Categories: History

Nicholas I At The Roots Of Russia’s Colonial Policy In Armenia

Russia attaches great importance to symbolism in its relations with other countries. This has been manifested many times in its relations with Armenia. As examples, one can recall Putin’s visit to Armenia on December 2, 2013, and the signing of the infamous gas treaty. There are many other similar examples.

The other day, a bust of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I was installed on the territory of the Russian 102nd military base in Gyumri. Nicholas I was the Russian emperor that annexed Eastern Armenia to the Russian Empire in the 19th century. And after some time, he began to implement a colonial policy typical of the Russian Empire.

In particular, in 1840, the Armenian Province established back in 1828 was disbanded. This nullified all the hopes of the Armenians for independence.

And now, can it really be accidental that the bust of Nicholas I was installed at the Russian military base in Gyumri while the relations between Russia and Turkey are deteriorating? The bust of the emperor that during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829 gave Western Armenia to Turkey in return for Turkey’s recognition of Greek independence?

The history of the Russo-Turkish confrontation includes not only the confrontation itself but also the classical history of the most heinous political bargaining at the expense of Armenians and Armenian interests in the Caucasus.

Is Turkish activity coincidental these days? And does the placement of the bust of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I at the Russian military base in Gyumri (by the way, it was Nicholas I who renamed Kumayri Alexandropol) embody the desire of Russia to reaffirm Armenia as its outpost?

Don’t we need a proper assessment of these steps by our politicians and the public? Of course, we need.

However, unfortunately, everything that concerns decent opposition to the heterogeneous policy of Russian expansion is essentially forgotten in our socio-political life.

David Fidanyan

Vigen Avetisyan