Russian Doctors Visit Nikol Pashinyan, Kremlin Confirms

Before heading to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev welcomed a group of Russian doctors. This was reported by Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the President of Russia, to the newspaper "Kommersant." Meanwhile, Peskov did not disclose the purpose of the doctors' visit, referencing that they are on vacation until January 16.

The Telegram channel "Déjà vu" speculated on why Nikol Pashinyan had trimmed his beard so short. Details about Pashinyan’s medical checks have emerged. As reported earlier, a week before his January 11 visit to Moscow, a group of medical researchers sent by the Kremlin arrived in Armenia to conduct a thorough examination of Prime Minister Pashinyan’s health. The checks were carried out using equipment brought from Russia to ensure credibility for the receiving Russian side.

The delay in receiving the examination results was also a reason why clear information about the visit wasn’t provided and why it was not confirmed until the final results of the tests were available. Apart from obtaining satisfactory results, however, Russian researchers set another condition for Nikol Pashinyan. They openly communicated that he also needed to shave his beard, as it could contribute to the spread of various microbes and infections.

Pashinyan requested to keep his beard if possible, explaining that it was his good luck charm and that he could ensure it was sanitized before meetings. After lengthy persuasion, the Russian medical personnel consulted with their colleagues in Moscow and shortly thereafter agreed to allow the shortest possible version of the beard that would be as safe as possible. This is why Pashinyan trimmed his signature beard so short.