On November 14, the city of Stavropol in the Russian Federation hosted an international conference organised by the North Caucasus Federal University. The event gathered postgraduate students, master’s students, and undergraduates from Russia, Armenia, and Georgia.

Armenia was represented by the Director of the NAS RA Institute of History, Academician Ashot Melkonyan, and research fellow, Cd. Hist. Sci. Henrik Khachatryan; the Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan by Professor Khachatur Stepanyan and a group of students from the Faculty of History; and the National Archives of Armenia by Cd. Hist. Sci. Varditer Grigoryan. Delegates from Yerevan State University included students from the Faculties of History and International Relations.

Participants were warmly welcomed by cultural groups from the local Russian, Armenian, and Georgian communities, who performed traditional songs and dances in national attire.

During the plenary session, Academician Ashot Melkonyan presented a report titled “Armenia in Russian Foreign Policy in the 19th–20th Centuries” and gave a comprehensive interview to the television channel Rossiya, addressing the destruction of Armenian historical and cultural heritage in territories of Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan, as well as current challenges in Armenian-Russian relations.

Professor Igor Kryuchkov highlighted in his report the significant role of the Caucasus, particularly Eastern Armenia and Georgia, in the Russian economy of the 19th century. Varditer Grigoryan delivered a presentation on the policies of the Russian Empire towards the Armenian Church during the 19th century.

The Armenian delegation also had the opportunity to meet university lecturers and students of Armenian descent, visit the Armenian church in Stavropol, the cultural society “Nairi,” and subsequently travelled to Pyatigorsk.