On April 20, Moscow hosted an event to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.
The event was organized by the Russian-Armenian Commonwealth organization jointly with the Armenian embassy in Russia.
It brought together members of the Russian State Duma, diplomats and public activists.
Deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that the 1915 events cannot be labeled as ordinary pogroms, as the annihilation of the Armenian population was planned and organized by state bodies of the Ottoman Empire. “It was perpetrated by Turks, who had not been age-long neighbors of Armenians. They came as conquerors and barbarians. And this policy continued also after declaration of the Republic of Turkey,” he said.
Member of the Russian State Duma Kira Lukyanova offered to apply to the Armenian Apostolic Church with an initiative to canonize the Armenian Genocide victims.
The offer was supported by Vladimir Zakharov, Director of the Institute of Black and Caspian Sea Studies.
