“If Baghramyan and Saroyan had done nothing, they cannot be compared to Mikoyan, because Mikoyan is a criminal, while neither Saroyan nor Baghramyan had sent any individual or persons to direct death by their signature,” such opinion was expressed by the Head of “Modus Vivendi” Center, Ara Papyan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, in response to Mikoyan’s grandson, Vladimir Mikoyan’s observations about what William Saroyan and Hovhannes Baghramyan had done for Armenia that their statues are installed, whereas there is a big noise around Mikoyan’s statue. He mentioned that it appears that if this man is a criminal, but has had a high position, he can be justified. According to Mr. Papyan, followed by this logic, Hitler and Talaat may also be justified. With regard to Saroyan, Ara Papyan said, “Saroyan is a cultural activist and a writer, and many people in the United States were in touch with Armenian thanks to Saroyan’s works.
There is no sign of blood on Saroyan.” Mr. Papyan has some reservations with regard to installation of the statue to Hovhannes Baghramyan. “Once, people got offended of me when I said that we should not place the state to the Marshall of somebody’s army in the street of Yerevan. Neither Isakov, nor Baghramyan are Armenian marshals, they are Armenians by origin. It is sad that the statues to Baghramyan and Isakov were placed during the years of independence. It is the result of Soviet upbringing of our leadership. We often confuse ethnic Armenian with Armenian by origin.” With regard to ordering additional executions, in response to Mikoyan’s grandson’s reassurance, “That was not Mikoyan asking rather than Yezhov, referring to Mikoyan,” Mr. Papyan said, “Mikoyan’s signature is on thousands of documents. Even if no document is preserved with Mikoyan’s signature, anyway, Mikoyan is a criminal, as he is a part of the system that has sent millions of people to death. Generally, no document on death penalty with Hitler’s signature is preserved. Hitler was not involved in any of such things, but he had created a system that had taken the life of millions of people.” To our question of why the RA authorities are interested in it since we understand the interest of Mikoyan’s family for installing his statue, Ara Papyan responded, “One is the matter of pleasing. They think that if there is a factory of sausage in Moscow, it would be also good to have Mikoyan’s statue here. Or, they do not know who Mikoyan is. They have not gone further beyond the Soviet school. Anyway, by installing Mikoyan’s statue, they are also violating our international commitments. The communism has recognized the Council of Europe as a totalitarian and condemnable idea. And we are a member of the Council of Europe, and its decisions are superior to our Constitution.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
