The issue of changing the names of the schools and streets named after famous foreign figures, communist leaders and officials in Armenia is not simply a conversation, it has a direct connection with the value system based on which our state is to develop. For now, no value system is in place. The more advanced part of the intellectuals of soviet Armenia of 80s (afterwards they formed the nucleus of Karabakh movement), as well as former soviet dissidents, assuredly were thinking about it, but they were not able to resist traditional mentality which reigned within the society, around the same intellectuals and governmental bureaucracy. In the result, a lot of things remained the same regarding public thinking (synonym to value system), a lot of things changed and we live, if one may say, in an era of eclecticism where Lenin and Nzhdeh “co-exist” side by side and, for example, the intellectual having a cup of coffee in “Skvaznyak” and talking about high “substances” in 1987 has become a bribe taker of purely soviet style.
New generations come and questions arise not solely about Bolsheviks. For example, my 10-year-old daughter asks why in Yerevan there are Leningradyan, Kievyan or Moskovyan streets but not Lodnonyan and Parisyan. It is natural that questions arise around the new generation of political figures – “Yelq” as well, as what Kasyan, Amiryan, Mikoyan or Spandaryan names symbolize in the Republic of Armenia in the 21st century. From that perspective “Yelq’s” initiative is completely proper.
Nevertheless, I would not start from the names of the streets if I was to decide. Firstly one should understand what is the value system of our country and merely afterwards think over its symbols. Roughly said, if we should withdraw “Lenin’s” name and take “Nzhdeh’s” instead or the respective statue, then we should firstly understand and explain to everyone who those people were, what they did and whether Nzhdeh is not simply Lenin of the reigning party. Ask “average Armenian resident” of my age who Lenin was and s/he will start to remember what was written about him in school and university textbooks. Ask 20 years old people of the present, they will give the same answer – will repeat the common “official” formulations. I want to say, the public thinking is of a primary importance, its symbols are of a secondary importance.
As to the communists, they were different as well. For some them national belonging was more important than the ideology – Alexander Myasnikyan, Anton Kochinyan, Karen Demirchyan.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
