, their children and grandchildren will not either because of the above betrayers. Let the United States and the Western countries GO TO HELL.
The Armenian people are badly in need of intellectuals like you, Mr. Amirian. People who know the difference between friend and enemy, what's good and what's bad, and how to appreciate our Russia friends.
Thank you Russian people. Thank you Jesus that we still have Armenians like Mr. Nerses Amirian.
Yours faithfully,
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Russian-Armenian Relations Forever
Bravo Nerses. Finally, a Diasporan Armenian with honest intellect, genuine patriotism and a deep understanding of geopolitics. Excluding the non-Russian Bolshevik period in the region, Russian-Armenian relations have always been based on converging interests and brotherly relations. For the past two-hundred years Russia's factor in the Caucasus has been the number one reason why we have an Armenia today.
As long as Turks, Azeris, Persians, Islamists and Western interests threaten the south Caucasus, Russia will continue protecting Armenia as if it's part of Russia. With its strategic alliance, invincible military, vast landmass, immense natural wealth and an emerging middle class, Russia is a historic opportunity Armenia has not had in well over one-thousand years.
It's time to wake up from our Diasporan illusions, EUrotic fantasies and American dreams, and recognize this opportunity and exploit it to its fullest potential.
Thank you for your wonderful article, but be ready to be ridiculed and attacked by a multitude of hysterical russophobes, intellectual midgets and self-hating peasantry.
“Ojala” means “Inshallah”
"Ojala" means "Inshallah". God willing, dear Harutik.
Pray tell me how come:
1. After de-Bolshevikation (the demise of the Soviet Union) you and others talk of the Russian Empire?
2. Since reverting into a free market economy (a wild one like that of the RoA), Russia has not reopened or helped the RoA to reopen more than a dozen ex-Soviet factories in Armenia.
3. Russia will not write off the $120 million debt that Armenia owed it for Nairit and another factory (don´t recall which) instead taking over same.
4. Russia never aided Armenia in the latter's hour of fear and distress. When in Sumgait and in Baku the Azeris were slaughtering peaceful Armenians…Armenians who had helped the Axe Killer people start the Baku oil industry. Five Armenian families commenced oil prospecting and mining in Baku.
5.What Russians endowed the breasts of the very few of our surviving WWII veterans was scrap worth (not even gold) medals. Russia should open those factories and bestow the shares to the heirs of those who gave their lives during WWII (some 200,000 Armenian soldiers, officers and generals marshals).
So who are your kidding?
Far away Uncle Sam has in 22 years pumped over $2 billion into Armenia as aid, plus technical know-how through Armenian-American or American-American individuals, such as the Huntsman Family of Utah. That family gave $20 million.
Shall I go on?
While they profess to be our allies, whether during tsarist time or now, they are often the bosom bodies of the country that threatens to swarm into Yerevan. Oh, yes, some 10,000 or so Russian soldiers will save Armenia from a 500,000-strong Turkish army.
Again, who do you kid?
In Kars (1920) instead of handing over a huge cache of arms and ammunitions to Armenia, one bribed Russian officer gave it all to the Kemalist army. Then Lenin thought Kemal would be his Bolshevik-Communist ally and gave him plenty of gold.
After four years of negotiations to help Armenia join the EU, Armenia was forcued to make a U-turn. Please try to grasp the importance of EU partnership for Armenia.
One more thing: the U.S. is also there for the taking, as Turkey´s position is weakening in the area and U.S. needs better allies such as Iran.
Thank You, Nerses
Thank you, Nerses. I agree with your assessment and hope Diaspora Armenians will read and start thinking about all you have said. It is important to keep brotherly relations with Russians. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past and trust wrong causes.
T.K.
Russia is an Empire
Dear Nikolai,
Russia is an Empire, but not a superpower. Its only power is the immense territory full of natural resources. They produce nothing. Their economy is weak and is on the verge of collapse. A small decrease in oil prices will crush Russia and wreak havoc. During the Soviet period they were dedicating wealth acquired from the sale of natural resources to the production of weapons and maintaining a menacing army and thus were a superpower. Now that wealth is being stolen by Putin and a handful of oligarchs who keep their wealth in the banks of the "imperialists, who threaten their borders" or invest in companies which do produce other things than weapons. The educational system built by the Communists crumbled and no money is invested in research and development. Today Russia is a third-world country, lagging behind China, Brazil and India.
As for Armenia's future, there are two scenarios for a small country like Armenia to survive in such unfriendly and tough neighborhood. First is the Israeli model, but Russia is not the U.S. and Armenia is not Israel. The support provided by Russia is different. Russians will never let Armenia grow strong. The corruption, autocracy, oligarchy, mismanagement in Russia is automatically exported, adopted and maintained in Armenia. Armenia can not conduct any foreign policy while Russians are out masters. We have no say in what happens in Syria; we are not allowed to cooperate with Iran, we will sit under Russian umbrella and watch as Kurds gain independence and build a state on territories which you like to call Armenian. If the U.S. fails, Israel will have other supporter; it might be even Russia. But if Russia fails, as it does every now and then, Armenia will not have any protection. The Genocide was provoked by Russians and their inability to "protect" us.
The alternative is to establish peace with neighbors and get rid of Russian corrupt dominance. But till people like you keep dogmas alive (that Turks are our eternal enemies and Russians are our eternal friends) that would not happen.
Let’s Love and Respect
Dear GT,
Of course Russia is a superpower and a defender of human rights. Russia created, defended and recognized homelands for weak nations such as Abkhazia and Ossetia, while the Americans encouraged Georgia's Saakashvilli to attack these territories and expand its imperialism.
You are correct when you say that "Russian territory is full of natural resources". That is exactly the reason for American imperialism. How can America become the owner of these natural resources? Never forget that the Russians saved the world from the imperialist Nazis by offering more than 20 million victims. That's the reason why they can't produce much: they lost generations during the Second World War. Why do you think today more Armenians live in Russia? To produce for America and Europe. The imperialists want it all. How can they achieve that? By spreading false propaganda about human rights in Russia. When Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States, the Soviet Union offered gas to the United States. Jimmy Carter's answer was: "We don't need Red gas".
Of course, gays must have all the rights to live and practice love as they prefer, but one goes too far when one puts strong pressure on every human being to become gay.
When you compare Russia to a third world country, you commit an error. If you just knew the debt America owes China, you wouldn't have tried to insult Russia.
America wanted to get rid of Saddam Hussein so it even banned the export of baby milk to Iraq. Just to get rid of one person, millions lost their lives and it continues: the same mess with Bin Laden. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Afghanistan because people of Afghanistan must live like the Americans want them to.
It's really surprising to hear you compare Armenia with Israel. "Unfriendly and tough neighborhood"?
Please take a look at the map of Israel and see who are these friendly neighbors of Israel. Armenia has at least good neighbors such as Iran and Georgia.
Russia will only fall due to the imperialist powers and betrayers.
May God Bless Russia for ever and ever and give Russians more Olympic medals, because they deserve it.
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Russia Our Best Friend
I agree 100% with Mr. Amirian. Armenia will not survive without Russia's protection. So far, Armenia has been far from the reach of the U.S. because of Putin. God, please keep the U.S. away from our homeland.
Melineh.
We welcome all
Why one-sided Armenian thinking of only one Messiah? We shall be friends with Mother Russia, but also with Iran, the U.S., China, et al. Why friendship and business with only one partner?
We are not against doing business with Russia or Japan or any other country. Only Turkish agents among us would instigate us to side with one or the other. We are to be like Switzerland, if you ask me.We welcome all foreign capital to the RoA.
Melineh’s Prayer
Melineh,
I found your earnest prayer request to God uncalled for.
I would rather you pray that may God keep Russian interests in Armenia to the benefit of both. Let us be mindful that there was no Armenian Diaspora in the West of any significance when it was the Armenians in the Caucasus who referred to the Russian policy as having 'Armenia without Armenians'. They pitted themselves against the policy and had a Russian governor of Caucasus assassinated by Dro/Tro, first minister of defense.
World Against Hitler
Dear Vahe,
When the whole world was in war against Hitler, on whose side was Dro//Tro? Read history and learn; if Hitler had won the war, Armenia wouldn't have existed now. Hitler and Turkey were allies for decades.
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Wasting Time
Vahe,
You are wasting your breath here. People like Melineh have been brainwashed or have no knowledge of history. And people like X are grinding their very old and rusty axe to make you believe that Russia is our savior. They don´t have any idea of our heroes such as Dro, Antranik, amd Njdeh, to name a few. Freedom is not free. We have to thank the lst Republic and then the 2nd and now this one. After 250,000 Armenian casualties in the Hairenagan Baderazm (Fatherland War) we should remember that our fatherland is A R M E N I A, not the ex- Soviet Union. What did we get from them?
This new neighbor, reborn as Russia, is rich and is competing with the West to show off that Russia can surpass in the game of capitalism and lavishly build what she likes while muzhiks-farmers, who live 60-70 kms from Moscow, lead a life of abject poverty. Russia is also striking deals with Turkey at $7 billion a year and promising to give Turkey a loan of $20 billion and technical aid to erect nuclear power plants there…and is not renewing our Medzamor.
When the Azeris were slaughtering Armenians in Sumgait and in Baku instead of dispatching a few Antonov-carrying soldiers to stop the killings, Garbachev took seven days to do so.
All ex -Soviet factories in Armenia remain idle, waiting for Russians to restart them. Instead, Moscow bestow medals to the few WWII veterans.
I wrote here a few weeks ago that a family of American benefactors (not of Armenian origin but Mormons from Utah) gave $20 million to Armenia. I made an error. The exact donation is $53 million. The USA has, in 22 years given, the RoA non-returnable aid of over $2 billion. How much has Russia given to us?
War will not break out in the southern Caucasus until the Baku oil wells dry up. Then the oil companies will pack up and go home.
There are plenty of Turkish agents, including among Armenians, who spread propaganda just as Mr. X and others are doing because they want Uncle Sam to go on being their ally, not tiny Armenia or Iran, the noble country and our good old neighbor.
Shad parev hasgtsoghin
Dear Gaytzag
Dear Gaytzag,
I am sorry to tell you that Melineh's comment is based on 100% facts. It's very sad to see that some of our compatriots who are writing comments on the topic "Russia, Our Best friend" signed by Nerses are […….] in need of urgent help.
Of course by writing a comment I have no intention to hurt anybody. Unfortunately I tried in vain to wake up some of these people above to be careful with their comments, because it's in English and non-Armenians can read it them too…
Please, if you want to know the absolute truth, just keep in touch with any Armenian political leader; they all will tell you the truth, they will admit that at the time of world war II, some of the above mentioned heroes were fighting against the Soviet Union while Armenia was part of it. Please, for God's sake, read about Njteh in the Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia volume 8, for your own knowledge, only then you will fully agree with me that some of these people above, they are not only … and in need of urgent help, they are also extremely dangerous.
I am proud to declare that I don't belong to any political party, I am Charentsagan, "Armenian People, Your ONLY Salvation Is In Your National Unity".
"Voghpam Zkez Hay Joghovoort Vor Takavort Manoog E".
Yours Faithfully,
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Great Article
Great article. Thanks!
God Bless Russian-Armenian Relations
The geo-strategic equation is simple: no Russia in the south Caucasus means no Armenia in the south Caucasus. To put it in other words: the Caucasus is like a table where Turks, Persians, Azeris, Georgians, Islamists, Western energy interests, Russians and Armenians sit. Imagine this table without its Russian occupant. In other words, imagine the plight of Armenia in a Turkic-Islamic dominated political landscape without having the Russian bear to rely on.
We have an Armenia largely thanks to the presence of the Russians in the Caucasus. Had the tsar not come down to the south Caucasus some two-hundred-years ago, Armenians would still be living much like Kurds in eastern Turkey and in northern Iran. For better or worse, Armenia is wed to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Armenia has an ally which is one of the world's wealthiest and most powerful nations. Now and for the foreseeable future, Russia's and Armenia's national interests will converge because for Moscow, Islamists, Turks, Azeris and Western oil interests pose an existential threat. Let's put an end to our corrosive worship of the Anglo-American-Jewish order and wake up and see Russia as a historic opportunity for Armenia. God bless Russia. God bless Armenia. And may God help us preserve Russo-Armenian alliance from all enemies foreign and domestic.
Thank You
Gaydzag,
Thank you for your rational reply. It helps to counter the paranoid, hysterical words of Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian who does not seem to know that the Republic of Armenia is an independent country and not a satellite of Russia.
Turkish agents
Turkish agents have started to undulate.
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Russia, Our Best Friend
This article reminds me of the TV program "Pari Louys" (host Stepan Partamian). Just irritate people to write comments. I'm irritated by the shortcomings and wishful thoughts in this article, to say the least.
100% Factual
Dear Mr. Toudjian,
Do you mean you are against articles like the one signed by Nerses Amirian which are based 100% on facts or are you against people who, because of their wrong political ideologies, write comments which are full of lies and blame others for twisting the facts because of their poor knowledge? I am a supporter of articles and comments which are based on documented truths, for the benefit of our nation.
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
100% Factual
100% factual? You're stating everything already. Are you kidding?
Confusion and Absurdity
Isn't the identity and very survival of Armenia fundamentally based on the sum total of its intimate relations with a morass of regional and global interests? In the words of "Arevagal": "Turks, Persians, Azeris, Georgians, Islamists, Western energy interests and Russians"? Perhaps Armenia never could be Armenia if it were located remotely on the North Pole or a South Pacific island.
Armenia has always been surrounded by benevolent tyrants, monsters and wolves in sheep's clothing, but there is none worse than the enemy within.
The day when Armenia makes peace with this existential truth and learns the absurd art of making friends carefully in high places, is the day of victory when it has an invaluable lesson for all of humanity.
Toudjian’s Sage Comment
Tak Toudjian's sage comment regarding publication of this article is well said, particularly in view of Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian's continuing hysterical and unbalanced ranting. Who reads Soviet encyclopedias if they are looking for factual information? As for Nzhdeh, he was arrested in Bulgaria for his anti-Soviet activities and was exiled to Siberia where he died. Nicolai should take off her army boots, toss out the Bolshevik encyclopedias, and have a little chat with Gaydzag.
Yes, You Are Totally Right
Yes, you are totally right about Nzhdeh's anti-Soviet activities. Armenia was a member of the Soviet Union. So I am very sorry to inform you that his anti-Soviet activities were also aimed against…
If you hate information which comes from Soviet Armenia sources, of course you are free to examine the sources which please you. But please never insist on that yogurt is black.
I agree with you 100%.
Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian
Comments are closed.