The historical memory of Armenian society is based on two pillars - the idea of a "centuries-old struggle" and "dramatic fate" of a disparate ethnic group. Thanks to the markers of the “heroic” and “tragic” past entrenched in the consciousness, the public is turning a blind eye to today's irritants. The heroic past removes all responsibility from the people, and "tragedy" justifies almost any actions in relation to external "enemies".
Historical fragments that require critical reflection are not mentioned, they are being ”removed" from the people's memory. It is unpleasant for the modern Armenian citizen to realize that present-day Armenia and generations of living Armenians have not been able to overcome corruption, plutocracy, economic dependence against the background of the semi-blockade of the republic and chronic budget deficit. However, should someone question the myths about the existence of "Greater Armenia", the primacy of the adoption of Christianity by Armenians, recall the facts of aggression against neighboring peoples, as such criticism causes an unpredictable emotional reaction. Creating the illusion of reality, camouflaging the negativity, myths have a huge impact on modern Armenians.
Considering themselves and their history in isolation from the regional developments, the public perceives the myth as part of a genuine being. Regimes succeed each other, but their course is determined by an established tradition. You can change officials, cabinet ministers as much as you like, redistribute authority, but the result will be the same if you do not make fundamental changes in approaches.
Armenia does not have progressive legislation that would prevent the transfer of money from Armenian taxpayers to foreign accounts, but there are oligarchs who prefer to keep money offshore. The standard of living in the country is low - the average salary is about 130 thousand drams (17,789 rubles). But this does not prevent the banking system of the republic from lending to the population, inspiring people to take as many loans as possible. The main threat is considered external. The unsettled Karabakh conflict inflicts a significant blow on the economic security of the republic, but compromises needed for the conflict resolution are considered in Armenia a manifestation of cowardice and betrayal.
The Armenian political elite, like part of the public, prefers not to notice the problems of the Armenian economy caused by the unresolved Karabakh conflict. The Armenian ideology, which strives to determine the fundamental values of the entire ethnic group to varying degrees of success, managed to instill into the generations of Armenians the idea of the insignificance of their own lives and welfare over the priority of the state (national) task. For more than a quarter of a century, mythological plots and “heroic” images, reliably camouflaged by political appeals and slogans, have been skillfully woven into the daily lives of citizens of Armenia and Armenians living abroad. At the same time, the plots and behavior of modern "heroes" have not changed, as well as the result of their activity - tragedy. The outcome of the Karabakh conflict is the tragedy of thousands of dead people and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons, and property losses are yet to be determined. But available numbers are indicative. So, by the end of 2018, Azerbaijan’s GDP amounted to $ 46.9 bln. In Armenia and Georgia, this figure was more modest and amounted to 12.43 and $ 16.21 bln, respectively. In 2019, the authoritative rating Ease of Doing Business ranked Azerbaijan 34th, higher than Armenia (47th place), bringing it closer to Georgia (7th). Azerbaijan is ahead of Armenia in the Forbes Best countries for Business list ranking 70th, Armenia is 81st, Georgia - 44th.
Living in the myth of constant "readiness for a sudden war with Azerbaijan" negatively affects the country's development. It is obvious that the gradual settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the demilitarization and the de-occupation of Karabakh are issues of strategic planning for regional development. It is a regional issue since Azerbaijani Nakhchivan is also in the economic and transport blockade. Transport logistics, energy security of Armenia and Nakhchivan can be significantly optimized. Now the energy and transport systems of Armenia depend to a certain degree on the Iranian energy, which is under Western sanctions. The numbers speak for themselves. By 2018, Armenia was not able to return to the Soviet period figures and overcome the three-millionth population milestone. The population of Armenia is 2 951 776 people. For comparison, in Georgia, according to the last year’s data, 3,731,000 people live. Azerbaijan remains a confident leader; in 2018, 9,942,334 people lived in the republic. Armenian propaganda can appeal to the fact that Azerbaijan owes its wealth to large reserves of oil and gas, but it is worth noting that all the republics of the South Caucasus have its main wealth - human capital.
Today, Azerbaijan is demonstrating certain rates of economic growth and is considered a reliable business partner of many progressive economies. It is worth noting that in Europe, the US and especially in Russia, businessmen of Armenian and Azerbaijani origin often cooperate as long-term business partners. This once again confirms the thesis that any enmity between peoples is an imposed stereotype of thinking.
What has changed in Armenia over the past 18 months since the "velvet revolution"? Almost nothing. The current post-revolutionary "marketing mythology" forms the cultural space of the Armenian inhabitants. The new idea of a popular revolution is needed only to achieve political power and increase the impact on society. The brand of the people's revolution is another myth declared as pan-Armenian. Over the years the Karabakh clan’s reign, Armenians moved away from politics. The enemies remained the same, augmented by the leaders of the previous regimes. The myth scheme remains simple and universal - to put all thieves behind bars, not to shame the memory of ancestors, defend the "sacred" land for the whole people. The scheme is still demonstrative, primitive and does not meet the needs of society for change.
