The 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union has caused vehement arguments about the events of the late 1980s - early 1990s. Now people seem less emotional than 20 years ago and are ready to reconsider their countries' history. However, it's often hard to get rid of old stereotypes and a banal way of thinking.
The way Russian media cover the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is often prejudiced. According to many journalists, the Armenians who lived in Karabakh were suppressed by Azerbaijanis and decided to liberate their land.
Naturally, the situation was much more complex. The conflict that began in 1988 had a huge background. It is this background that present day historians should study. In fact, a such conflict was unthinkable in the early 1980s. Only Perestroika and the policy of Glastnost made it possible to discuss such issues as the status of Karabakh or the position of the Armenian diaspora in Azerbaijan. Public disputes held in Armenia and abroad soon led to war.
According to Thomas de Vaal, the role Armenian diasporas in other countries played in the conflict was indeed great. Some Armenians, such as historian Sergey Mikoyan, openly called for the liberation of Karabakh.
The Soviet authorities were unable to settle the matter and thus the war started.
After that the Soviet leaders understood that Armenian separatism was not the only one, but they had no power to prevent the collapse of the USSR.
Yevgeny Krishtalyov. Special to VK
