Epress.am News from Armenia
The Holodmor (famine) in the Ukraine is purely a means of raising anti-Russian sentiment, likewise in Georgia, said Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Director Hayk Demoyan, speaking to Epress.am.
Commenting on the issue of Georgia recognizing Russia’s genocide against Circassians (a North Caucasian nation), Demoyan said that it’s necessary to understand the context. According to him, generally it’s not right to put the genocide issue on the political agenda.
“In Georgia, these speculation are dangerous and it’s not unlikely that they’re directed,” he said.
The Circassian people, said Demoyan, came to Georgia from Turkey, where some groups of Circassians participated in carrying out the Armenian Genocide. According to him, a long chain thus unravels, however, “for us, it’s not an pressing issue to enter into this provocative process because, let me say again, that is the reflection of anti-Russian sentiment in Georgia.”
Note that the issue of the genocide against the Circassian people by Russia in the 18–20th century is to be discussed during the fall session of Georgia’s parliament. According to some data, during that time, more than 400,000 Circassians were killed, while an additional 500,000 were displaced. Currently, 50,000 Circassian people live in the Karachay-Cherkessia region of the Russian Federation.