Armenia is a country in the region of Western Asia, which covers an area of ​​only 29,743 square kilometers, and therefore it is in 138th place in the world in terms of territory and 136th in terms of the number of inhabitants. The country has no access to the sea. Of course, there is nothing specific in this information, which cannot be said about the history of this beautiful great country.

resettlement

The history of Armenia begins before the Bronze Age, before the invention of writing. As historical finds have shown, tribes from East Africa moved to the territory of the future country, as evidenced by the tools of labor characteristic of African peoples, as well as several statuettes of local gods that they worshiped. The climate, which was not as hot as in Africa, attracted people to these lands, and severe frosts did not threaten the settlers. There were far fewer ferocious predators, more food and vegetation. Here the people felt more at ease. Thus began the settlement of Armenia.

People of Armenia

Of course, everyone was well aware that the excessive overpopulation of new lands would lead to the same consequences as in Africa - constant wars between tribes and families, which negatively affected the quality of life of the entire continent. Therefore, the nomads begin to unite among themselves in order to protect their land. This is how the first peoples of the Highlands appear. The structure of this community includes Urartians, Khurits, Luvians and tribes-carriers of the proto-Armenian dialect. The formation of the nation began in the XII century BC. e. and actually ended in the VI century BC. e. Since the dialect of the native tribes was much simpler than the African tribal languages, they began to use proto-Armenian literature for communication, which experienced great changes during the formation period.

First state

Most of the population of the future Armenia is the Urartians, in connection with which it was these peoples who decided to take power into their own hands, uniting all the individual peoples in Urartu, the first political system Highlands, which was founded in the VI century BC. e. Unfortunately, due to the inexperience of the first rulers, Urartu did not exist for a long time, and already in the second half of the 6th century the territory of the Highlands came under the hegemony of Mediah, and a few years later it became part of the Achimenid Empire. Unfortunately, the names of the first rulers of Urartu have been lost, for the simple reason that the language and writing were just being formed and it was not yet possible to record events at that time.

Yervandid dynasty and Yervand I

As part of the Achimenid Empire, the highlands remained until the 4th century BC. e., after which, namely from 331, the state of Great Armenia appears on the territory of the future country, the first rulers of which are the Yervandid dynasty. It can be said that Ervand I created Great Armenia, for which he received the title of Satrap of Armenia. Unfortunately, this state suffered the same fate as Urartu.

The beginning of the history of Great Armenia

Let's just say that the "first" Great Armenia existed in the period from 331 BC. e to 220 BC In 220, the Seleucid State attacked Great Armenia. But since the Elins were already very far from the inhabitants of the conquered state in terms of the level of development, the need for the Highlands disappears, thus, in 189 BC. e. the "second" Great Armenia appears.

Artashes I becomes the ruler of the "new" Greater Armenia. According to sources, already at this moment, most of the population of the Highlands speaks Armenian, although the imperial Aramaic is still used at the court. Also, speaking about Great Armenia, it is necessary to say a few words about Little Armenia or, as it was called at that time, Commagen. This State appeared in 169 BC. e. and lasted until 115 AD. e., after which Lesser Armenia was captured first by the Pontics, and, ultimately, by the Romans. Between 95 B.C. e. before 55 BC. e. the new ruler Tigran II or Tigran the Great comes to power. He recaptures Commagen from the Romans and joins the state to Greater Armenia. It was during the reign of Tigran the Great that Armenia had an incredible large area lands inhabited by Armenian-speaking peoples. In addition, under Tigran II, he began to speak and know the country in Armenian. The state is moving to a new level. During the reign of Tigran II, the Greater Armenia included the following lands:

1. Commagene or Lesser Armenia.
2. Syria.
3. Phoenicia. A country that was located on the territory of modern Lebanon.
4. Atropatena. This state existed on the site of modern Iran.
5. The territory of Mesopotamia, an ancient state that existed in the Middle East, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is for this reason that its name is often found as Mesopotamia.
6. Iberia, also known as Iberia. This is the territory of modern Georgia.
7. Alwank is now Albania.
8. Adiabene. Now everyone knows this country as Iraq.

Indeed, it is worth agreeing that Tigran II the Great spent a lot of effort in order to give greatness to his country. Unfortunately, during the war with Rome and Parthia, almost all of these lands were taken away from Greater Armenia.

Armenia under Tigranes the Great

Tigran II the Great is a direct descendant of Artashes I, or rather his grandson. The mighty ruler and strong commander was able to restore order in Great Armenia during his reign, which was about 40 years. Tigran the Great, the king of Armenia, came to power at the right moment, so to speak, at a time when devastation, civil wars and economic decline began in the neighboring countries. Thanks to this alignment, Tigran II immediately conquers the nearest Sofena and Korduk. This was the apogee of the development of the Armenian state, since Greater Armenia under Tigran the Great gets access to the sea, which is a huge plus for the future development of the country. Realizing that the Armenian army will not be able to resist the powerful Pontic army, the ruler of the Highlands concludes an agreement with King Mithridates VI, marrying his daughter Cleopatra. Thus, Syria joins the territory of Greater Armenia, while Mithridates takes Lesser Armenia for himself. It was geographically convenient and correct. With each new war, Tigran expanded the territory of Armenia until 66 BC. e. At that time, it was said that Tigran needed an heir, his eldest son was to become the new ruler of Armenia. This aroused the indignation of the youngest son, in connection with which in 66 BC. e. Tigran the Younger turns to Gnaeus Pompey the Great, who at that time had just become at the helm of the Roman army for help. Gnaeus Pompey brings an army to Armenia, which consisted of 50 thousand selected soldiers, who defeated the power of Tigran II, only a small territory of Greater Armenia remained in his hands - the Highlands and the lands seized from Parthia. The state that had just begun to flourish is gradually declining, and in 55 BC. e. Tigran the Great himself died.

Great kings of Armenia

There have been a lot of rulers in Armenia in the history of its existence. Of course, the most powerful was Tigran II the Great, whose power was not in doubt by absolutely anyone. It is also worth paying tribute to Tigran's grandfather, Artashes I, who was able to re-create Great Armenia and make the state rich and prosperous in the shortest possible time. Also speaking about this beautiful country, we should mention Trdat I, who was from the Arshakids dynasty. He became the first native Armenian, the ruler of Great Armenia. Trdat I ruled for 26 years from 62 to 88 AD. Further, it is difficult to name at least one more ruler who would have the same influence in the development of Armenia as all of the above. Great Armenia experienced a large number of emperors, kings and princes. Its entire multi-page history cannot be recounted within the framework of one article. Well, she definitely deserves a lot of attention.

Armenia in our time

The State of Greater Armenia has experienced a lot of changes, suffering, wars and reformations. Now this beautiful, friendly country is more associated with a warm resort climate, friendly people and a high standard of living. Most of the temples and palaces of Armenia are the great heritage of UNESCO, which everyone can taste.

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§ 1. Artashes I. Unification of the Armenian lands

In 190 BC the famous Battle of Magnesia (modern Turkey) took place, in which the Roman legions defeated the army of King Antiochus III, thereby breaking the power of the Seleucid state.

For the further fate of Armenia, this battle was of crucial importance. Taking advantage of the weakening of the Seleucids, the ruler of Greater Armenia Artashes and the ruler of Sophene Zarekh proclaimed themselves kings, thereby restoring the independence of Armenia.

Artashes I (189-160 BC) made many campaigns and subjugated all the territories inhabited by Armenians to his power. In his state, “everyone is of the same language,” wrote the Greek geographer of the 1st century, Strabo. Artashes I failed to annex only Sophene and Lesser Armenia.

The Armenian historiographer of the 5th century, Movses Khorenatsi, preserved many oral traditions about the activities of Artashes. Having defeated the mountain tribes of the Alans (ancestors of modern Ossetians) who invaded Armenia, Artashes captured the Alanian prince. His sister Satenik went to the bank of the river and asked Artashes to return freedom to her brother, since it is not worthwhile for kings to destroy the offspring of other rulers. Artashes liked the beautiful princess. He kidnapped her, according to custom, and married her, establishing a lasting friendship between the two peoples.

Artashes I carried out an administrative land reform, delimiting private and communal land holdings, setting boundary stones with inscriptions. For many centuries, scientists doubted the veracity of this message of Movses Khorenatsi, until such boundary stones were discovered during excavations several decades ago.

Artashes I encouraged the development of crafts, agriculture, patronized trade, laid roads and built cities. According to the ancient Greek historian Strabo, under Artashes, not even an inch of uncultivated land remained in Armenia. In 188 BC Artashes I founded the new capital of Armenia in the Ararat valley and named it after himself - Artashat. According to the ancient Greek author Plutarch, the city of Artashat was founded by the king on the advice of the famous Carthaginian commander Hannibal.

Hannibal, after fleeing from Carthage, entered the service of Antiochus III, but after his defeat, when the Romans demanded to surrender him to them, Hannibal took refuge in Armenia. While the Roman troops were in Asia Minor, Hannibal was forced from 189-188. BC. to stay in Armenia is outside the sphere of Roman influence. It was then, having chosen a conveniently located hill surrounded by the waters of the Araks River, he advised King Artashes I to build a city here. On behalf of the king, Hannibal himself supervised the construction. It is no coincidence that the ancient Roman authors called Artashat “Armenian Carthage” two centuries later.

§ 2. The beginning of the reign of Tigran II. Armenian-Pontic Union

The power of Artashes was inherited by his sons: Artavazd I (165-131) and Tigran I (130-95). The weakening Seleucid state and neighboring smaller Hellenistic states did not pose a serious danger to Armenia. However, Armenia soon faced a new dangerous enemy. At the end of the 2nd century BC. e. in the northeastern regions of Iran, the Parthian state rose, which by the end of the 2nd century BC, having defeated the Seleucids, took possession of all of Iran and Mesopotamia. In the war with Parthia, the Armenian troops were defeated. With the cession of some territories between the two states, peace was concluded, in which the Armenian prince Tigran was given as a hostage. After the death of his father, having made new territorial concessions to Parthia, he returned to his homeland and inherited the Armenian throne.

During the reign of Tigran II the Great (95-55) Armenia reached the zenith of political power. Tigran turned out to be an active ruler, a talented commander and diplomat. He sought to strengthen the international position of Armenia and the economic condition of the country, for which it was necessary to take control of international trade routes and transit trade between West and East. But first of all, Tigran II sought to complete the unification of the Armenian lands, begun by Artashes I.

In 94 BC. Tigran II captured the Armenian kingdom of Sophene and annexed it to Greater Armenia. With the next step, Tigran II intended to annex Lesser Armenia, which was under the rule of the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator. However, Mithridates offered him an alliance against neighboring states. The union was sealed by the marriage of Tigran II and the daughter of Mithridates Cleopatra. Lesser Armenia remained under the rule of Mithridates.

Having thus strengthened the rear, Tigran II began a war with Parthia, an old rival of Armenia. In 87 BC Parthia was defeated, and its king abandoned the title "King of Kings" in favor of Tigran II. Northern Mesopotamia and other territories passed to Armenia. The neighboring kings of Atropatene, Iberia, Albania, the petty kingdoms of Commagene, Adiabene and Osroene recognized their dependence on Armenia. In the eyes of the peoples of the Middle East, Tigran II was the most powerful of all rulers. In 83 BC Tigranes captured the last possessions of the Seleucids - Syria and Cilicia, and the borders of his power reached Palestine and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 77 BC Tigran II founded the new capital of Tigranakert in the center of his state (in the south-west of Armenia), resettling there about 100 thousand people from the conquered Hellenistic cities. The former capital of the Seleucids, Antioch in Syria, and the former capital of Armenia, Artashat, were also considered to be throne cities.

Under Tigran II, both internal and international trade. To expand and support it, Tigran II minted coins of various denominations. Many of these coins have survived to this day and thanks to them we have a reliable portrait of Tigran II, and we also know what the royal regalia of the Armenian rulers looked like. Armenian coins were minted according to Greek standards and had inscriptions in Greek.

§ 3. Roman-Armenian war. Campaign of Lucullus

The strengthening and expansion of the power of Tigran II was contrary to the interests of the Roman state, which sought to establish itself in the Middle East. The Roman commander Lucullus defeated the troops of his father-in-law and ally of Tigranes - Mithridates VI Eupator and captured the Pontic kingdom. Mithridates VI found shelter in Armenia. Lucullus sent an embassy to Tigran II demanding that Mithridates be extradited, but was refused. This was a convenient excuse for the Romans to start a war with Tigran II. In the spring of 69 B.C. The Roman army of Lucullus unexpectedly invaded Armenia and laid siege to Tigranakert.

Tigran II at that time was on the southern borders of his empire and did not expect a Roman attack. He quickly began to gather troops for the decisive battle. But before that, a select detachment of his troops, by a successful maneuver, having deceived the Romans, entered Tigranakert and led out of the city royal family. In the decisive battle of Tigranakert on October 6, 69 BC. the multinational army of Tigranes was defeated. Mercenary Greek detachments defending Tigranakert surrendered it to Lucullus. Tigranakert was plundered by the Romans and destroyed. Lucullus moved the Roman army deep into Armenia to capture the capital Artashat. In 68 BC Tigran II defeated the Romans in a battle near the Aratsani River and forced them to retreat from Armenia. With the support of Tigran II, Mithridates Eupator managed to recapture his kingdom from the Romans.

§ 4. Campaign of Pompey. Artashat Treaty

The Roman Senate recalled Lucullus and sent a new general, Gnaeus Pompey, to the east. Pompey defeated Mithridates Eupator and recaptured the kingdom of Pontus. After that, he made an alliance with the Parthian kingdom against Armenia, and the Roman troops entered Armenia. The position of Tigran II the Great was difficult. In 68 BC his son, Tigran the Younger, rebelled against him and tried to seize the throne. Having failed, Tigran the Younger fled to the Parthian king, found a warm welcome there and even married the daughter of the king of Parthia. On the next year Tigran the Younger, with the support of Parthia, invaded Armenia, but was defeated by his father and now fled west to the Roman commander Pompey. Tigran the Younger showed the Roman troops the way to the capital Artashat, hoping that Pompey, having defeated Tigran II, would appoint him as the king of Armenia. At the same time, the king of Parthia invaded Armenia with an army in support of his son-in-law Tigranes the Younger.

Tigran the Great, finding himself between two enemies, was forced to choose the lesser of two evils. After preliminary negotiations, Tigran II appeared at the headquarters of Pompey, who had already approached Artashat. In 66 BC Tigran II and the Roman commander Pompey concluded the Artashat Treaty. Armenia was declared a "friend and ally of Rome", retained its territorial integrity, but renounced territorial acquisitions in favor of Rome and paid a huge indemnity. Tigran II thus preserved the territorial integrity of Armenia and the title of "King of Kings". Tigran the Younger, who was dissatisfied with the outcome of events, was arrested by Pompey and taken to Rome as a hostage.

§ 5. Board of Artavazd II

During the reign of Artavazd II (55-34 BC), the son and successor of Tigran the Great, Armenia still retained the role of a strong power. But her position between two strong neighbors - Rome and Parthia - turned out to be difficult.

In 53 BC Roman general Mark Crassus launched a campaign against Parthia. He demanded that Artavazd II, as "a friend and ally of Rome", take part in the campaign with the Armenian army. Artavazd, having visited Crassus and, making sure that he was not disposed to accept any advice, chose the most direct, but also the most dangerous route for the campaign, returned to Armenia. Crassus threatened to deal with the disobedient king of Armenia after the campaign. At the same time, the Parthian king invaded Armenia, forcing Artavazd II, instead of helping the Romans, to use his forces to defend the country.

Ultimately, Artavazd II, foreseeing the failure of Crassus's campaign, chose to establish allied relations with Parthia, thereby refusing an alliance with Rome. The new alliance was sealed by the dynastic marriage of the Parthian heir to his sister Artavazd.

At the Battle of Carrhae, the Roman army was completely defeated by the Parthians. The severed head of Crassus was brought to the Armenian capital Artashat, where the new allies celebrated the marriage ceremony.

Thanks to the alliance with Parthia, Armenia long years successfully resisted Roman expansion. However, due to dynastic changes in Parthia, the Parthian-Armenian Union by 38 BC. broke up.

Rome did not give up the idea of ​​conquering Armenia and Parthia. In 36 BC the ruler of the eastern provinces of Rome, Mark Antony, undertook a new campaign against Parthia through the territory of Armenia. Artavazd II took a neutral position, since the Parthian-Armenian alliance had already collapsed by that time, and Armenia alone was not able to resist Rome.

The Roman army was defeated this time by the Parthians. With the remnants of his troops, Anthony with difficulty retreated through Armenia, thanks to the help of Artavazd II.

Antony laid the blame for his defeat on the neutrality of Artavazd II. In 34 BC Mark Antony unexpectedly invaded Armenia with a large army, captured Artavazd II and his family by deceit, and took them to Egypt, and declared Armenia a Roman province.

The captive Artavazd II was promised to save his life, return freedom and power, if he recognizes his dependence on the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. Artavazd II refused and preferred death to humiliation. Artavazdes II was killed on the orders of Cleopatra, and his family was subsequently sent to Rome.

§ 6. The fall of the Artashesian dynasty

The struggle for sole power in the Roman Empire between Mark Antony and Octavian ended in Antony's defeat and death. Taking advantage of the situation, the eldest son of Artavazd II Artashes, with the support of Parthia, in 30 BC. expelled the Roman troops and restored the independence of Armenia.

Octavian-Augustus, having become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, was busy for some time strengthening and formalizing his power. In 20 BC with a huge army, he moved to the East, forced Parthia to conclude a treaty, return the Roman banners and prisoners captured from the legions of Crassus and Antony, and also abandon the alliance with Armenia.

Under the military-diplomatic pressure of Rome, Artashes II (30-20) was killed by conspirators, and at the “request of the Armenians”, the emperor’s stepson Tiberius in Artashat solemnly crowned another son of Artavazd II, Tigran III (20-6), who was captured along with father and brought up in Rome. As a result of these events, Armenia turned into a kingdom dependent on Rome. Forward

Old myths are very difficult to destroy. Especially when it comes to historical science. Unfortunately, history has always been written to please politicians, and often to please politicians... Because of this, today the history of many regions of the world is full of gaps and inconsistencies. This also applies to the history of Asia Minor and the Caucasus. Since ancient times, the interests of various powerful states have clashed here, all of them wrote for this region the history that supported their aggressive aspirations ...

The myth of “Great Armenia” undoubtedly belongs to such old myths.

We will try to consider and destroy this myth without resorting to our own fabrications, but using only what is known to official historical science. This is done by us so that no one could question our objectivity. So, let's begin…

"Great" or "big" - history or geography?

It is not for nothing that we put the name “Great Armenia” in quotation marks. Although we highly doubt the existence of a "great" Armenian state in antiquity, we use quotation marks not for this reason.

We put quotation marks because the phrase "Great Armenia" is in fact only a deliberate mistranslation of the ancient name.

It is known that the most references to ancient Armenia come down to us from Roman sources. It is from Latin that modern scientists translated the works of the ancients on the history and geography of this region.

And everything would be fine, but there is only one problem: all ancient Roman and later sources in Latin call “Great Armenia” nothing more than ArmeniaMajor.

What's wrong here? - you ask. We explain. Word major translated from Latin as "big". Therefore, the concept of Armenia Major cannot be translated otherwise than "Greater Armenia". Why is it translated then? What's this? An accidental error that crept into many modern historical works and even school textbooks, or a big lie, a big claim that it never existed?

For some reason in accident in this case can't believe it.

Therefore, we write the name “Great Armenia” in quotation marks so that readers can see how the current official history made the name of the “great”, “powerful”, but never existing, Armenian state from the geographical name “Greater Armenia”.

After all, as you know, the concept of "great" really refers to states and countries. On various historical maps and in books, you can read, for example, such "great" names:

"Great Britain" - Great Britain (Great Britannia);

"Great Tartaria" - the empire of Genghis Khan (Great Tartaria, Grande Tartarie, or in Latin: Tartarie).

But in any ancient or medieval source in Latin, you, dear reader, will not find the inscription Great Armenia or Magnus Armenia (that is, "Great Armenia"). There will be only one name everywhere: Armenia Major, that is, “Greater Armenia”. And, as you know, the concept of "big" refers, for example, to mountains Big Caucasus or to the rivers Big Tyra (Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation) and Bolshaya Almatinka (Almaty region of Kazakhstan) ... That is, to geographical names.

But today, myth-makers from science tell wonderful tales about the ancient and powerful state of Armenians. Almost about the “Armenian empire”…

However, despite all these tales from various sources In antiquity, we know the following:

The territory of the ancient Armenia(then such a name did not exist yet) under the Achaemenids - it was an ordinary satrapy (province) of Iran. Then, after two centuries of Iranian rule, Armenia was subordinated to the power of Alexander the Great.

Only after the death of Alexander did the western part (the limits of which reached the Euphrates in the east) of the former Persian satrapy gain independence, but after century was conquered by the kings of Pontus. Later it became part of the province of Rome - Cappadocia and only at the end3rd century AD became separate province of Rome. It was then that this territory became known as "Armenia"- but with the prefix - "small" (minor). In fact, it is this small region in present-day Turkey that should be considered historical “Western Armenia”, and not half of Turkey, as the unfortunate Armenian scientists now insist on this.

The eastern part of the former Persian satrapy, known to the whole world under the name Armenia Major (Greater Armenia), whose name, as we already know, is deliberately presented by some scholars as “Great Armenia”, has a history even less majestic than the western one.

So, after the fall of the state of Alexander the Great (end of the 4th century BC), which subordinated this territory, the Iranian satraps - Orontes (whom modern Armenian sources call Yervand, unreasonably trying to Armenize the name indicated in ancient sources) and his successors. Their less than a hundred years of rule is cut short when, at the end of the 3rd century BC. (about 220 BC) these territories are conquered by the Seleucids (Antiochus III) and are included in the Sophene region ...

“First, Persians and Macedonians took possession of Armenia; after that, those who were subject to Syria and Media; the last ruler of Armenia was Orontes, descendant Hydarna, one of seven Persians

... However, in 190 BC. The Romans defeated the Seleucids at the Battle of Magnesia. The governor of Antiochus in this area, Artaxius (in modern Armenian sources - Artashes), having betrayed the Seleucids defeated by the Romans, declared himself the king of these lands.

Subsequently, Artaxius himself was defeated by the Romans, and then (about 165 BC) was captured and imprisoned by the Seleucids, who avenged him for betrayal ...

“Then Artaxius and Zariadrius, Generals of King Antiochus the Great, who fought with the Romans, divided the country into two parts. They ruled the country by order of the king. After the king defeated, they went over to the side of the Romans ...«.

... After the death of such an “independent king” Artaxia, the lands that were under his subordination - that is, Greater Armenia (located between the Euphrates and Murat (Eastern Euphrates)) was subordinated to the Parthian state, which later placed Greater Armenia on the “royal throne” Armenia of their proteges, for example, the same Tigran II, who bought the royal throne of Armenia from the Parthians for large territorial concessions ...

“Tigran fell to the lot to experience various vicissitudes of fate. At first he lived as a hostage with the Parthians; then him managed to get permission from them return to their homeland, and the Parthians took a ransom - 70 valleys in Armenia"(Strabo. Geography. Book XI).

However, after the prince Tigran II, who was put on the throne by the Parthians, felt the weakness of the Parthian state, he began to wage wars with it. Over the course of two decades, Tigran made a number of successful campaigns in neighboring countries, which are recorded in his name as conquests - although if these were conquests, and not just campaigns, they would have been assigned to Armenia, or at least to Tigran. But that did not happen.

So, despite the fact that after submission to the Romans in 66 BC. Tigran was left as a puppet ruler in Greater Armenia, the Romans did not subjugate to Tigran any of the territories that he allegedly "conquered". Although, if these lands truly belonged to this king of Armenia, Rome would definitely try to take them into its own hands, recognizing them as their puppet - Tigran ...

“... Lucullus expelled Tigran also from Syria and Phoenicia. His heir (Tigran - ed.) Artavasdes prospered, while allied with the Romans but when Artavasd changed Antony during the war with the Parthians he was punished for it. Anthony brought him to Alexandria, in a triumphal procession he was led through the city bound and kept in custody for some time, but then killed ... ”(Strabo. Geography. Book XI).

... In the future, Greater Armenia, like a toy, passed from the hands of one owner to the hands of another. Until the middle of the first century AD. in Greater Armenia, Roman and then Parthian governors ruled. Since 66 AD Parthians in Armenia governor was appointed from the ruling family of the Parthians - Tiri-sat (whose name was Armenianized and presented in the form of "Trdat").

Today, Armenian scientists call Tiri-sat the founder of the Armenian house of Arshakids (we note that the same ruling houses Arshakids existed in Caucasian Albania and Iran), although it is reliably known that his reign was not hereditary.

Plus, given that the Arsacids were descended from Saks(sak, in Indian sources - shak; in Assyrian sources - ish-guz), there is no need to talk about any Armenian state, especially since at the beginning2nd century AD Greater Armenia was again occupied by Rome and declared a province of the empire…

“After Artavasdes, the country (Armenia - ed.) was ruled by several kings under the rule of Caesar and the Romans; and now the country still exists, managed on the same principles"(Strabo. Geography. Book XI).

... Only in the middle of the 2nd century, the Parthians managed to partially recapture Greater Armenia from the Romans and again appoint a governor from the ruling Parthian family of the Arshakids. BUT hereditary title of king Greater Armenia Parthian governors received only at the endII century.

Due to the fact that at the beginning of the 3rd century the Sassanids seized power in Iran, destroying the local dynasty of the Arshakids of Iran (Parthians), the Arshakid hereditary rulers of Greater Armenia began to draw closer to Rome.

However The Sassanids soon conquer Greater Armenia and hold it in their hands until to end3rd century. In 296, the Persian shahinshah (king of kings) expelled from Armenia the Roman protege from the Arshakid clan Tiri-sat (among the Armenians - Trdat III), and then invaded the eastern provinces of Rome through the territory of Greater Armenia.

However, in 298, the Roman army defeated the Sassanid troops and a peace treaty was concluded between Iran and Rome, according to which Rome received the right to appoint rulers not only in Armenia, — puppet kingdom, controlled by the Roman Empire, but also in Iberia, where the Sassanids used to appoint kings. Under the treaty, Greater Armenia was assigned to the sphere of influence of Rome.

Slightly departing from the topic of the search for the great Armenian state of antiquity, it is worth paying attention to the issue of the spread of Christianity in Armenia.

According to Armenian sources, “in 301, Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion.” Note - state! After reading the above, the question arises: what state are we talking about? By whose decision was Christianity adopted as the state religion of Armenia?

Could the Arshakid (that is, not Armenian by origin) the ruler of Trdat III (Tiri-sat), appointed by Rome as his puppets, on one's own make government decisions Armenian the population located influenced by the Roman Empire?

It is clear that the date "301" is sucked out of the finger. Roman puppets - "Armenian" Arsacids, could accept Christianity only after Emperor Constantine and Licinius signed the Edict of Milan, allowing freedom of religion in Rome and in the territories subject to it - including Greater Armenia. That is, after 313.

In the 330s, the territory of Greater Armenia (located between the Euphrates and Murat rivers) was first invaded by the descendants of the Saks (masakut), led by the ruler of the Albanian region Baysakaran Sanatürk, who also united the Huns from Hunan (the “Hunnic region” in Caucasian Albania). Sanaturk conquered the capital of Armenia, Valarsh-abat ( in Persian- "the city of Walarsha") and held it for a whole year.

However, in 338 the Roman troops, defending his puppet - Armenia, attacked Sanatürk and defeated his army.

Then (339) Sassanid Shapur II went on a campaign against Armenia, but Rome defeated his army and in 350 appoints the ruler of Armenia Arshak.

It should be noted that in Armenia Roman generals were constantly, therefore, the modern statements of Armenian scientists about the great Armenian state (the so-called "Great Armenia") - just a myth, and no more.

In 370 the Romans appoint a new ruler of Greater Armenia from the genus Arshakids - by name Bab(in modern Armenian sources - Pap). He is trying to enlist the support of the Sassanids, which they will learn about in Rome. By order of the Roman emperor, the Arsacid Bab was killed by a Roman commander (in modern Armenian sources, this commander is called Trayanos), who freely located and, as you can see, ordered, on the territory of the mythical "great Armenian state".

After the death of Arsacid Baba (374), the puppet state of Armenia loses even nominal royal power, becoming, in fact, a province of Rome. But Iran, which for centuries owned the territory, called Armenia under the Romans, was not going to cede it to Rome.

What do such famous people as Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov, marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky, priest Pavel Florensky, writer Vasily Nemirovich-Danchenko, poet Bulat Okudzhava have in common? Connecting link between all these outstanding people is the fact, unexpected for many, that Armenian blood flowed in the veins of each of them. Even the customs officer-hero from the film " White sun desert" actor Pavel Luspekaev - and he always proudly wrote "Armenian" when filling out Soviet questionnaires in the well-known fifth column. And his surname goes back to the Armenian princely family - Lusbekyan.

Armenia... An inhabitant who has had time to live among fifteen Soviet republics immediately has certain associations. The mountain peak Ararat, whose snow-covered cap adorned the label of the cognac of the same name. Inimitable cuisine and sincere hospitality, characteristic of all Caucasian peoples. Apricots, pomegranates, grapes, with which Armenia generously filled our markets. But Armenia is also the infamous tragedy of 1988 in Spitak, which did not leave indifferent any nation of a large “family” former USSR. These are the dramatic events in Nagorno-Karabakh, which claimed the lives of many young soldiers.

But despite general idea, after all, Armenia for many of us is like an iceberg, the religious, cultural, historical part of which remains hidden.

My personal acquaintance with Armenia began from afar, in the truest sense of the word, namely, in Venice, at a conference on biblical studies. The delight from the report of the professor of the priest Bogos Levon Zekiyan and the visit to the Armenian island in the Venetian lagoon prompted a deeper study of the history and traditions of this amazing culture. By the way, I noted the innate desire to comprehend the unknown among Armenians in the monastery museum on the Venetian Armenian Island, which contains a unique collection of Byzantine glass, artifacts from Egypt and Sumer, and the main attraction of the museum of the monastery is the Egyptian mummy of Nemethetamun (XV century BC). X.).

Noah's Ark and the Stone Passport of Yerevan

Each nation is territorially tied to some part of the land. As for the Armenians, they have two homelands: one is historical, and the other is inherited as a result of political injustice. Today, this territory is equal in area to the modern Kyiv region.

There was no limit to my surprise when I first saw a map that recorded the climax of the expansion of the borders of the Armenian state during the time of Tigran the Great (I century BC). Eastern part of modern Turkey, modern Lebanon and Syria, partly north modern Israel and Jordan, as well as partly the north of Iraq and Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia - once all these were the lands of Great Armenia.

Indeed, the historical homeland of the Armenians is the Armenian Highlands, which can be called a mountainous island in relation to the Anatolian and Iranian plateaus located below. It is from here that the five largest rivers of the Middle East originate: Euphrates, Tigris, Aratsani, Chorokh, Kura. In the center of the Armenian Highlands rises the biblical Mount Ararat (now located in Turkey) - the highest point in the Middle East. At its top, as is known from Scripture, the Ark of Patriarch Noah stopped. Unfortunately, today the Turkish authorities do not give scientists access to Ararat, and it is possible to study the issue of the remains of Noah's Ark only from photographs from space.

It can be assumed that it was on that part of the land that Noah first saw after the Flood that the city of Yerevan later appeared (the twelfth capital of Armenia), because in Armenian “ereval” means “to appear”, and “erevangal” means “to appear” .

The cuneiform stone "passport" of Yerevan is exhibited today in the State Museum of Armenia. According to his data, Yerevan is 29 years older than Rome! (The Eternal City was founded in 753 B.C.)

Aystan - Urartu - Armenia

In the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, 500 years before the anointing of the first king in Israel, a state had already been created in Armenia that united all the Armenian tribes into a single people. Initially, Armenia was called Aystan, and the Armenians themselves today call themselves “ay”. We, probably, from history textbooks, Armenia is better known as the ancient state of Urartu - this is how it was called in the cuneiform sources of the Assyrian court office.

“Kingdom of Van”, “Kingdom of Yervanduni”, “Accession to the Achaemenid Empire”, “Seleucids and Armenian Kingdoms”, “Armenian-Pontic Union” - all these are dry titles of paragraphs from a textbook on the history of Armenia. But even a cursory acquaintance with the table of contents gives rise to respect for the people with such a past.

Christian Armenia

If sometime when solving crossword puzzles you have to answer the question of which state was the first to adopt Christianity, know that this is Armenia. In the western and eastern parts The Roman Empire was still smoking smoke in front of the Roman and Hellenic pagan pantheons, the persecution of Christians was still going on - and in Armenia the gospel seed sown by the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew had already brought good and abundant fruits: in 301 Armenia became the first Christian state in the world. For comparison: despite the fact that Emperor Constantine the Great in 313 stopped the persecution of Christians, and in 325 I was convened Ecumenical Council, yet the Byzantine Empire officially became a Christian power only in 380, after the adoption of the edict of Emperor Theodosius I.

The first primate of the Armenian Church was the hard-working missionary, confessor St. Gregory, whom the Armenians call the Enlightener with love and pride.

The connection between Armenia and its neighbor and sister in Christ, the Eastern Roman Empire, was very close. Until 387, all the Catholicoses* from St. Gregory the Illuminator to Nerses the Great were consecrated in Cappadocia, while Armenia itself was the metropolis of the Caesarea Church**. The liturgical tradition, as well as the liturgical language, were united throughout this period, and the Armenian episcopate actively participated in the life of the Universal Church. Armenian delegates took part in the work of the I and II Ecumenical Councils. However, due to the division of Armenia in 387 between Persia and Rome, the new Catholicos Isaac, being on the territory of the Persians, was imprisoned, as a result of which the Armenian delegation did not get to the III Ecumenical Council. Nevertheless, after his release from prison, Catholicos Isaac convenes the Ashtishat Council in 435, at which Nestorius is anathematized, thereby confirming the canonical symphony with the fathers of the III Ecumenical Council. However, being irreconcilable opponents of the heresy of Nestorius, the Armenian theologians unwittingly created the precondition for Monophysitism****.

* καθολικός - universal (bishop).

** In the signature under the acts of the First Ecumenical Council (325), Archbishop Leonty indicated his title as follows: "Archbishop of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia, Pontus of Galatia, Paphlagonia, Pontus of Ptolemaic, Lesser and Greater Armenia."

*** At the same Council, Theodore of Mopsuetia and Diodorus of Tarsus were anathematized, as a result of which the Armenian fathers went further than the fathers of the III Ecumenical Council - after all, Theodore's heresy will be condemned only at the V Ecumenical Council.

**** Monophysitism (µόνος - “one, only”, φύσις - “nature, nature”) is a doctrine that recognizes in Christ only the Divine nature and completely rejects His humanity.

Cheating in Greek

The feeling of being close to such a strong, co-religious state as the Byzantine Empire gave rise to the illusion among the Armenians that at a critical moment they could count on intercession. This was the tragedy of the situation in which the Armenian people found themselves and which set the projection for the development of further inter-church relations between Byzantium and Armenia.

The year 451 in the history of the Church is known for the fact that the IV Ecumenical Council was held in the city of Chalcedon, at which the heresy of Monophysitism was condemned. But few people know the fact that in the same year in Armenia, Christians defended their faith far from being in theological discussions. In response to the demand of the Persian king to renounce Christianity and adopt Zoroastrianism, the Armenians, having gathered for a meeting in Artashat, wrote a letter on behalf of the entire population justifying the refusal. This provoked the invasion of the Persian army into Armenia.

The Armenians were sure that in the war with the Persians for loyalty to Christ they would receive the help promised the day before from Byzantium. However, the Persians at that time had already received assurances of non-intervention from the emperor Marcian...

On May 26, 451, the commander-in-chief of the Armenian army Vardan Mamikonyan and 1036 soldiers testified with their blood their loyalty to the Christian faith in a battle with a disproportionately stronger enemy. The dead were canonized as saints, as was Catholicos Joseph, who was executed by the Persians a little later.

It is clear that the name of the emperor Marcian became hated for the Armenians, and they transferred their hatred for the basileus to the orosi of the IV Ecumenical Council...

We dare to assume that the boomerang of betrayal, once launched by Byzantium in relation to Christian Armenia, returned back to Constantinople in 1204, when the knights of IV crusade...

But Byzantium owes a lot to Armenia. And not only due to the fact that the imperial guard consisted of Armenians, just as the Papal Guard in the Vatican consists of the Swiss. In general, the military power, military organization and military talent of Byzantium are the merit of the Armenians, both military leaders and ordinary soldiers. Armenian foot units and Armenian cavalry were considered the best parts of the Byzantine army, selflessly devoted to their emperor. By the way, of all the emperors of the Byzantine Empire, fifty-four (which is 67%) were Armenians*. Some historians believe that it was the removal of Armenians from the leadership of military units on the eve of the IV Crusade that became cause of defeat inflicted by the Turks.

* Some Byzantine emperors, despite having Armenian roots, persecuted their fellow tribesmen. So, some chroniclers report that in the VI century. the rebellious prince Smbat, pursued by the Armenian emperor Mauritius, landed in the Crimea and went up the Dnieper. Attention, people of Kiev! It was on the steeps, where Kyiv would later appear, that the Armenian prince built a powerful citadel of Smbatas on the mountain, which is called Zamkova to this day.

Between the hammer and the anvil

In the historian Neil Faulkner, in his book Apocalypse, or the First Jewish War, I once read that Armenia was a kind of Poland of the Ancient East. Indeed, Armenia was of such great strategic importance that the peaceful life of the country was constantly disturbed by the military marches of the armies of the empires between which it had to exist. Unfortunately, in most cases, buffer Armenia itself was chosen as a platform for clarifying relations between the superpowers; in many conflicts, the warring states attracted her to their side.

“Armenians cannot be defeated, they must be separated,” these words were uttered in the 4th century. BC, King Darius I, who was defeated in Armenia. This installation turned out to be not only effective, but also timeless - for centuries.

After the first division of Armenia between the Roman Empire and Parthia (in 387), its people more than once experienced a block between the superpowers. So, the second division of the territory of Armenia took place in 591, but already between the Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Persia.

Throughout this period, the Armenians did not give up and, maintaining their devotion to faith in Christ, fought for their independence. Evidence of this may be the creation and existence of the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia surrounded by the Seljuk Iconian Sultanate, which the Byzantine Empire could not resist. In fact, this Christian island was destined to become the second homeland of the scattered Armenians in Asia Minor. It was here that the throne of the Catholicos was transferred from the city of Ani. Being in a Muslim environment, the princes of Armenian Cilicia minted gold, silver and copper coins with their image and legend (inscription) in Armenian. It was during this period that trade relations were established with Venice and Genoa.

Surprisingly, when in the XIII century. the Mamluk Egyptian state conquered one after another the powers created by the crusaders in Palestine, the only unconquered Christian state in the Middle East remained the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia! And only in 1375 the Mamelukes still managed to break the resistance of the Armenians, and Christian Cilicia fell - the Armenian people lost their statehood for more than 500 years.

1386th, 1394th, 1398th, 1403rd - these are the years in which the army of Tamerlane devastated Armenia, as a result of which most of the population was destroyed.

1453 - the year of the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, after which Ottoman Turkey became the strongest state in the Middle East. Under her rule were the Balkan countries and all of Asia Minor. It was precisely between Ottoman Turkey and Safavid Iran in 1555 that the third division of the territory of long-suffering Armenia was carried out, and in 1639, after the forcible deportation of 300 thousand Armenians to Iran, the fourth redistribution took place.

Armenian Renaissance

Surprisingly, however, it was during this tragic period that Armenian culture and art experienced their renaissance. From the 10th to the 14th century, many masterpieces of church choral music were created; at the same time, "khazy" were invented - special system signs for recording music, in fact, an analogue of the Byzantine "neumes" and ancient Russian "hooks". Armenian architecture flourished - temples were erected in Sanahin, Haghpat, Kecharis, Haghartsin, Goshovank, and the famous monastery complex in Geghard was carved into the rock mass. Probably the most famous architect of this time can be called the architect Trdat. It was he who undertook the reconstruction of the dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, destroyed by an earthquake, when his Greek colleagues admitted their impotence. The dome of Hagia Sophia restored by Trdat is still standing!

Few people know that before the opening of the first European university in Paris in 1200, its analogues, called vardapetarans, already existed in Armenia ( higher schools), where they studied the "seven liberal arts". Separately, there were medical vardapetarans. And the Gladzor vardapetaran, created according to the European model and having two faculties - theological and legal - in 1280 was the first in Armenia to receive the status of a university. Literature also experienced a renaissance: it was during this period that Grigor Narekatsi wrote the Book of Sorrowful Hymns, which today has been translated into many languages ​​of the world.

It is impossible not to mention the genius of the architect Manvel, the creator of the temple of Surb-Khach (Holy Cross) and the port harbor on the island of Akhtamar, and those famous khachkars that this talented person created.

Khachkars (translated literally as “cross-stone”) is a unique, purely Armenian type of stone arts and crafts. Each khachkar is a stone stele with an image of a cross carved on it, elegantly decorated with an ornament. Not a single khachkar, even made by the same master, is repeated.

Vardapet Mesrop Mashtots

A person who is visiting Armenia and wants to get to know its culture better should visit the Matenadaran - the main repository of books. What was not in the history of the Armenian book was the manuscripts rolled into a roll. The first samples of the Armenian books of the 5th-6th centuries that have come down to us. bound, stitched and bound with a cover.

The Armenian tradition connects the creation of the Armenian alphabet with the translation of the books of Holy Scripture*. But, undoubtedly, before the appearance of the new alphabet “Yerkatagir”, in addition to cuneiform, Aramaic and Greek, the Armenians had their own way of writing. Unfortunately, no epigraphic evidence and artifacts with the fixation of ancient records have survived to our time.

* The first book of Holy Scripture translated from Syriac into Armenian is the book of Proverbs.

Mesrop Mashtots is the person who has the honor of creating the Armenian alphabet. Today, Armenians, reading newspapers, sending SMS messages, sometimes do not even think about what treasure they own.

Once the famous linguist Meyer said that the Armenian alphabet is a masterpiece. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that out of 36 letters, each character corresponds to one specific sound, and vice versa (for comparison: there are only 33 letters in the Russian alphabet, two of which do not indicate sounds).

In the Armenian alphabet (by the way, as in the Church Slavonic language), each letter is provided with its own numerical value. Relatively recently, journalist and researcher Eduard Ayanyan added up the numerical codes of letters in the Armenian names of metals and received exactly the numbers that Mendeleev put in the upper corners of the cells of his table to designate the atomic charges of the same chemical elements. For example, gold (Armenian "waxes") - 79; lead (arm. "Archich") - 82, as in periodic system. But Mesrop Mashtots did not invent words, and even more so - the Armenian language, which was formed thousands of years before the official date of the creation of the Armenian alphabet - 405!

Later, Mesrop Mashtots recruits a school and, with the help of a hundred students, translates from Syriac to Armenian language books of Holy Scripture. The Armenian translation of the Bible is called by the paleographer F. Cross the queen of the translation. And despite the fact that today philologists are asking the question: is there anything left of the original translation of the Bible from the Syriac, because in 432 Greek translation Scriptures - the Septuagint, the text of which was subsequently agreed with the original version - the work of Mesrop Mashtots is undoubtedly outstanding, for which Mesrop was awarded the title "vardapet" - a teacher of the Church.

It is noteworthy that today about 30 thousand Armenian handwritten books are kept in museums and libraries all over the world (and these are only those manuscripts that have been preserved). And if we take into account that in the entire history of Byzantium, about 50 thousand handwritten folios were created, this fact causes even greater respect for the Armenians as a book-loving and reading nation.

As an assumption, we can assume a connection between such an impressive number of manuscripts - and the know-how that the Armenian copyists of books and calligraphers owned, writing under the dictation of the author. As a result of technical evolution, the habitual pen of the Armenian scribe was turned into the first prototype of a “fountain pen” quite early: an ink bottle was attached to the top of the pen-kalam. Thanks to this, scribes were freed from the incessant dipping of the pen into the inkwell. So, in the final chapters of manuscripts, Armenian scribes often add: “Each time, having typed ink into kalam, he wrote 900, even 920-930 and more letters.”

After the fall of the Kingdom of Cilicia, the throne of the Catholicos returned to Armenia, and from 1441 to this day the residence of the Catholicos of all Armenians has been located in Etchmiadzin.

The Catholicoses, throughout the history of Christian Armenia, who were the spiritual leaders of the Armenian people and who made every effort to keep the Armenians faithful to Christ, did not lose hope for the return of independence. In 1547, 1562, 1677, they initiated an appeal to the governments of European states. But Europe, not interested in helping the Armenians, was silent. Disappointed in the policy of European monarchs, but still not losing hope, in 1701 an Armenian delegation led by Israel Ori turned to the Russian Emperor Peter I with a request to support the liberation campaign against the Turks and Persians. This audience was the beginning of attempts Russian throne help the long-suffering Armenian people. And only a century later, during the I and II Russian-Persian wars, with the participation of the Armenian volunteer militia, the first victories were achieved to liberate Armenia and return the Armenian population from Iranian captivity. But still, a significant part - mountainous, western Armenia (Sasun, Zeytun) with the Armenian population continued to remain in the Muslim isolation of Ottoman Turkey.

Genocide

When the government changes, any nation links its future with hopes for good changes.

In 1908, after a coup d'état and the overthrow of the bloody regime of Abdul-Hamid II, the Young Turks came to power in Turkey. The Armenians had hope for the long-awaited restoration of the rights of Christians in the new country... But 1909 was marked by the mass extermination of the Armenian population in Cilicia with the tacit consent of the new government. 30 thousand people died. This was a terrible beginning of the total systematic destruction of the Armenian people.

These events of the beginning of the century are very similar to those that will take place two decades later in National Socialist Germany ...

It is difficult to find words to describe what happened during this tragic three-year period from 1915 to 1918. Apparently, the decision to turkish all the subjects of Turkey, and destroy the Christians, adopted in 1911 at a secret meeting of the Young Turks in Thessaloniki, found practical embodiment in the genocide carried out according to a certain plan. Armenia lost one and a half million of its sons and daughters. The eyewitness of these atrocities, the famous Armenian composer and priest Komitas lost his mind... It is noteworthy that the Turks and the official Turkish historiography do not recognize the intentional destruction of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, in a number of countries of the world (Switzerland, France, Argentina, etc.) there are laws that provide for punishment for the denial of the Armenian genocide.

The tragic and sad fate of the Armenian people, associated with constant struggle, can be felt by those who even hear the melody of the ancient instrument duduk for the first time. Outwardly, the duduk resembles an ordinary flute, but how majestic is the magic of the sound of this instrument! She does not leave even the most callous heart indifferent. Composer of the 20th century Aram Khachaturian very succinctly said: "Duduk is the only instrument that makes me cry."

Instead of a conclusion

Almost in every Orthodox church of our fatherland is a visible reminder of Armenia - the country of hopes of a renewed humanity, the country of the biblical rainbow - this is the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands so beloved by us. What is the connection with Armenia?

During the earthly life of Christ the Savior, the capital of Greater Armenia was the city of Edessa, which once struck Alexander the Great with its beauty to such an extent that he named his born daughter Edessa. So, according to the Armenian legend, King Abgar (Avgar) invited Jesus Christ here, to Armenia: “I also heard that many ... grumble at You and want to torture You. I have a small but beautiful city, it would be enough for both of us. So simply, sincerely, with hospitality characteristic of Armenians, King Abgar invited the Savior. The Lord, in response to this invitation, sent the king as a gift an ubrus (plate), on which the imprint of His face appeared. This is how the first original Image Not Made by Hands appeared in the history of iconography. This legend contains the entire Armenian people with all its characteristic qualities - cordiality, sincerity, devotion to Christ.

While visiting Armenia, I noticed that it is almost impossible to meet an offended or angry person here. All are animated and inspired by something. People are friendly. All have lively eyes that play with natural harmless cunning. You involuntarily recall the words of Osip Mandelstam: “The vitality of the Armenians, their rough affection, their noble labor bone, their inexplicable disgust for any metaphysics and their wonderful familiarity with the world of real things - all this told me: you are awake, do not be afraid of your time, do not be cunning. .."

Azerbaijani and Russian experts presented their assessment of the recognition by the American side of the Golan Heights for Israel, as well as a forecast of what consequences this decision could bring.

BAKU, March 26 - Sputnik, Alexandra Zueva. It is very important for the situation around the Golan Heights to be resolved and tensions in the region that threaten global security to be relieved, Rizvan Huseynov, director of the Center for Caucasian History, senior researcher at the Institute of Law and Human Rights of ANAS, told Sputnik Azerbaijan.

The US is dragging Israel into adventures

Most of the steps taken by the Trump Administration related to the Middle East, and in particular, the Arab-Israeli conflict, unfortunately, do not lead to the resolution of controversial issues at all. On the contrary, the actions of the American side lead to an increase in tension, which affects, first of all, the security of Israel itself: the country is drawn into certain adventures, the outcome of which is still difficult to imagine, Huseynov said.

Steps such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the country's sovereignty over the Golan Heights have exacerbated the situation and complicated Tel Aviv's relations with its neighbors, the expert stressed.

"It is worth noting the role of Turkey in these processes. It is clear that the Trump administration is taking such steps "as opposed to" the growth of Ankara's activity and influence in the Middle East," Sputnik Azerbaijan's interlocutor noted, recalling that in the Golan Heights until 1967 in Turkomans mostly lived (a term used in the West as the name of the Oguz Turkic peoples - ed.).

At the same time, Huseynov expressed hope that the situation around the Golan Heights would still find its solution, that the Trump administration’s attempts to strain the situation in the Middle East would not lead to success, and tension in the region would be relieved.

And if Russia recognizes the Golan Heights as Syrian?

The fact that the United States recognizes the Golan Heights as belonging to Israel creates a very dangerous precedent in the system of interstate relations and international security, believes, in turn, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, member of the Russian Officers Expert Council, military analyst Alexander Perendzhiev.

After all, then the allied countries of states that sort things out over the ownership of certain territories can also begin the process of recognizing these lands as their military allies, the military analyst noted.

"Imagine how the situation will escalate if Russia, in defiance of the United States, recognizes the Golan Heights as belonging to Syria! Of course, Russia will not take such a step. But who can guarantee that other countries will not take such actions? For example, if France recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Armenia, and Turkey belongs to Azerbaijan," Sputnik Azerbaijan's interlocutor noted.

Expressing doubts about such actions of official Paris and official Ankara, the expert also suggested imagining how much the situation could worsen in Asia, and in the world as a whole, if the United States recognizes the states of Jammu and Kashmir as belonging to Pakistan.

There are many territories in the world, over the ownership of which states are in military confrontation. And the international community, various regional organizations are making difficult attempts to resolve conflicts around these disputed territories and peacefully agree on their legal status, Perendzhiev recalled.

The United States is now, in fact, destroying the role and influence of the international community and regional organizations engaged in security and peacekeeping, the military analyst believes.

"Thanks to the United States, the world is increasingly entering a phase of 'development' when you are right, when you have not the right, but power," Sputnik Azerbaijan's interlocutor concluded.

The Middle East faces a new round of tension

The recognition of the Golan is a rather bold and decisive step by the United States in the spirit of Trump's style, said Russian political scientist Pavel Klachkov. He said that he himself had been to the Golan Heights and had a good sense of their significance for Israel. According to him, Israel really believes that control over this territory is necessary for the survival of the country and the state.

At the same time, such recognition undermines the significance of the UN, as it violates the previously adopted resolution, the political scientist believes. At the same time, he noted, this recognition also destroys the rather serious foreign policy influence of the United States.

"The significance of such recognition is very great, and now everyone is condemning it. International issues will also not be the same," Sputnik's interlocutor said.

Trump's decision, among other things, entails a new round of tension in the Middle East. A number of countries have already reacted to this, including Russia and Turkey. The wave of rejection of this decision will grow, Klachkov is sure.

In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel recaptured and occupied the Golan Heights from Syria, and unilaterally annexed them in 1981. The ownership of the mountain plateau is considered the main subject of the Israeli-Syrian conflict, attempts to resolve which were made before the start of the civil war in Syria.