Legal Nationalism: Strategies of Seeking Justice in Post-Stalinist Armenian SSR
Gevorg Avetikyan, a postdoctoral researcher and annual fellow in JUSTIMINO project, takes a broader look at the concept of “socialist legality”, focusing on Armenian activists in the post-Stalinist era who, like many others, were granted their own national territory in the 1920s, in the research project “Legal Nationalism: Strategies of Seeking ‘Justice’ in the Post-Stalinist Armenian SSR”. The fact that ethnic Armenians enjoyed certain privileges in the Armenian SSR did not deter them from pursuing “justice” campaigns. Instead, it fostered a demand for broad civic freedoms in their republic, leading to a range of protests, from small intellectual circles to mass demonstrations. By the mid-1960s, their activism encompassed calls for a proper recognition and memorialization of the Armenian genocide, the teaching of Armenian history and the redrawing of borders (inspired in part by Lavrentii Beria’s territorial claims). Although some activities were deemed illegal and faced prosecution, many
activists adopted a strategy of civil obedience, viewing their national and Soviet identities as compatible. Their advocacy was framed not only in terms of justice but also through the lens of legality, as they were aware of their rights and sought to test their boundaries. Avetikyan will explore various campaigns for “national rights” in Armenia, contextualizing them within the rise of nationalisms in post-Stalinist Soviet society. This investigation reveals interconnected histories: national activism was prominent across many union republics, fostering imitation and learning, while Armenian activism was also bolstered by internationalist initiatives that highlighted both national and global dimensions, as well as a strong diaspora.