RUSSIAN COMEDY, CAUCASIAN NATIONALITY, ARMENIAN NOSE
HAIK ARAMYAN
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12:37:24 – 18/08/2009
The Caucasus, both the North and the South, has always been the bugbear
of the Russian state. Through as long as 300 years of dominance Russia
has been unable to take it under total control. There was everything,
displacement of peoples, redrawing of borders due to ethnic conflicts,
intervention. The freedom loving peoples of the Caucasus have always
had a special attitude towards the Russian state. Presently these
feelings have become more acute: insurgencies and terrorism would
not cease.
Besides force, Russia has also tried spiritual and cultural
expansion. The most significant is the "nationality Caucasian"
operation. It originated when Russia was just settling down in the
Caucasus. The purpose was to "alloy" one nation from the crater of
peoples of the Caucasus, which would have the same traditions and
culture. The best writers of the Caucasian peoples were employed
for the job in Tbilisi to write works with similar plots and themes,
and different names of people and places. The art of minstrels was
established. Recently music with Russian lyrics and Turkish-Caucasian
rhythm has been promoted which one of our artists defined as the music
of "Krasnodar weddings". And all this has been "edited and rinsed"
by central propaganda.
Generally, the hero of the "Caucasian art", the person with Caucasian
nationality, is mostly savage, rough, dull, a pilferer, has other
negative traits.
In the new times, the target of this strategy is comedy. It features
in the Russian humor. All this is presented in spoken Russian with a
foolish accent, as if the language of savages. In addition, not only
Caucasian but also Central Asian. All this would not be complete
without the right choice of the person who presents this. Only
a person of the Caucasian nationality should mock at the savage
man. And who are the mockers? You are right, the Armenians. The
Russian TV channels are full of these persons who entertain people:
Armenian brandy and nose, Georgian wine, Central Asian apricot,
Azerbaijani oil, Ossetian alcohol, etc. It is not quite safe to mock
at the people who live beyond the Caucasian mountains, meanwhile
they decided that they can mock at the Armenians, Turks, Georgians,
Uzbeks and Tajiks. Why the Armenians, the readers may ask? Some may
suggest that we are talented. But maybe the reason is other, namely
none of the other Caucasians would agree to perform that role. Perhaps
dignity would prevent them.
P.S. They say the Armenians are already so many in this sphere that
they are now racing with one another, and the Russian press discusses
who is better and who is the best. Meanwhile, the Armenians are used
to monopoly, they are not used to competition.