“I am trying to respect the feelings and opinions of Anastas Mikoyan’s family. Regardless of what path the grandfather has passed, the grandchildren should love and respect him. But I am sure that Mikoyan’s grandson, Vladimir Mikoyan, is unaware of the situation in Armenia, and does not read the press, does not feel the atmosphere of Armenia, and Armenia is still an Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) for him. But the model has changed in Armenia”, so responded the former Chairman of the NA External Relations Committee, Hovhannes Igityan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to Vladimir Mikoyan’s assessments.
According to him, installing a statue to a person means that the society must at least know this person and have a positive consensus. But if at least ten percent of the public hates this person, the statue should not be installed because thus the public confrontation increases.
To Vladimir Mikoyan’s observations of what William Saroyan and Hovhannes Baghramyan have done for Armenia that their statues are installed, whereas such a noise is raised about the statue to Mikoyan, Mr. Igityan responded as follows, “It appears that he either did not know Saroyan’s biography or was not interested because he was an American, and at those times, the American was considered an enemy. And, since he grew up in that family, any American for him, including Saroyan, was alien, if not a hostile phenomenon. I do not want to explain to Mikoyan’s grandson why there should be a statue to Saroyan in Armenia. Even the fact that a seven or eight-year old child, who survived the genocide, being a kid in all his life, was able not to become wicked and keep his memory and present Armenia to the whole world in his works, and the tragedy that he has experienced is sufficient that we respect this man. In his whole life, he has not caused harm to anyone, including the Turks. The fact that the state of California is continually recognizing the genocide, is raising the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, it is thanks to Saroyan.”
With regard to Hovhannes Baghramyan, Mr. Igityan said, “Even the fact that he had his glory in the battle rather than in politburo cabinets, or Stalin’s and Yezhov’s circles is enough that we view this person as a person not causing evil. Hovhannes Baghramyan’s name is not associated with the executions.”
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Opposing the facts published by Mikoyan’s grandson, Mr. Igityan pointed out other historical facts. “At a time when the issue of Russian-Turkish treaty was pending, according to which, Armenia lost its independence and the lands, Mikoyan was a high level official in the Transcaucasus. What was his role? I do not remember from the history that he particularly revolted. When the Caucasian Bureau was annexing the Nagorno-Karabakh into the composition of Azerbaijan, he was still taking a high position, and again, I do not recall that he revolted. Or, what was his role in Baku 26-commissars? Now they have found a way of not raising these issues and consigning to oblivion by handing them over to historians.”
To our question of the initiative of installing Mikoyan’s statue is incurring from his family, in that case what they are seeking and whether they do not see the public reaction, in the event, when there are statues to Mikoyan in Armenia, Mr. Igityan responded, “I guess they are not honest to the end, probably they are thinking that signing for the approval of people’s execution was relevant, and that these people were really enemies of the nation.” Hovhannes Igityan evidences that Armenia had kindly closed this page of history and Mikoyan, guided by principle of either good or nothing about the deceased, and “what does the grandson want? To have the memory about his grandfather so criticized?”
Hovhannes Igityan believes that Vladimir Mikoyan is not objective about his grandfather, and mentions, “I do not think that we should consider what the grandson is thinking about Mikoyan. Let’s try to make him talk about Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, genocide, Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union, and we will see how this person is detached from Armenia. Sitting in the Czech Republic, he was busy with Russian commercial matters. Throughout his life, he was beyond Armenia, he perhaps has once read the “Communist” newspaper, but now he is not familiar with the Armenian press.”
We inquires to know of what makes the RA authorities to be interested in the issue of installing the statue to Anastas Mikoyan, perhaps there is a matter of playing up to Putin, Hovhannes Igityan responded, “I see a widespread tendency to flattery and pleasing. Armenia often duplicates Russia’s atmosphere and legislation. Now Putin says that Volgograd should be named Stalingrad, and once Saint Petersburg will become Leningrad. Putin probably has forgotten that an era has been changed. It does not fit my understanding that Putin might call Sargsyan and tell him to install Anastas Mikoyan’s statue. However, I clearly understand that he might call Serzh Sargsyan and tell him that tomorrow you should announce about your accession to the Customs Union, should not sign the Association Agreement, and grant a no-end monopoly to Gazprom. I assume that installing Mikoyan’s stating is a minor local initiative for a little more flattering.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
