AZG Armenian Daily #075, 27/04/2005
Armenian Genocide
GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED IN MOSCOW
The anniversary of the Armenian Genocide has never been commemorated like
this time in the Russian capital. Mass media of the country devoted much
attention to the event and meanwhile publications and TV reportages were
mostly of condemning character. The Armenian community of Russia was
actively involved in arranging diverse programs. Not only the 9 decades of
Turkey’s denial played a considerable role in active involvement of Moscow
Armenians but also the awakened national self-consciousness of local
Armenians that should be ascribed to the efforts of those immigrated from
Armenia.
The Genocide issue is evolving into a political demand, which is able to
comprise considerable part of Russia’s public opinion. Political, public and
cultural figures of the country took part in the arrangements. It was
praiseworthy to see how 3 national institutions — embassy, Armenian diocese
and the Armenian community — cooperated. If one could predict that the
ancient Surp Harutyun church will prove small for the huge crowd, then no
one could expect that the traffic on the wide streets nearby new Armenian
church will get blocked.
Writers, political scientists, deputies and historians exchanged views at a
round table at the House of Journalists. The protest rally in front of
Turkish embassy in Moscow could easily end up by a disaster because of some
ethnic groups’ actions as well as steps of any unconscious Armenophil. But
the police was on its guard.
A commemorative evening on April 24 was held at the newly built hall of
International House of Music. Armenian ambassador to Moscow Armen Smbatian,
head of Armenian diocese, His Holiness Father Yezras as well as spearhead of
Russia’s Armenians Ara Abrahamian made their speeches. As always, Vladimir
Zhirinovsky, head of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, was brusque and
offensive in his anti-Turkish statements. Zhirinovsky ended his pathetic
speech with a question: Why are Jews getting milliards from Germany as
reparation for the Holocaust but Armenians get nothing from Turkey?
By Ruben Hayrapetian in Moscow
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress