On June 30, 1956, the publication of the decision of the CPSU Central Committee “On Overcoming the Cult of the Individual and Its Consequences” in the USSR, which was based on Khrushchev’s anti-Stalinist, so-called “secret” at the XX Congress of the CPSU (February 25, 1956) on the report, caused an outbreak of “unofficial” anti-Soviet sentiments in some national republics.

It is widely known about the mass protests and demonstrations that took place in Georgia, but much more little known About the secret discontent prevailing in Armenia, which was primarily caused by the Stalinist leadership’s “Turkey” in the first years after the warn: for “unsubstantiated ambitions” on May 30, 1956 with the apology of the USSR government.

Let’s remind that in 1945, in the Georgian and Armenian press, obviously with the knowledge of Moscow was discussed The idea of ​​restoring the land border with Turkey along the lines that existed after the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 and before the peace of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918).

The publications of Armenian and Georgian historians talked about the need to return the regions of Kars, Ardahan, Ardvin, Surmalu, Childir Lake and Great Ararat (more than 24 thousand sq. km) to the USSR, which were handed over to Turkey in 1918-1920, including the partially occupied ones, which was legally fixed by the 1921 treaties of Kars and Moscow with Kemal Turkey.

In the first post-war years, as part of the repatriation program, emigrants from the Middle East arrived in Armenia, among whom there were many descendants of the Abdulhamid “Zulum” from Western Armenia, the Young Turk Genocide and the massacres of the initial period of the “national-liberation struggle” led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, as well as participants of the national-liberation struggle of the end of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century.

The illegal nationalist groups in the Armenian SSR, which were infiltrated, including activists from foreign branches of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, were distributing pamphlets, the meaning of which came down to the fact that by rejecting the Stalinist legacy, the Soviet government allegedly finally refuses to restore at least partial justice in the “Armenian issue” (including the border issue).

until then 1953 datein late 1954datein the middle of, were spreading in a number of cities, including Yerevan and Leninakan “real Armenian SSR», which included some areas of historical Western Armenia (Eastern Anatolia).՝ including Kars Marz and Surmalu Province with Mount Ararat, which were included in 1878-1918 R:in the composition of the student empire.

According to available information, signatures were illegally collected in Armenia in mid-1956 in support of the aforementioned pro-Talin speeches in Georgia (Tbilisi, Gori, Batum) in March 1956. The demands to return the historical territories transferred to Turkey in 1918-1921 to the Caucasian republics were not forgotten either, although for the time being they were mostly expressed in a semi-legal form.

Gradually, nationalist sentiments made themselves felt. Thus, on October 12, 1955, riots took place in Yerevan after a friendly football match between Yerevan “Spartak” and the Sverdlovsk District Officers’ House team.

The Armenian footballers lost 1:2, prompting protests against the seemingly biased refereeing of the game, which soon took on nationalist and anti-Soviet overtones. Accusations of “betraying the radical interests of Armenians” were directed at the Soviet-Armenian militia, which was trying to calm down the protesters: “perish the traitorous militiamen of the Armenian people”, “where are our legal borders with Turkey?”, etc.

Already on November 7, 1955, the underground anti-Soviet “Leninets” organization, consisting mainly of young and middle-aged people (Yerevan, Leninakan, Kirovakan), began to announce itself.  Its activists distributed anti-Soviet leaflets with the signature “true builders of Leninism”. But soon those members of that group were arrested, tried, some of them were expelled from Transcaucasia.

In April and July 1956, joint meetings of the party members and the local committee union were held at Yerevan University, in which “nationalist views, calls for the restoration of historical Armenia were observed.”

Later, these tendencies gradually strengthened along with the development of Soviet-Turkish relations, participation in which the leadership of the Armenian SSR literally “avoided”. Thus, in 1963, 41 anonymous anti-Soviet documents – 25 leaflets and 16 open letters – were distributed in the republic, almost three times more than in 1955-1956.

And in 1964, 686 facts of preparation and distribution of anonymous anti-Soviet documents were recorded in Armenia: 105 letters and 581 leaflets. In them, the Soviet leadership was also criticized for the “alliance with Turkey”.

1965 thevowel the mass demonstrations in Yerevan in April, the mass massacres of the Armenian population in Ottoman Turkey during the First World War and: on the half-century anniversary of the beginning of the deportations, left a certain impression on the Soviet leadership, which satisfied some of the demands of the Armenian society. On November 29, 1967, the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial was opened, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Little is known that 1965 thevowel At the end of January, a group of 16 famous Georgian intellectuals, supported by 14 figures of Armenian culture and science, appealed to the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee and the leadership of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. “…not to make assurances that the Soviet side has no territorial demands from Turkey during the expected visit of the Soviet government delegation to the Republic of Turkey.”

However, the delegation in Ankara declared that it was loyal to the aforementioned apologies of the USSR to Turkey on May 30, 1953 (see also: РГАНИ, Ф. 89. П. 2. Д. 6; Ф. 5. Op. 58. Д. 19; Ф. 5. Op. 67. Д. 82; “Вести из СССР: права ч еловека”, Munich, 1980, No. 10).

Petitionable campaigns and: no formal of activism other the forms, although more little intensity, continued also next շրջանում՝ gradually moving Mountainous Karabakh connection for struggle kfocal point, whose about a lot citizens they found out Soviet of the Union at sunset՝ 1988 year in February.

National orientation having from groups մեկի՝ underground «United national party» (1967-1987the.) some participants be included are 1990 thevowel Ashot Navasardyan created by Republican party make up, whose ideological the basis became Garegin Take it down the teaching:

2006 thevowel in July place had party 10-th emergency the congress of Armenia Republican the party proclaimed national conservative party, whose president became RA: third president Serge Sargsyan (2008-2018the.):

2018 thevowel spring «velvet of the revolution» of events as a result of the government boss became Nicole: Pashinyan and his the team, which ones adopted h:oh national–cultural of identity radical transformation and: From Russia leaving former Armenian: SSR within limits “Nofourth Republic» construction route and: at the most friendly relationship saveeating neighbor Azerbaijan and: Turkey with (of Ankara and: Baku terms)։

of Armenia Republican the party prudently refused June 7-in: parliamentary to the elections from participating, which ok is characterization how his popularity level, so email 1991 from after «Third Republic» national–State of the project evolution:

ALEXEY CHERRYAND:

vpoanalytics.com

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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