Communism Returns in the Face of 'Real Armenia': 'Zhoghovurd'

The concept of "Locating and Supporting the Aesthetics of Real Armenia," introduced by the government, is presented as a means to strengthen statehood, define aesthetic standards, and shape international presence. However, hidden behind these grand formulations is a dangerous trend: the control and editing of the cultural sphere according to political orders, writes the newspaper 'Zhoghovurd'.

It is clear that Nikol Pashinyan’s 'Real Armenia' has long since departed from ideological territory and transformed into practical politics. Mount Ararat has already been removed from passport stamps, and concern is growing among the public that the same fate awaits the state emblem. Armenian history in schools has been renamed 'History of Armenia,' essentially attempting to sever the continuity of our people over millennia, and the portrait of Mesrop Mashtots has been replaced with a QR code in textbooks.

Now, the same approach is invading cultural life in a broad sense. The concept states: 'The development of the state also implies the encouragement of aesthetic forms of expression and manifestation of the Republic of Armenia.' This practically means that from theater to festivals, literature to visual arts, everything must be subject to the taste envisioned by the Prime Minister’s 'Real Armenia,' implying artistic censorship in accordance with the government’s preferences.

History has already shown us the consequences of such practices. The enforced 'socialist realism' in the USSR turned art into a tool of party propaganda. Creativity could only flourish if it served the system. Free thinkers were silenced. Now, the same logic is being introduced in new packaging under the name 'Aesthetics of Real Armenia.'

As a result, we are facing a dangerous reality: the state not only rewrites history and diminishes national symbols but also attempts to dictate how Armenian artists should think and express themselves. When culture becomes a point of government decision, it ceases to be free and alive, transforming into a product of propaganda,” the newspaper states.