Facebook users debated Mkhtaryan's apologies to the residents of Abkhazia.
Many authors of comments on social media found the apologies of the editor of the encyclopedia "Armenians of the Black Sea" Christophor Mkhtaryan to the residents of Abkhazia for the scandalous article inappropriate. Other users defended Mkhtaryan.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 30, a video was published in which the editor of the first volume of the encyclopedia "Armenians of the Black Sea", Christophor Mkhtaryan, apologized to the residents of Abkhazia for the appearance in the publication of information that he called "pseudoscientific and offensive to the national feelings of Abkhazians".
The article "Abaza" caused outrage among the residents of Abkhazia, as it provided an indecent interpretation of the name of Abkhazians and Abazins. In particular, the veterans' organization "Aruaa" regarded the publication as a provocation. The author of the controversial article is candidate of historical sciences Igor Kuznetsov, Mkhtaryan clarified. According to him, immediately after the release, the print run was returned to the printing house, and the article "Abaza" was corrected. The article was intended as part of a series of publications on ethnic stereotypes and national nicknames, explained its author Igor Kuznetsov in an open letter.
By 18:50 Moscow time on November 2, Facebook users left 227 and 530 comments under two publications of "Caucasian Knot" about the scandal with the encyclopedia, respectively.
The authors of most comments, positioning themselves as Abkhazians, Armenians, and Georgians, used the publication as a reason for mutual grievances, including the use of obscene language and derogatory comparisons with animals.
Other users debated the appropriateness of Christophor Mkhtaryan's apologies. "The genie is already out of the bottle, it's too late to apologize," wrote Eles Rim, in particular. "Eles Rim, every nation has a nickname," replied Beliy Bashlyk.
"Well, yes... Kuznetsov is to blame, of course," commented Mkhtaryan's statement Mamed Gasanov. "Mamed Gasanov, what business is it of yours, you weren't invited there," reacted Armen Makaryan.
"It's too late [to apologize], what you write with a pen, you can't erase with an axe," noted Nikolai Galitsin. "Such apologies are worth nothing," expressed the opinion of Faraj Gasimov.
"The cunning [editor] when he wrote the book, didn't you know what you were writing about? Like I'm not involved, my house is on the edge. As soon as the Abkhazians woke up, he immediately [distanced himself from what was published]," wrote Rafael Muradov.
The word "abaza" in Turkey refers to Abkhazians and Abazins, many of whom were relocated to the territory of the Ottoman Empire as a result of the Caucasian War in the second half of the 19th century. In the note that caused a resonance, the authors of the encyclopedia noted that the Amshen Armenians, who moved from Turkey to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, used the word "abaza" as a euphemism for the word "masturbating," JAMnews reported on October 30.
If almost no one knew this before, now those who don't know have filled the gap.
"If almost no one knew this [meaning of the word] before, now those who don't know have filled the gap," pointed out Sofia Avanesova. "Well, now we can apologize. Everyone learned about the Black Sea [derogatory word]," noted Kono Mara.
"You sit in such a place and don't know this will cause a scandal? And when will you gain some sense? Abaza translates crudely from Turkish, in Armenian the word abaza does not translate at all," addressed Lilit Ambarzumyan to Mkhtaryan.
"He regrets and apologizes. But when he edited, he didn't realize that the book offends people," wrote Aza Gelashvili. "And have you ever edited anything? When you edit something, then you will understand his position and maybe apologize to him," responded Gor Yan.
"A strange phenomenon. A person wrote a book for several years. Published it. Drivers and manicurists expressed protest. Then he realized that all these years he was wrong. Unconditionally admitted his guilt and apologized. Doesn't anything seem strange?" asked Fuad Bagirov.
"Apologies, for example, if a train suddenly brakes in the subway and you accidentally push another person. Accidentally. But when it comes to editing and a clear book of all times and peoples under the right to be called "Encyclopedia", made not by accident, many people were involved from the beginning of the idea to publication. Excuse me. By such a scheme, one can intentionally allow anything and then, if something happens, just apologize," expressed Ika Lort.
The historian reminded about the prevalence of national nicknames
The open letter of Igor Kuznetsov was published on October 22 by the website Russia-Armenia.info. In it, the author of the scandalous article addressed "Abkhaz and Armenian friends".
He emphasized that he had "no intention to offend anyone, let alone an entire nation." "The encyclopedia was conceived as a comprehensive description of the history and present, everything that is somehow related to Armenians living along the Black Sea coast. My initial plans also included preparing several small notes on so-called ethnic stereotypes, in simpler terms, on national nicknames, not always harmless, but unfortunately, they exist, such is the reality. Besides the article "Abaza", I planned to write articles "Khachik", "Sokh", "Dzhinona" (Gypsies) and "Laz", where it would be explained where all this came from: Russians call Armenians "khachiks", which means "cross", Armenians call Russians "sokh", i.e. "onions", Lazs are considered "slow-witted" and so on. Specifically, the word "abaza" (or "abazan") in the meaning that outraged everyone, of course, in a slang, figurative sense, was widely used in Turkey and is mentioned in many comprehensive dictionaries of the Turkish language," wrote the historian.
I emphasize, the mistake was corrected.
He noted that in the same first volume there is an article "Abkhazia", in which "no heresy was found by anyone".
"In the case of my article "Abaza", I relied on materials from my own conversations with informants in Abkhazia and Krasnodar Krai, including those who have been to Turkey multiple times. For obvious reasons, I cannot disclose their names. [...] I acknowledge the publication of the article "Abaza" in the Encyclopedia as erroneous. And I emphasize, the mistake was corrected. In response to criticism, the print run was redone, and the unfortunate article was replaced. Only about a dozen copies remain where everything is as before. They were distributed during the presentation of the book, so it is difficult to make corrections in them," wrote Igor Kuznetsov.