Grandchildren of Mussolini or Franco do not suggest building new statues to their forefathers
In the center of Rome, in the territory called “Forum,” erects the so-called Mussolini’s monument, 17.4 meter long, made of precious marble. The idea of the monument belongs to him, the Duce. The construction was to symbolize the state and the beginning of fascism era. Along the monument it reads, MUSSOLINI DVX, that is, Mussolini the leader. In 2006, the monument was renovated, and the state spent 2.2 million euros on it. Italians consider this monument (where there is no image of “duce”, no head, and no bust) a historical monument.
Naturally, no one, including his descendants, is suggesting installing new statues to Benito Mussolini. However, duce has also done good deeds to his country and his people. In 2009, in North Africa, in a Spanish enclave, in Melilla city, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco’s statue was recently dismantled. The decision was made in accordance with the law on “Historical memory” adopted in 2007, according to which, the local authorities in Spain should destroy all statues to Franco and his closest entourage. Melilla’s residents did not want to do it, as the statue to Franco was installed as a military leader, prior to his becoming a leader if the country in 1939. There are still many streets and other buildings in Spain that carry the names of “caudillo” (leader) or his comrade-in-arms, they, according to the aforementioned law, should be renamed. The hardest is Franco’s grave, which is located in the so-called Valley of the Victims, and which is demanded by the Spanish Socialists to destroy it. There are both Franco’s supporters and opponents buried there who were killed during 1930s civil war. It is possible that the grave will become a museum. There is a foundation in the country named after Franco, which resisted the dismantling and renaming, but this foundation, as well as none of the general’s grandchildren demand installing new statues to Franco, although “caudillo” along with murders and executions has committed good deeds for his country.
In particular, during his time, in 1950s, the Spanish “economic miracle” took place, and for a number of years, Spain ranked the second in the world after Japan in economic growth paces. There is no leader in the world, a historical or political figure, who was involved only in atrocities. Especially, the first faces of the countries and their surroundings, even based on their own interests, they are compelled to do some favorable deeds for their “subordinates” to avoid inciting dissatisfaction thereof. The question should be put differently. Do we accept the ideology of violence, wrongdoing, cannibalism, or not? If cannibalism is accepted by independent Armenia as a state, and us, the citizens, then you can also install a statue to Avis Nurijanyan or Khachatur Mughdusi. “What could we do, they were cruel times, but these Armenian-sons had brought their contribution to the construction of our state. In particular, the magnificent construction of nowadays National Security Service was built by the skilled leadership of Mughdusi, and the building nowadays beautifies Nalbandyan Streets and the capital, in general” the supporters of Mikoyan’s statue are bringing the arguments in this style.
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Thereby, it is possible to justify the “immortalization of memory” of any criminal and his activities as an example to future generations. You should either accept or reject bolshevism, frankism, fascism and so on. And you build your state policy right from this benchmark, including adoption of laws on historical memory. But if you do not respect the feelings of thousands of victims of Stalin’s repression, and Anastas Mikoyan’s statue, however, is installed, I’ll be against its blowing up. That would mean fighting against Bolshevism with Bolshevistic methods.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
