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Unbearable Bear Hug

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  • Unbearable Bear Hug

    UNBEARABLE BEAR HUG

    Editorial, 1 November 2013

    The ink on President Serge Sarkissian's signature to join Russia-led
    Customs Union (CU), had hardly dried before President Vladimir Putin's
    political-cultural apostles came galloping from the Russian steppes
    to Armenia. Hardly a month had passed since Armenia's inevitable
    acceptance of Putin's "invitation" to join the CU that Armenia suddenly
    seemed top-of-mind among Russian cultural apparatchiks. In quick
    succession, there were the following developments in Russian/Armenian
    cultural relations.

    It was announced that the National Philharmonic of Russia would
    give two concerts (Yerevan and Gyumri) on Nov. 10 on the occasion
    of composer Aram Khachaturian's 110th birthday. Earlier (Oct. 10)
    on "prominent members of Armenian music" came together at the State
    Kremlin Palace to participate in a "great concert" dedicated to the
    300th anniversary of "outstanding Armenian bard and poet" Sayat Nova.

    Tourism industry executives from Russia and Armenia held a roundtable
    to boost tourism in St. Petersburg and Yerevan.

    It was announced that a Russian lyceum-a branch of Moscow State
    University-would open in Yerevan, in line with Putin's campaign to
    launch Russian cultural initiatives in the Commonwealth of Independent
    States (CIS).

    Victor Krivopuskov, head of the Russian Federal Agency,
    Rossotrudnichestvo, stated that Russia would take steps to strengthen
    the Russian language in Armenia.

    Any number of Russian and Customs Union operatives stated that since
    Russian is the lingua franca of the Customs Union, the population of
    member states should be fluent in Russian.

    The CIS intensified the opening of "cultural centers" in Armenia
    where Russian is taught free of charge. There are now about 100 such
    centers. A few weeks ago they boasted that they had sold 100,000
    Russian books in the past two years.

    Andranik Nikogosyan of the Youth Union of the CIS opined that the
    Russian language is integral part of Armenian culture. He added:
    "We have a common history, a common past, and I'm sure we have a great
    future." Common history? Perhaps Nikogosyan was referring to the fact
    that during the Second World War, of all the Soviet republics Armenia
    had the highest per capita combat casualties. Perhaps Nikogosyan
    was referring to Russian Foreign Minister Lebanon-Rostovsky who,
    in 1895, said Russia wanted Armenia without Armenians. Perhaps the
    jumped-up politico is referring to Generalissimo Alexandre Suvorov,
    the greatest "Russian" military leader, whose Armenian descent is
    covered up by the Russians.

    Poet Marine Petrossian and Armen Hovhanissian, members of a civil
    group opposing the use of foreign language as a threat to Armenia's
    identity, say the popularization of Russian would be at the expense
    of not only Armenian, but also English, French, and Persian. Last year
    their group campaigned against the opening of foreign language schools.

    Hovhanissian said that the Russian cultural invasion means that to
    be successful an Armenian citizen will have to be educated in Russian.

    "The most dangerous thing that can happen is the formation of an elite
    that will not speak [good] Armenian and will not think in categories
    favoring Armenia's statehood," he said.

    President Putin has said that Eurasian integration is a chance
    for the post-Soviet space to become an independent center of global
    development. He also said that the CU is "aimed at keeping the identity
    of peoples populating the historical Eurasian space in the new century
    and the new world." Does by "peoples" Putin mean solely Russian?

    Should and can Armenia resist the Russian bear hug?

    It should because if it doesn't the fears of Petrossian and
    Hovhanissian could be realised. More and more Armenians will begin
    to communicate in Russian, read Russian books, sing Russian songs,
    and watch Russian TV. Parents will believe their children should
    attend Russian schools so as to have a bright future. Armenians would
    become strangers in their country. There will be an "Armenian Diaspora"
    in Armenia.

    Already Russian is becoming the preferred language of Armenia's elite.

    During conferences at Yerevan's Marriott Hotel the language most heard
    is Russian. And when attendees continue their talk in the corridors,
    outside the conference rooms, again Russian dominates.

    How to halt the Russian invasion? The government should set laws
    to defend our "Mayr Lezoo" against the Russian onslaught. Parents
    should instill among their children a sense of linguistic pride. As
    the civil groups, who fought the establishment of foreign schools,
    shouted in their posters: "Keep your gene; keep your language"
    and "No to colonization". Western Armenian is already endangered,
    according to the United Nations. If the Russians are not pushed back,
    Eastern Armenian could also get on the UN list.

    In the bad old days of Soviet rule, Russians preached internationalism
    but practiced Russo-centrism.

    Being an ally shouldn't mean that independent Armenia must become a
    Russian satellite. Somebody should tell Moscow that the Beatles are
    long gone; nobody wants to sing "Back in the USSR..."

    http://www.keghart.com/Editorial-BearHug

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