Revanchism disguised as art A cultural landmine on the St. Petersburg stage

Despite the current Armenian authorities’ claims of renouncing territorial ambitions towards Azerbaijan and their stated intention to sign a peace agreement as soon as possible, miatsum-driven sentiments and revanchist attitudes continue to permeate virtually every layer of Armenian society. The Armenian representatives of the theatrical arts are no exception.

On May 28, an event will take place at the Youth House Concert Hall on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg — an event that can hardly be regarded as a mere act of cultural exchange. One might ask: what does Armenian revanchism have to do with one of the concert venues in Russia’s northern capital? Hold on — it’s about to become clear.

On that day, the “Shunch” Theatre from Yerevan will stage a performance with a telling title: “The Moth of War”. Although the play is formally described as a reflection on war and its consequences, behind this façade lies a far more pragmatic goal. A quick glance at the promotional materials is enough to clarify the real message. And that’s not all.

On the play’s poster, among other things, there is a map on which Karabakh and East Zangezur are shamelessly marked as... part of Armenia. Initiatives like these clearly demonstrate once again that, for the Armenian side, the stage serves merely as another platform for promoting nationalist narratives.

Moreover, the very title of the play has clearly not been chosen by chance. “The Moth of War” may sound like an anti-war manifesto, artfully creating the illusion of a humanist message. However, behind this outward appearance lies a very different aim — not to condemn the causes of war, but to portray its consequences as a tragedy allegedly borne solely by Armenian society. As a result, the Russian audience is presented with a sophisticated manipulation disguised as a pacifist message, where the aggressor once again attempts to wear the mantle of the victim.

Incidentally, the choice of St. Petersburg as the venue seems to be a carefully calculated move. A city with a special status in Russia’s historical and cultural consciousness is being used as a convenient platform through which Armenian revanchism seeks to legitimise itself in the eyes of the Russian public.

Equally telling is the blatant inaction of both federal and municipal authorities. Moscow consistently displays acute sensitivity to any issues concerning its own territorial integrity, yet at the same time shows a striking indifference when it comes to overt political provocations directed against others. It is evident to us that such announcements and posters do not appear without prior approval from the relevant authorities. It would not be an exaggeration to say that such actions are increasingly perceived as systemic signals directed at Baku.

A natural question arises: are these part of a broader pattern? After all, this sequence also includes the lack of response from Moscow to the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft, the large-scale cyberattacks on Azerbaijani resources, and the ban on entry into Russia imposed on Azerbaijani MP Azer Badamov. There are simply too many indicators suggesting that we are not dealing with a random set of incidents.

Moreover, this is not the first example of how the above-mentioned Yerevan theatre, under the guise of art, broadcasts quite specific revanchist ideas on the territory of Russia. It is worth noting that "Shunch" has already toured with this play in Moscow (April 11), Krasnodar (April 13), Rostov-on-Don (April 15), and Voronezh (April 18). Upcoming performances are scheduled in Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, and other Russian cities.

History has repeatedly shown the consequences of ignoring such warning signs. That is why it is especially important today to call things by their proper names and provide clear, unequivocal assessments—leaving no room for ambiguity or speculation. The sooner these scenarios are stopped at the stage of cultural provocations, the less likely they are to spill over from the theatre stage into the realm of real political and territorial conflicts.

P.S. The editorial team of Caliber.Az has sent a request for comment to Olga Ivanova, Director of the Vasilyevsky Island Youth House. Unfortunately, as of the time of publication, we have not received a response from Ms. Ivanova.