Russian war veterans oppose new monument to Nzhde in Karabakh

The Moscow Region World War II veteran organization demanded to dismantle a monument to Armenian military and statesman Garegin Nzhde, erected in Martuni after the entry of Russian peacekeepers into the Karabakh conflict zone. Vitaly Balasanyan, the secretary for the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh, also spoke out for dismantling of the monument, but Martuni MPs refused.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in November 2019, a memorial plaque in honour of Garegin Nzhde (1886-1955) was painted over on the territory of the temple of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the city of Armavir in the Krasnodar Territory. The Armenian Embassy in Russia regarded the action as vandalism and stated that “those actions could provoke interethnic tension.” In response, an Armenian activist poured paint on the monument to Alexander Griboedov in Yerevan.

The Dolgoprudny public organization of veterans of World War II, labour, the Armed Forces, and the law enforcement bodies considered the installation of the monument to Garegin Nzhde “the glorification of the henchmen of fascism.” It is unacceptable to install the monument to Nzhde on the territory where Russian peacekeepers will celebrate Victory Day on May 9, activists state on the “Stopfashizm” website. They believe the installation of such monument will negatively affect the image of Russia.

It should be noted that Armenian researchers often emphasize Nzhde’s contribution to the national movement of the early 20th century. At the same time, their opponents criticize Nzhde’s participation in World War II on the side of Nazi Germany.