On February 2, a round-table discussion on the mess raised during the dismantlement of Garegin Nzhdeh’s statue and its causes and consequences took place in “Aztag” Journalism Club.

During the discussion, historian, Deputy Director of the Institute for Armenian studies Mher Hovhannisyan, YSU lecturer, political scientist Arthur Ghazaryan, coordinator of "For the sake of Sovereignty Restoration " initiative Hayk Nahapetyan expressed their views on the issue. 

Mher Hovhannisyan noted that the mass media spreading such information are carrying out lobbying by some of our neighbors. "The accusations being expressed have incorrect historical basis. Elementary historical knowledge is needed to see that Nzhdeh was sentenced for anti-Soviet activities but not for being a follower of Nazism or Fascism. There is another argument. In 1942, the USSR had Malinyan list, which included  the names of those who cooperated with Fascist Germany and were subject to annihilation.

Nzhdeh's name was not on this list. The Russians are silent about this. In Russia, Nzhdeh is also considered a colloborationist. This means that a citizen of a state cooperating with the enemy state, acts against his state.  But Nzhdeh was not a USSR citizen and it’s fixed in his arrest document that he was arrested as a Bulgarian citizen.  Nzhdeh also received four medals from the Russian Empire"-said Mher Hovhannisyan.

According to him,  this shows a simple truth that an attempt is made to present the image of a Armenian traitor in the person of Garegin Nzdeh who acted against Russians.  They want to show that you should be beware of Armenia, Armenia always speaks of Russia as its ally but the opposite happened etc.”.

H, Nahapetyan noted that mostly in the propaganda field, so called the process of struggle against the seeming heroization of Fascism and Nazism and revival in Russia began in 2016.

 «At that time the people who spoke of the issue were mostly representatives of the social field. Now, it seems that the problem moves from the propaganda field to the legal field, becomes political and geopolitical as it is discussed by State Duma deputies, assistants of commission chairmen and party chairmen. This is one step above the information and propaganda field, " mentioned Nahapetyan.

He also considered that it was important to mention the names of a number of Russian figures who served Fascist Germany. “Anti-Fascists must first start from themselves. There were Russian figures in the USSR who served Fascist Germany. For example, Otaman Krasnov, who moved to the German army from the Soviet Army "- mentioned Nahapetyan.

Arthur Ghazaryan, in his turn, mentioned that the issue is completely political, so it's difficult to say the objective truth. He mentioned that it suffices to recall Njdeh’s anti-Turkish position and activities in the interest of Russia in Balkans during the First World War. Political scientist A. Ghazaryan also connects the manipulation of such talks to the signing of Armenia-EU agreement. At the end of the discussion on how to put an end to such rumors, Mher Hovhannisyan answered,” It all began from the Internet. We should represent our history in all the academic platforms and carry out our political lobbying.We shouldn’t be involved in the debate that they want to drag us into”