In September 2023, when Artsakh was finally surrendered to the enemy, the people of Stepanakert, before leaving their city, tore down the pictures of their fallen relatives from the heroes’ memorial plaque—so that the Azerbaijanis would not desecrate their memory. Today, however, this same desecration is being carried out by ethnic Armenians themselves—more precisely, by those officially considered the authorities of Armenia.
I can draw no other conclusion from the claims of a Nikolian propagandist, unsupported by any serious academic study or reliable source, who alleges that the Nazis wanted to come to the Caucasus to liberate Western Armenia from the Turks and return our historical lands.
What does this imply? That hundreds of thousands of Armenians fought on the “wrong side” and died in vain? That they should have joined the Wehrmacht and, together with the German army, liberated Van and Ardahan? And I’m not just talking about citizens of the Soviet Union. If the Nazis were so “pro-Armenian,” then Armenians in Europe—like Misak Manushyan and his resistance group—should not have resisted the German occupation either. By this logic, perhaps what happened in Auschwitz and Dachau is also a “myth” that needs to be “debunked”?
This is not just an academic matter, nor the opinion of one rogue “researcher.” When such propaganda is aired by Armenia’s official public broadcaster, H1, and on May 9 of all days, it becomes a clear political statement addressed to Armenian society today.
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The message has two parts. The first is a subtle attempt to “scold” the Russians, given the sacred place the Great Patriotic War holds in Russian national consciousness.
But the second part is deeper—and far more disturbing. It attempts to convince us that there is no homeland, and that there are no heroes who defended it—only misguided individuals who died senselessly. And this message clearly extends to the wars for Artsakh as well.
On top of all this, Armenia’s current leadership, in its narrow provincial mindset, seems to believe that justifying Nazism—as long as it’s “anti-Russian”—will somehow appeal to Europeans and Americans. This is their way of trying to catch the West’s attention. But this too reveals their ignorance. These people truly do not understand the world they’re trying to navigate.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
