The Nazi apologia from Yerevan When fascism speaks Armenian

Armenia is once again at the center of a major scandal with a Nazi undertone. Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a former official representative of Armenia's Ministry of Defense, who is known for his anecdotal statement about the "endless tactical retreats of the Armenian army" during the 44-day war, claimed on May 9 during a broadcast on Armenia's Public Television that a victory by Nazi Germany "could have brought more benefits to Armenia." According to him, "The Battle of Stalingrad prevented Germany from capturing Türkiye and creating a unified Armenia."

But that wasn't all. The myth-maker Hovhannisyan took it a step further, claiming to be a "fighter against myths." In his view, "One of the biggest myths for us is that the Battle of Stalingrad supposedly saved Armenia from Turkish invasion." This statement came from someone who currently heads the Command and Staff Institute named after Marshal Hovhannes Baghramyan at the Military Academy of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia.

Let me point out right away that with such reasoning, Artsrun Hovhannisyan has placed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an absurd and compromising position. A reasonable question arises: what was Pashinyan doing at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow if the head of a major institution under Armenia’s Ministry of Defence openly supports Hitler’s Germany and justifies the crimes it committed?

It is absolutely clear that Nazi Germany had no intention of liberating nations. On the contrary, the entire Nazi doctrine was built on the principles of racial hierarchy, in which Armenians—along with most other peoples of the USSR and the Middle East—were considered “inferior.” Someone should remind Hovhannisyan that in Nazi documents from the 1940s, Armenia was listed among the potential zones of occupation, and Armenians—as an ethnic group—were to be subjected to restrictions, deportation, and even extermination.

In essence, Artsrun Hovhannisyan has called into question the legitimacy of the entire anti-Hitler coalition. This is not merely an opinion—it is an act of ideological sabotage. At a time when neo-Nazism is once again rearing its head in Europe and around the world, such statements are nothing short of playing with fire. Any attempt to justify Hitler or Nazism under any pretext is a crime against truth, morality, and human conscience.

To claim in the 21st century that Hitler’s victory "could have been beneficial" is to justify a regime responsible for the deaths of over 60 million people! It is a blatant desecration of the memory of all those who fought against Nazism, including the Armenians who died on the battlefields of World War II. Ultimately, it is a spit on the grave of Marshal Baghramyan himself—after whom the very institute where Artsrun Hovhannisyan works is named.

I would be genuinely interested to see how Russian, European, and Israeli media react to this statement. After all, what Artsrun Hovhannisyan essentially did was justify the crimes of Nazi Germany against the Jewish people. And yet, it's hard to believe that his line of thinking is purely accidental. In fact, Armenia has long exhibited, even at the official level, a clear tendency toward the rehabilitation and glorification of Nazi collaborators.

One only needs to recall the monument erected to Garegin Nzhdeh in the centre of Yerevan. This man not only collaborated with the Nazis but actively promoted fascist ideology. Nzhdeh was convicted as a war criminal. Yet during the presidency of Serzh Sargsyan—who, incidentally, can himself be viewed as a war criminal—a monument to Nzhdeh was installed in the Armenian capital. And throughout the years of Nikol Pashinyan's rule—despite his self-proclaimed status as the “anti-Serzhik” reformer—this monument has remained untouched.

And it is hardly surprising that the glorification of Garegin Nzhdeh has ultimately led to a rise in fascist sentiments within Armenia. Once again, this was made evident during a torchlit march held in the centre of Yerevan—eerily reminiscent of the parades once staged in Nazi Germany. During that same event, Armenian fascists burned the national flags of Azerbaijan and Türkiye. No one has ever been held accountable for this hate-fuelled act.

That is why Artsrun Hovhannisyan’s statement is not an isolated incident—it is the logical consequence of the prevailing ideological climate and cultural attitudes in Armenia. Those who themselves have committed heinous crimes against the peaceful Azerbaijani population will always be inclined to claim—whether in public or in private—that “a Nazi victory could have brought more benefit to Armenia.” In this context, it no longer matters whether Artsrun Hovhannisyan is turned into a scapegoat.