Political Pat is in Armenia. Armenians can only “wait for dawn”
The conflict between Armenia's prime minister Nikol Paszynian and the hierarchs of the Armenian apostolic church is gaining momentum. There have already been mutual insults, clashes with security forces and arrests. Also in the territory of Eczmiadzyn, called “Armenian Vatican”which is an unprecedented situation.
Archbishop Szirak Mikael Ajapachjan, Archbishop Bagrat Galastan and Russian oligarch of Samwel Kapetjan, who controls most of the Most of the Energy Sector of Armenia was arrested. Everyone was arrested for more or less the same: calling and preparation to take over power. Apparently this is not the end of the conflict, but only its beginning.
From a formal point of view, the fodder have grounds. In more than three years, when I lived in Armenia, they took place at least three attempts at the coup. The last one was run by Archbishop of Galastanjan, who had the support of Catholic or all Armenians. Ajapachjana and Karapetjana's fault is less obvious, it will be determined by the court.
All this is not a private conflict, it is not a minor political conflict, but The next stage of the return of Armenia from Russian to Westwhich began in 2022, in the first months of the war in Ukraine. Slowly, very carefully, according to the “one step forward, two backward” principle, the country began to withdraw from Russian influence.
It ended tragically: losing a karabakh and several other territories, a wave of antyormian propaganda in Russian media and continuous attempts to change the government. With the naked eye you can see exactly who swaying the country and divides it – Russian special services, the fifth column (it is also present in the Armenian parliament and does not really hide it), the Russian embassy.
In May 2022, former president Robert Koczarian actively participated in the protestsgreat friend of Vladimir Putin. At almost every rally I see a blogger Miki Badaljan, who is pro -Russian opening. He was caught many times on contacts with representatives of Russia, and once he was detained for illegal weapon trade (incidentally, together with the columnist of Armenian Sputnik), but then released.
Each street action in Yerevan is enthusiastically welcomed by Margarita Simonjan [redaktorkę naczelną telewizji RT]. And each time she adds olive oil to the fire: “Armenians living in Armenia, what are you waiting for? For cutting your heads to your sons and taking their daughters to harem, how did this already happen in our history?” And as soon as he hears the surname of Paszyniana, he begins to swear.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hands the order “for merits for the homeland” editor -in -chief of the RT Margarita Simonian station. Moscow, December 20, 2022
Of course, Minister Sergei Lavrov is very concerned about this issue. After the events in Eczmiadzyn, he said without a garden: “Russia is interested in assuring that [Kościół ormiański] will not be subjected to unjustified attacks. ” The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to ask him to deal with his affairs. After all, even if the Armenians are wrong, it is a matter of Armenians themselves.
There are also indirect signs. After the arrest of Karapetjana Armenian trucks transporting goods to Russia were stopped at the border crossing. It is also no secret that the eryvision is full of Russian security services, which behave quite unceremoniously. After the death of Navalny, they almost hesitated to track anti -war activists. There were also cases of kidnapping, recruitment and wiretapping attempts.
If not arcs, it's a church
On the other hand, the dissatisfaction with the fodder in Yerevan is really great. And not only because of sympathy for Russia. Armenia is not the most religious country in the world, there are not many pious believers here, priests are treated without much piety. However, religion is so rooted in the code of the nation that Interference in the Church is perceived by many as an attack on the very essence of Armenianness.
Armenians like to repeat that they were the first to receive Christianity at the state level and this is true. Then the statehood was lost for a thousand years, the country was occupied by one or another empire, and The only institution that preserved language, culture, science, literature and Armenian identity was the Apostolic Church. It is not without reason that tourists who come here spend their days traveling around ancient monasteries.
My friend from Yevania likes to repeat: “We can endure a lot, but don't touch our letters, Aznavour and Arku“After losing a mountain karabakh, he began to say:” Our language, our Charles and our church. “
The factor of the arku, or mountain karabakh, must be taken into account. It affects the reactions to every, most insignificant Armenian message. To a difficult political situation (a small unarmed country surrounded by dictatorships, Izreal war with Iran), depression and awareness of the lack of perspectives come.
Depression began in 2020, after the defeat in the 44-day war, and She embraced Armenia after losing a mountain karabakh. Contemporary Armenia, the third republic, as it is called here, actually began in 1988 along with the Karabask movement, with a request to connect Karabakh to Armenia. The issue of Karabakh is fundamental for this country. The arcs, which they fought for 30 years, was lost. For many Armenians, this is the fall of everything they believed. 30 years and so many sacrifices, all for nothing.
People are depressed and it is not difficult to understand them. In 1991, together with friends, we built barricades before the so -called A white house in Moscow, hoping that we are building new Russia, just and humanitarian. 30 years have passed, war began, repression, terror, and we are forced to think that we wereted our lives and we have no future.
People of Armenian origin escape from Karabakh to Armenia in trucks through the passage controlled by Russian soldiers of peace forces and Azeri border guards, September 26, 2023.
It is no coincidence that my friend in his triad replaced the ark with the church. In a state of complete mental failure, society looks first of all guilty, and it is quite natural, and secondly a pillar that you can stick to so as not to go crazy, behave, survive. And then People see that the authorities are fighting the Church. Of course, many are shocked.
This church is different from the Russian church. I remember well how Armenian priests behaved when in 2022 Russian emigrants arrived here. Priests said: “Celebrate Christian holidays as you are used to at home, pray as you are used to. You are always welcome, we will always support you.” Russians, who were used to uncompromising Orthodox bishops, were surprised by such tolerance.
Let me remind you that 110 years ago it was the Armenian Church not afraid to bury the lion of Lion Tolstoy. Over 100 years later, the situation repeated: in Yerevan, without doing this great case, a service was held for Aleksiej Navalny.
In Ukraine, Armenians shoot each other
The situation is also complicated in the case of Samwela Karapetjan, which intends to sue the government and defend the interests of his company. He is not even pro -Russian, but simply Russian – his status is a Russian entrepreneur. On the other hand spent huge sums of money on charity, helping the sick and the poorand many people are grateful to him. His company is huge, nobody wants to lose their job. Therefore, Karapetjan has many supporters.
There is one more thing that even fear to think about. If the conflict goes very far, Moscow may ask Karapetjan to cut off electricity in Armeniaand the country will sink into the dark. And everyone here remembers well the years of blockade from the 90s: cold, lack of hot water, gas problems and very bad food. Nobody wants a replay.
The division in the Armenian society runs along several lines. Attitude towards Russia, war or peace, the EU or organization of collective security. They argue about Russian Armenians, argue about music, Iran, Turks, and the language. There are many graduates of Russian -speaking Armenian schools in Yerevan, for whom Russian was the first language and Armenian the secondand this is also a kind of clock bomb.
They also argue about the war in Ukraine. While at the beginning most people were rather indifferent to this subject, now everyone is aware that On both sides and the large numbers are fighting and dying. Armenians shoot each other. For a nation that experienced genocide, this is the worst thing that can happen.
When I collected comments on current political topics, I was often told: “No, I won't say anything. Whatever I say now, it will be to the detriment of my nation. We can never be hostile, we can never be divided.” Some say that you have to survive at all costs, others ask if the price is not too high.
Society fell into a devilish trap. In a stalemate in which so bad and so bad. If you are progressive, liberal, pro -western and criticize Russia, it turns out that you act against national values. And if you want to keep national values and criticize the government, You are in the same camp as Putin.
I saw the character of protests changed over the years. In 2022, the protesters talked peacefully with the police and told them their stories. In 2023, they turned over the electoral urns, stopped cars and blocked the streets. In 2024, the bottles flew towards the government building, and in the answer the police used force.
Most Armenians have a mild, non -conflict character. They are not explosive Georgians. The Armenian will avoid clash to the end, trying to reach an agreement. But if it leads to a last resort, it can be very hard. Especially considering that every second man fought here in the war.
During one of the many political crises I asked a clerk: “What is your plan? What do you want to end with?” He replied: “The plan is to play delay. Darkness prevailed over the world, and over this part in particular. We must survive and wait for dawn.”
