BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. The installation of a bust of the Armenian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (Hovhannes Ayvasyan) on Azerbaijani lands without the country's permission was illegal, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press secretary Aykhan Hajizade said, commenting on questions from local media regarding the statement by the special representative of the President of Russia for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy regarding the dismantling of the bust of Aivazovsky, as well as the use of the name "Stepanakert" in a publication by the TASS news agency regarding the Azerbaijani city of Khankendi.
The question noted that, while commenting on the removal of Ivan Aivazovsky’s bust in the city of Khankendi, Republic of Azerbaijan, Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation, stated that this move by the Azerbaijani side was received with deep regret and characterized as an unpleasant and unfriendly step towards Russia. He called on the Azerbaijani side to act with caution and to end the “war on monuments” and the “cancellation” of Russian culture. Furthermore, in an article published on this matter by the TASS News Agency, the official state news outlet of the Russian Federation, the city of Khankendi was referred to as “Stepanakert.”
Aykhan Hajizade responded that it is not the first time that Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, has joined the anti-Azerbaijani campaign based on certain instructions.
"The bust of Armenian-origin painter Ivan Aivazovsky (Hovhannes Aivazian) was illegally installed on our territory by the Russian peacekeepers without the permission of the Azerbaijani side. This represented a clear manifestation of disrespect by Russia towards the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The removal of such so-called monuments, which were unlawfully erected during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is logical, legitimate, and fully in line with the law.
Mr. Shvydkoy’s allegations about the so-called “cancellation” of Russian culture in Azerbaijan are nothing but another lie. Despite the significant disparity in this field between the two countries, Russian culture has not been canceled in Azerbaijan. For example, while there are Russian-language theaters, schools, and publications in Azerbaijan, there are no Azerbaijani-language theaters, schools, newspapers, or magazines in Russia. Despite this disparity, we do not make allegations about the “cancellation” of Azerbaijani culture in Russia. However, high-ranking Russian officials should be aware that if their anti-Azerbaijani actions and statements continue, this disparity in cultural representation may be addressed and adjusted by Azerbaijan accordingly.
It is also regrettable that during Mr. Shvydkoy’s recent visit to the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, particularly to the city of Shusha, where he witnessed the vandalism committed against the monuments of Azerbaijani cultural figures such as Natavan, Uzeyir Hajibeyli, Bulbul, and others—as well as the widespread destruction on Azerbaijani territory—he failed to show the courage to publicly condemn these acts.
The reference to the city of Khankendi as “Stepanakert” by TASS, the official state news agency of the Russian Federation, is considered as an act of disrespect and insult to the territorial integrity of our country.
We would like to remind the Russian side that the renaming of the city of Khankendi to “Stepanakert” in 1923 in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast—unlawfully created on the historical lands of Azerbaijan—was a disrespect to Azerbaijan, as it was named in honor of Bolshevik Stepan Shaumyan, who, together with Dashnak Armenians, carried out massacres against the Azerbaijani people.
We expect the Russian side to cease the distortion of Azerbaijani toponyms and the use of names adopted by the former separatist puppet regime to refer to our territories. If such actions continue, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Azerbaijan may refer to various toponyms in Russia by their historical names.
We expect an apology and an appropriate correction from the TASS News Agency on this matter. Otherwise, in accordance with the law, relevant measures will be taken regarding TASS’s operations in Azerbaijan," he said.