The proposal put forth by the “Yelk” faction of the Yerevan City Council to rename streets and schools bearing the names of Russian Bolsheviks and Communists has sparked discussions.
Today, historian and political analyst Areg Kochinyan was addressed by journalists at the Sputnik Armenia club regarding whether the renaming should be confined to Yerevan or extend throughout the entire Republic, as the names of individuals of significant value seem to hang in the air, while numerous streets bear absurd names. He stated, “Let me provide an example of an absurd name: to this day, there is a Kotovsky Street in Yerevan. For those unfamiliar, I will clarify that Kotovsky was essentially a recidivist and a bandit who, at one time, decided that the Bolsheviks would prevail and joined their ranks with his gang. Yet, his name still adorns a street in Yerevan.”
Areg Kochinyan believes that those who claim today that renaming streets would erase a part of our history and constitute a transgression against history are mistaken. “History is not preserved by naming streets or erecting statues. It is constructed; streets are named as it holds an educational significance that aligns with the political interests of a given system. Is it in the interests of the Republic of Armenia that our young generation be educated by the examples of Kasyan, Khanjyan, and Mikoyan? In my opinion, no. The system in which these individuals operated has already exhausted itself; we now inhabit a different system and reality.”
Kochinyan emphasized that when such issues are not addressed in a timely manner, they tend to be resolved in far worse ways. “For instance, in Ukraine, the statue of Lenin was not removed; during the revolutionary years, these monuments were simply toppled and dismantled in a mob-like manner, with ropes thrown over them. This is the issue: when a situation is not regulated in due time, it will ultimately be addressed by the fury of the masses.”
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