Armenia Revises History Textbook After Russia Objects to "Annexation" Term

Armenia recently made changes to a school history textbook after receiving criticism from Russia. The controversy began when a new 8th-grade history textbook described events from the early 19th century, specifically the period when modern-day Armenia became part of the Russian Empire, as an "annexation." This term was used in reference to the events following the 1826-1828 Russo-Persian War, which led to the territory of present-day Armenia being incorporated into the Russian Empire.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted strongly, issuing a statement on Thursday that called for the Armenian authorities to remove the term “annexation” from the textbook. Russia expressed its expectation that the Armenian government would ensure that such a textbook would not be distributed in schools. The ministry accused the textbook of distorting the shared history between Armenia and Russia, stating, "We expect that the Armenian authorities will not allow the transfer of such a textbook to schools and will not turn a blind eye to such unceremonious attempts to distort our common past."

The ministry further criticized the portrayal of Russia's role in Armenian history, arguing that questioning the Russian Empire's influence, as well as that of the USSR and modern Russia, is an attempt to rewrite history in a way that aligns with Western narratives. They claimed that this represents "another shameless attempt to rewrite our common history in the best traditions of Western propaganda and political engineering."

In response to Russia's criticism, Armenia's Ministry of Education quickly announced that the textbook had been edited. Tamara Sargsian, an official from the ministry, informed reporters on Friday that the disputed section would be revised. The phrase “annexation of Eastern Armenia to Russia” will no longer be used in the updated textbook. Sargsian explained that the change was made to better align the text with the Armenian history curriculum, though she did not directly link the revision to the Russian government's reaction.

Sargsian also noted that the issue might not have been viewed from this perspective initially, suggesting that the authors of the textbook might not have fully considered the implications of their wording. The head of the Ministry’s Department of Public Education added that the change was more about adjusting the approach rather than correcting an outright mistake.

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin also addressed the issue, emphasizing the importance of respecting the shared history between the two nations. Although he had not yet discussed the matter with Armenian officials due to his recent return from vacation, Kopyrkin highlighted the "moral aspect" of the situation. He stressed the need for "respect for the memory of past generations”.

Kopyrkin made these remarks while attending an event commemorating the 197th anniversary of the Battle of Oshakan, a key moment in the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828. This battle, in which Russian and Armenian forces were victorious, played a crucial role in the eventual signing of the Treaty of Turkmenchay. This treaty, signed on February 21, 1828, resulted in Persia ceding control of several areas in the South Caucasus, including the territory of modern-day Armenia, to the Russian Empire.