When the former Chief of National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan passed away because of cancer, the majority of the active society did not resist the temptation and spoke a lot of bitter words after him. Well, the institution where Gorik Hakobyan was working has induced an antipathy in the Soviet time and now it is not the apple of anyone’s eye. Perhaps it should be also added that such institutions serve not as much to the state but the authority not only in Armenia, but in the whole world.
When Russian citizen, entrepreneur Levon Hayrapetyan passed away because of cancer, the same active part of the society almost sanctified and started to pour ash on his head, as if we did not do everything to save his life. Assuredly, keeping the man with a deadly illness in prison was inhuman, a behavior characteristic of the cruelty of socialism. As a positive example, let us remember at least Soghomon Kocharyan, sentenced to life in Armenia, who was allowed to pass away outside of the prison walls. Such elementary manifestation of humanism is not characteristic of Putin’s regime. The criticism towards the Armenian authorities, it seems to me, is just: they could have gone to Levon Hayrapetyan’s funeral at some official level, e.g. – ministerial. Presumably, Putin would not have demolished us for that.
However, we speak of another thing, in this case: if in Russia or Armenia it is not possible to become a millionaire without breaking the rules and having connection with certain circles of the authorities, then it is the same for all. And from that perspective, it is impossible to group the oligarchs into good ones and bad ones, fair ones and obscene ones. Yes, Levon Hayrapetyan was engaged in charity. Glory and honor, let his memory remain forever. But Ara Abrahamyan, Samvel Karapetyan, Gagik Tsarukyan, Samvel Aleksanyan, Ruben Hayrapetyan are also engaged in charity. If something happens to them, God forbid, what will they talk about them – things that are talked about Gorik Hakobyan or Levon Hayrapetyan? The general scheme is the following: if a man has got rich outside Armenia, our society does not regard him to be a robber. If a man has any connection with the authorities, they will speak bad things about him both during his lifetime, and afterwards, moreover, if he has been a government official. (Of course there are and will be some exceptions.) In the conditions of that simple scheme and extremely subjective perceptions it is natural that such deceased people are sanctified and some thrown mud on even after passing away.
In any case, I would prefer to be more moderate in both glorifying and whipping the deceased people. They need neither that glory, nor the swearings will reach them.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
