YEREVAN, 23 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Russian version of the book “The Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire: Testimonies of Survivors: Collection of Documents” was presented during an event held at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Russian Federation on March 19. As the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports to “Armenpress”, among the participants of the event were Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Russian Federation Oleg Yesayan, members of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation I. Chernishenko and Zh. Ivanova, Deputies of the Russian State Duma I. Fakhritdinov and O. Arshbay, Deputy Head of the 4thDepartment for the CIS at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation A. Gromiko, member of the Public Council of the Russian Federation, leaders of Russia’s public and scientific circles and Armenian community organizations of Moscow, public and political figures, as well as diplomats and journalists. The Russian version of the book was published with the support of VAN NGO.

 In his welcome speech, Ambassador Yesayan, on behalf of the embassy and the All-Russian Committee on Coordination of the events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, expressed gratitude to the gathered for participating in the event and supporting the efforts of the Committee. The Armenian Ambassador also attached importance to the significance of the publication of the Russian version and noted that it would help raise awareness of the Russian society about the Armenian Genocide.

 Author of the book, Director of the National Archives of Armenia Amatuni Virabyan mentioned that the Russian version of the book was an addition to the Armenian, English and Turkish versions of the book, which is of pivotal significance for presenting the irrefutable facts about the Armenian Genocide to the international community.

 In her speech at the event, Deputy Head of the State Archive of the Russian Federation Larisa Rogovaya mentioned that the Armenian Genocide is one of the tragedies in history that the international community will always remember the Armenian Genocide and that it will remain in archives around the world.

 Member of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation and the Armenian-Russian inter-parliamentary cooperation committee Igor Chernishenko emphasized that the international community is focused on two epochal events this year, that is, the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide and the 70thanniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. According to him, these two major events bring the Armenians and Russians together in the fight for the restoration of historical justice and against crimes against humanity.

The speakers cited irrefutable facts about the Ottoman Empire’s anti-Armenian policy and the Armenian Genocide and attached importance to the modernity of the Russian version of the collection of documents in the fight against the policy of denial, frequent misinformation, as well as reprinting and distortion of history.