An anti-Azerbaijan provocation has been prevented during a scientific seminar at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

At the 27th meeting of the seminar entitled "Caucasus in the past and now (society and politics, economy and culture)" held at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), a report (“Шамхорская трагедия 1918 г.: предьстория, ход и последствия”) by Vadim Mukhanov, pro-Armenian senior research fellow at the MGIMO Centre for problems of the Caucasus and Regional Security, was heard, APA’s Moscow correspondent reported.

Azerbaijani scientists were not allowed to join the event. Although Azerbaijani historians were finally allowed to take part in the event, the organizers did not provide allow Azerbaijani journalists to join for the fact that the event was not intended for the media.

 In his report, Mukhanov noted that during the Shamkir events Azerbaijanis killed Russian soldiers who had returned from the First World War. According to the author, these acts of Azerbaijanis at that time triggered a civil war in the Caucasus. The pro-Armenian author also insulted the Azerbaijani people in his monograph, calling the Azerbaijanis a “Muslim gang".

Following the event, leading research fellow at ANAS, doctor of historical sciences, professor Solmaz Rustamova-Tohidi told APA that Mukhanov Mukhanov is well known by Azerbaijan’s scientific community.

"We do know his stance in regard to Azerbaijan. It is no coincidence that this book has been published and this report has been heard on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. I said during the seminar that the author’s statements in the monograph is regarded as biased in Azerbaijan. What happened at the Shamkir station from January 8 to 12, in 1918 was a military operation. Russian military units, which had been released on the request of the Transcaucasian Commissariat, had to deliver their weapons while leaving the South Caucasus, but the Russian troops did not want to hand over their weapons. Some of the military echelons going north via Azerbaijan and Georgia were giving their weapons to the Bolshevik-Dashnak forces headed by Stepan Shaumyan in Baku. I asked how the author determined the status of those military units. Mukhanov calls them Russian soldiers in the monograph. He could not answer my question. My second question was, what did he mean by civil war? In the book, Azerbaijanis and Georgians are accused of rejecting Bolshevik rule. The book deals with the Transcaucasian countries, but Armenian activities are not mentioned. Mukhanov evaded by giving answering the questions in general terms,” she said.

Rustamova-Tohidi also noted that the Armenian scientists tried to prevent her from giving speaking. She said that it is sad that such an anti-Azerbaijan event was held at MGIMO.

Speaking at the event, Candidate of Historical Sciences in Eldar Abbasov said that Mukhanov did not refer to any historical sources in the monograph: "That’s what my question was about. Mukhanov failed to mention a historical source because his views were not based on any.”

Oleg Kuznetsov, a Russian historian-scientist who did not have the chance to speak at the event and who is the author of numerous monographs exposing the lies about the Armenian history, said that the MGIMO hosts events on Caucasus on a regular basis.

"This event was academic on the one hand academic and formal on the other hand. This type of events aims to discuss and give recommendations on publishing. The main purpose of the event was to publish this monograph by Vadim Mukhanov in April, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. These efforts are aimed at casting shadow on the events to be held in connection with the 100th anniversary of the the Azerbaijani people having gained independence,” he said.