The reflection of Narodniks' ideas in the newspaper “Azatutyan Avetaber” (during the period of the Russian Empire)

M.D. Danielyan, V.R. Balayan, M.G. Harutyunyan

The reflection ofnarodniks’ ideasin the newspaper “Azatutyan Avetaber” (during the period of the Russian Empire)

М.Д. Даниелян, В.Р. Балаян, М.Г. Арутюнян

Отражение народнических идей в газете «Азатутян Аветабер» (в период Российской Империи)

In the 1870s – 1880s, the revolutionary Narodnik movement was significant among the political currents and revolutionary movements of the Russian Empire. Expressing with its ideology the struggle of the Russian democratic intelligentsia for “land and freedom” of the peasantry, this movement gained wide popularity in the national regions including Transcaucasia.

During the mentioned period, there were favorable socio-economic and political conditions for the spread of the ideas of revolutionary Narodniks in Transcaucasia, which was a constituent part of the Russian Empire. Being deprived of the opportunity to receive higher education in their homeland, the Armenian youth used to go to the university centers of Russia and Europe in order to continue their studies. Along with studying there, they communicated with the leading representatives of Russian democratic thought and upon returning to their homeland, they became the carriers of these ideas. Already from the 1860s – 1870s, young Armenians studying in Russia actively participated in both student and social-political movements, and many of them often played a leading role in various national organizations. Their ideas were thoroughly covered by a number of periodicals of the time. Among them is the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper.

The relevance of the topic: During the period of the Russian Empire and the Soviet years, the study of Narodnik ideas was considered in a general format, that is, the covered problem was mainly studied taking into account the situation of that period and the interests of the local people. At the current stage, we consider it important to study the problem in a new way presenting it on the basis of new facts as well as emphasizing the significant role of Armenians in the process of that movement.

The purpose and tasks of the research: Some issues related to the chosen topic were covered by a number of representatives of Soviet and post-Soviet Armenian and foreign historiography. However, it has not been thoroughly considered from the viewpoint of the study of the materials included in the Armenian periodical press. Therefore, our goal is to consider the study of the problem on the basis of the materials included in the “Azatutyan Avetaber”, to emphasize the content of Narodnik ideas and the significance of other issues related to it. The main tasks of the study are to present the main stages, spheres, directions of the activity, chronological frameworks of the Narodniks’ ideas and other events related to them.

The methodology: The scientific research was conducted on the basis of descriptive, historical-comparative, and analytical methods.

The scientific novelty: The existing literature on the scientific platform has mainly presented the history of the formation, development and spread of Narodnik groups and ideas whereas this study presents the peculiarities of the development of Narodnik ideas (Popular ideas) , and it was mainly considered on the basis of the materials published in the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper. Let us emphasize that the study is conducted in this format for the first time.

* * *

It should be mentionedthat the spread of the ideas of Revolution-aryNarodniks1 (populism, Revolutionary people) in Armenian reality can be conventionally divided into two stages, the first one encompassing the1870s and the second – the 1880s.

During the first stage, these ideas were accepted in a uniform form without a critical analysis and transformation. The figures under the direct influence of the Russian Revolutionary Narodnik (Russian Revolutionary Populism), in particular, the Armenian national groups and organizations connected the solution of the problems arising from the Armenian reality, particularly, the National Question with the victory of the All-Russian Revolution. In this period, the Armenian youth did not

1 Narodnik movement (Russian: народничество, народ - people) -a movement in Russian society that was widespread in the second half of the 19th century (1860s-1870s) and expressed the views and opinions of the politically conscious intelligentsia, which saw its support in the peasantry.

yet try to advance the problems of the national liberation movement in parallel with the ideas of Narodnik community socialism connecting the solution of the latter with the victory of the metropolitan revolutionary movement. At this stage, the position of the “Zemlya iVolya” Society1 was important among the central Narodnik organizations2.

In the 1880s, a new national movement began in the Armenian reality, which was due to the fact that the Armenian Issue became the subject of international diplomatic discussions. The Armenian Question forced political groups and organizations to focus their attention on Western Armenia, increasing interest in the historical fate of the Armenian people. Thus, in a letter of the Minister of Internal Affairs dated 1883, it is emphasized: “Recently, there have been phenomena in significant regions of the Armenian population of the Caucasus, which testify to the aspirations of the Armenian people for political independence.”3 Another secret government proclamation analyzed in detail the Armenian national movement since the 1870s4.

The unique development of the ideas of Russian Revolutionary Narodniks was reflected in leaflets and newspapers published by national Narodnik organizations and groups. Armenian National Narodniks worked to adapt the ideas of Lavrov, Tkachev and Bakunin, famous analysts of Russian Revolutionary Narodniks, to the issues arising from the Armenian reality. For example, the well-known Narodnik call to the people was transformed into a call to the country among the Armenian Narodniks, and the country meant Western Armenia. The Armenian national people expressed their ideas and tactics in different ways.

From this point of view, the leaflets published by the “Hayrenaser-neri Miutyun” organization (Union of Patriots) and, in particular, the newspaper “Azatutyan Avetaber” are particularly important, in which the main ideological principles of not only the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun”, but also the national Narodniks in general were clearly stated. Thus, in April 1882, the organization published its own leaflet, “Invitation to Armenian Youth”.5

* * *

The “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” expressed its ideas more clearly in the “Azatutyan Aveteber” newspaper.

In the history of Armenian socio-political currents and national-liberation movements, the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper was a qualitative new manifestation of the Armenian press as the first Armenian political newspaper. It was the newspaper of the revolutionary secret organization which did great work in propagating the national Narodnik ideology and general patriotic and national-liberation issues in the Arme- nian reality. The newspaper ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ was published intermittently under the editorship of N. Abelyan; the issues of the newspaper reached the provinces of Transcaucasia and even Van6.The first issue of the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ newspaper was partially presented by M. Va-randyan in his work, and the third issue was completely reprinted by A. Gjulkhandanyan in his article. An unpublished copy of the fourth issue of the newspaper is kept in Matenadaran. However, the copies and individual sections of the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ that have reached us give a clear idea of the orientation and ideological platform of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization.

M. Zalyan presented remarkable information about the publication of the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ in his memoirs testifying that the main writer of the newspaper was Abelian, “the oldest and most experienced among our group”. Hewrote: “It was decided to turn the newspaper into a purely patriotic organ dedicated to the Turkish-Armenian cause. But Abelian being obsessed with Russian socialism, often made changes in that area as well”.7

This once again testified that both the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization (“Union of Patriots”) and Armenian National Narodniks in general making the problem of the liberation of Western Armenia the object of their activity, could not get rid of the ideology of the Russian Revolutionary Narodniks and tried to adapt it to the demands arising from the Armenian reality.

With the publication of the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ newspaper, the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization started a new period of its activity. By publishing its newspaper, the organization got an opportunity to propagate its adopted ideological and political principles more widely. The “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization published its principles in the first issue of the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ newspaper. It was mentioned in the article of the first issue of the newspaper: “The centuries-old grief of the long-suffering people of Armenia and the idea of their freedom gave birth and life to the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization. Starting its revolutionary activities, the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization considers it its duty to clarify the basic ideas that constitute the spirit of its existence.8 And such basic idea is considered “solidarity of nations”. Therefore, we preach close solidarity among the nations living in Armenia. … We respect equally the language, religion and independence of every nation, but so long as it does not seek to exploit another, it does not hinder the regularly development of others”.9

Developing this idea, the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ newspaper emphasized: “ … if the Armenian people are persecuted, if their property and the results of the work are stolen, if their sacred human rights are ignored, then the root cause of all these evils is the barbaric government of Turkey, it is the biggest extortionist and robber. Therefore, the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization declares a devastating war against the Turkish Government”.10

As it is clear from that writing, the organization considered the field of its activities to be Western Armenia under the dictatorship of Ottoman Turkey, and the problems of the national liberation movement were especially important in its ideology. However, in the analysis of socio-economic and political issues, the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” was influenced by the Russian Revolutionary Narodnik and relied on the latter’s ideology. The expression of this phenomenon should also be considered that in the ‘’Azatutyan Avetaber’’ newspaper the cornerstone of the freedom of the Armenian people was its economic independence.

It was also mentioned in the article: “Therefore, the “Hayrenasern-eri Miutyun” will make efforts so that the country, the land with its natural resources and tools of work become the property of the workers”.11 Then, the newspaper emphasized the following idea: “If the working, industrial forces, farmers, artisans of Armenia are economically oppressed, no political freedom will have any thought and significance in the eyes of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun”. The organization hates both the Kurdish conqueror Sheikh, the oppressive Turkish official and the Armenian oppressor. We preach a friendly congregation where the community care for each and each cares for the community. That is why all private landowners’ and state’s lands should go into the hands of the communities. The community is the only owner and the only consumer because it is the only producer. At the same time, the communities represent the initial political elements from which a political confederation, a federation, should be formed”.12

In those lines, the influence of Russian, utopian communal socialism on the ideology of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” can be clearly seen. The main principles of “Peasant Socialism” and the tenets of Bakunin’s Anarchism are reflected in them. In fact, when analyzing socio-economic and political issues, the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” and the Armenian National Narodniks, in general, mainly used the ideological principles of the Russian Revolutionary Narodniks and adapted them to the problems of the Armenian reality. In this regard, the representatives of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization led by N. Abelyan assumed that in case of the liberation of Western Armenia, the basic principles of communal socialism could be easily applied there as well.

Describing the ideology of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” and the Armenian National Narodniks, M. Varandyan rightly wrote: “The main goal of humanity is to achieve happiness, to achieve such a social and cultural situation where the physical, mental and moral development of each person is equally ensured”.13 It is also noted that one of the main principles formulated by the Russian narodnikLavrov was also included in the worldview of the Armenian Republican Federation Party.14

The “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization brought forward the issue of the liberation of Western Armenia in a more emphatic way in the third issue of the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper which was published in 1883. The newspaper first analyzed social and political issues and emphasized: “Nature has endowed all humanity with common rights, among which the rights to existence, freedom and happiness take the main place. All these three are closely related to each other, one is impossible without the other and as we said, it is common to all humanity and no one can take away these precious rights from people. In order to ensure these rights, people have organized powers in various forms of governance many centuries ago, where the government is obliged to protect the interests and rights of the common people”.15 In these lines, the theory of natural law was analyzed for the first time in the history of Eastern Armenian political thought in the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper. Forming basic human rights on the theory of natural law, “Avetaber” newspaper put forward the idea of the need for political struggle. The latter emphasized: “If any power does not honor this obligation and tries to take away its sacred rights from the people, then the people have the full right to protest against such a power and even to destroy its form of the government, to replace and establish another one in its place, which will not become an obstacle to the development of the people and to luck. The history of nations shows us that each nation is better able to endure and bear various hardships and deprivations than to protest against them. But when the barbarities and oppressions reach their height, when the people see that the government is working in every way to oppress them, enslave them and take away their precious rights, then their patience runs out, they begin to protest, protest in the strongest possible way against the government, working to free themselves from slavery and pave a straight path to their fortune. In that case, it is the duty of every person to help that nation so that it can get rid of that unbearable situation”.16

The newspaper thoroughly analyzed the situation in Western Armenia. It wrote: “Here, Armenians, Armenia and the Armenian nation are in such a situation. They endured and suffered for a long time under the yoke of the brutal Turkish government, they suffered many losses, it was difficult for them to complain, they were alone, they were waiting for someone else’s help, they lived in hope because many people gave them hope, that’s why they were waiting in patience. But now their patience was exhausted, they gave up hope for the help of others; they can’t take it anymore, they start complaining, the whole Europe hears their voice and pretends not to hear them”.17

According to the newspaper, in this situation Armenia can rely only on its children: “At the price of their blood, it is possible to destroy the spirit of centuries-old slavery and gain freedom, the freedom that Armenians have longed for five centuries. Armenia is calling you, Armenians. Don’t think that we can’t do anything by force, that Armenia’s independence is impossible with our own forces, no, that’s wrong, we have countless examples from history”.18

Disappointed with the ways of European diplomacy, the newspaper puts forward the idea that Armenians should not have any hopes with Europe and gain freedom at the price of blood like the Greeks. It was mentioned in the newspaper: “The situation of Armenia is not worse than that of the Greeks because the latter have to fight alone while we have various nations in Armenia that being under the pressure of the Turkish government similarly want to get rid of that yoke. So all those nations are our brothers in pain and our future allies, we must work to gather all those forces together... to bind them in a close fraternal alliance to attack the enemy with joint forces”.19

However, at the same time, the “Avetaber” newspaper avoiding falling into the other extreme, emphasized the following idea: “Humanity is an abstract concept in itself, there really are individual nations from the totality of which constitutes humanity. The one overriding aspiration of humanity is to achieve happiness, to attain a social and cultural condition in which the physical, mental and moral development of every human being is equally assured. The many conditions of land, water, air and other nature and the historical phenomena that took place in a known period of time brought people living in different spaces closer together, they gave rise to the existence of nations, created various nationalities, each of which had its own language, its own physical and mental characteristics. On the one hand, these characteristics are present on the basis of the existence of a nation, on the other hand - the starting point of its further development, so every nation strives and has the full right to preserve its personality, individuality in the struggle for existence; this is a natural and inseparable aspiration, but attached to the idea of self-preservation, it was the desire to subjugate the surrounding nations”20.

The fourth issue of the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper was published in February 1884 in which organizational, tactical and other issues were discussed. The ideology, selected tactics and strategy, means of the activity of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization were reflected in the article “Terrible measures” of the newspaper issue. The article stated: “Western Armenia today stands on the threshold of revolution. Of course, the revolution means the new awakening of the national-liberation movement and in this connection, the search for tactical problems and new forms of activity is of primary importance for the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” organization”.21

The organization preached the idea of community socialism which essentially echoed the approaches of the Russian revolutionary Narod- niks. The “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper wrote: “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” will make efforts so that the country, the land with its natural resources and the tools of work become the property of the workers ... We preach a friendly congregation where the community care for each, and each cares for the community. That is why all the lands of private landowners and the state must be transferred to the communities, the community is the only owner, the only consumer because it is the only worker and industrialist. At the same time, the communities represent the initial political elements from which a political confederation, a federation should be formed.”22

The “Avetaber” newspaper first of all blamed the Turkish government for the difficult situation of Western Armenians. The newspaper wrote: “The Turkish government has oppressed the people of Armenia for five centuries and does not give them the means or the right to direct their own fortunes according to their own needs and demands. Yes, the Turkish government is the main cause of the people’s miseries, it took over the government of our homeland and at the same time not only wants to satisfy the demands of the Armenian people, it even does the complete opposite. It directly and indirectly, knowingly and unknowingly increases the sufferings, deceits and pains of the people day by day, so as not to give them a way to develop and resist”.23

Based on the well-known Narodnik thesis “active man - passive crowd” («ակտիվանհատ - պասիվամբոխ»), the newspaper “Aza-tutyun Avetaber” emphasized the following idea: “Among them were Greek armed rebel detachments and groups of Slavic haiduks who terrorized the Turkish government before rebelling together with their compatriots..... Armenia should have and has such people. We know many personally. Those forces should be immediately called to war forming groups of them in every center of Armenia where needed. The goal of those groups should be terrifying activity (terror), i.e. the destruction and murder of those who destroy Armenia. Death to the brutally oppressive Kurdish bandit leader, sheikh, death to all the cruel enemies of the people who are destroying Armenia hand in hand, death, death and death. This is the slogan of those groups”.24

In fact, the newspaper not only emphasized the idea of terror used by the revolutionary Narodniks, but also put forward the formula of “active man - passive crowd”, which was again taken from the ideas of the Russian revolutionary Narodniks. The “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” tried to adapt the idea of terrorism inherited from the Russian Revolutionary Narodniks to the problems of the national liberation movement considering terror as a stimulating factor for further large-scale activities. Appreciating the significance of terror also as a propaganda tool, the “Avet-aber” newspaper stated: “The organization of “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun”

is not a party of words, but of action. The effect of a fact is not that of a word; the word also reaches the people with great difficulty; a shocking fact can have a greater effect on a people’s revolution than a few years of propaganda. Destroying the enemies of the homeland will show the people that it is possible to fight with those enemies, that there is already a dedicated force that protects the interests of the people, destroys its enemies... “.25

Being excited by the impact of the Haiduk movement in the Balkan countries, the newspaper tried to theoretically justify the necessity of applying this movement in Western Armenia and thereby expressed the views of the Armenian national narodniks who were in favor of active and effective activities in the country.

The “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper developed the ideas that “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” had put forward in the leaflet “Armenians” published before that. It emphasized: “We want to see the people of Armenia freed from the yoke of barbarians... The people of Armenia have only one way to gain rights and free themselves from the yoke of barbarians, that is to buy freedom with blood and show the civilized world that Armenians have understood the idea of freedom and is capable of sacrificing to that idea the sweetest, most noble thing it has, the life of its beloved sons”.26 The “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” called the youth to the main goal: the achievement of social and national freedom of the Armenian people. The organization required the youth to go among the people, show the ways and means of fighting for freedom and against injustice, the time to realize that lofty idea, help them in every way.27Thus, the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” associated the youth with the primary role in the liberation of Armenia.

Although the “Azatutyan Avetaber” emphasized the idea of social freedom, it nevertheless put forward the demand for political and economic freedom to all classes of the Armenian society for the sake of the liberation of Western Armenia. Such an opinion was expressed in a more emphatic way in the practices of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation formed on the basis of national Narodnik (populist) organizations. Academician A. Hovhannisyan was absolutely right in this respectas he mentioned this: “In order not to scare the bourgeois representatives, CristaporMikaelyan and Simon Zavaryan considered it expedient that the newly created organization should hide the controversial social issues under the vague principle of winning “political and economic freedom” for the Turkish-Armenian people.”28 Continuing that idea, Hovhannisyan emphasized that the resolution proposed by CristaporMikaelyan and Simon Zavaryan was not new for the National Narodniks. Already in the fourth issue of the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper of 1884, the demand for “political and social freedom” was disguised with the veil of “political and economic freedom”.29

The description of the social staff of the members of the “Hayre-naserneri Miutyun” presented by the “Azatutyan Avetaber” is also interesting. The newspaper emphasized: “Among the members of the “Hayre-naserneri Miutyun” there are no descendants of the Lusinyan dynasty nor of Armenian ministers, princes and meliks. We are the unknown representatives of the new generation whose heart is burning with humane feeling towards all the oppressed. Our only mission is to serve the cause of the liberation of Armenia.”30

The “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper with a special article expressed its sympathy towards the organization of “PashtpanHayrenyats” of Karin and its activity and expressed displeasure with the indifference shown by the Armenian society. Nevertheless, the newspaper wrote the following opinion with hope: “Armenian society will wake up from its sleep, will understand its role in the holy work of liberating the homeland, will understand that as much as it is the duty of the youth to enter the fire of the revolution, to dedicate themselves, it is the duty of the society to help them with their available means”.31And it is no coincidence that the poems “Azgayinerdum”(“National swear”) and “Orhas” by Raphael Patkanyan were inserted at the end of this newspaper issue.

It is important to note the fact that the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper emphasized the role of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” as a separate party. That was the reason why the newspaper expressed its displeasure with the information that the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” was considered a part of the Russian Revolutionary Organization, which wanted to collect money for the party under the pretext of patriotism. In this connection, the newspaper wrote: “We absolutely declare that we have no practical connection, relationship with the Russian Revolutionary Party, although we wish success to the cause of the Russian people and economic free-dom”.32

At the same time, the “Azatutyan Avetaber” newspaper mentioned the following important fact: “Historical circumstances have so closely connected the life of a part of our people with the life of the Russian people that every retrogressive or progressive movement in Russia directly affects the life of the Armenian people. If someone can freely observe the life of Russia within the framework of specific nationalism, it is clear to him what a great economic and intellectual connection there is between Russia and the Caucasus. On the other hand, one should take into account the fact that the majority of the Armenian intelligentsia in the Caucasus is educated in state schools and develops along with Russian literature so its worldview and aspirations are formed under the influence of all-Russian life. But intellectual and moral influence does not mean that the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” Organization is a part of the Russian Revolutionary Party”.33

In that article, giving an objective assessment of the close historical and cultural relations between Russia and Eastern Armenia, the newspaper once again highlighted the role of the “Hayrenaserneri Miutyun” as a separate organization that acted based on the problems arising from the Armenian reality.

It should be noted that such a drastic position of the “Hayrenaser-neri Miutyun” Organization was due to several factors. First of all, the organization underlined its complete independence as an organization which did not follow the orders of another organization or political power standing above it and thereby presented itself as a completely national organization that acted in the interests of the Armenian people. Such a position was certainly intended to maintain and increase the army of supporters and present itself as a force that sought to unite the potential in the Armenian reality and thereby justify its name. However, as we have seen, its members continued to maintain close relations and cooperate with Russian revolutionary figures and organizations.

Thus, being the organ of a secret organization and the first political newspaper in Armenian reality, the “Azatutyan Avetaber” left a great impact on social and political currents as well as indelible traces in the history of national and ethnographic essays and Armenian political thought.

Notes