Several remarks on the motives of an ambitious TV-project
Gorbachev’s activity is waiting for its real researcher. I wish it would wait for a long time. However, we can say that the less firm was this reformer in economic sphere, the less brave he was in launching innovations, in destroying the moss-covered socio-economic relations system, the more rapid-fire, unreasonable and deadly were his steps when he was destroying the ethnic-state structure of the state. He destroyed the system of checks and balances that was the basis of the system.
We can remember the venture on equalizing the rights of the Soviet Republics and autonomies, which meant the appearance of 50 Soviet republics. For example, the status and rank of Ukraine within the union consisted of 15 republics, differing from its status and rank within union which consisted of 50 members.
In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh this venture was used to its full capacity. However, the first and the last president of the USSR didn’t know what to do with process that followed such ventures. He showed absolute helplessness and confusion.
It is interesting that the authors of the documentary begin their story about ethnic riots with the tragedy in Sumgait, and not with the events in Alma-Ata in 1986, which were also characterized by a nationalistic aspect and as a result of which people were killed. The authors state that those who were beaten in Sumgait were all Armenians and Russians. This fact is out of thin air, which confirms the political preconception of the whole documentary.
The documentary’s authors avoid key issues, which come from simple analysis and listing the facts. For example, why did absolutely controlled television decide to report on the deaths of two Azerbaijanis (including a 16 year-old boy) in the Askeran region on the 24th of February 1988, two days before the Sumgait tragedy? Why don’t the authors mention that the participants of the Sumgait beatings were refugees, who were sent from their home due to similar beatings? Why don’t they mention Eduard Grigoryan, who was one of the active initiators of the beating and killing of Armenians, according to the investigation results?
And most importantly: don’t the documentary’s authors see a direct connection between the appearance of mob rule and the unwillingness, the inability of the Soviet center to find a legal way out of the situation?
The Sumgait tragedy and the mob rule were caused not only by a provocative decision on the 20th of February 1988, but also by the irresponsibility of the USSR authorities, who didn’t do anything to guarantee the maintenance of the existing balance of interests.
The Georgian political scientist Vakhtang Mudzhiri told me that the events in Sumgait couldn’t be considered outwith the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh developments. “I’ve read a lot on this case. Only malicious intent can explain the fact that nothing is said about the tragedy in the Kafan region, where dramatic events had been taking place since the 11th of February 1988,” the expert says.
To be continued
