Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are steadily deteriorating, fueled by a growing stream of anti-Azerbaijani statements and actions which, to the great surprise of officials in the Russian government, have proven ineffective. Frankly, we are tired of Russia’s worn-out rhetoric. It seems the Kremlin has realized the hopelessness of the situation and that it has exhausted all possible levers of pressure on Azerbaijan. Yet, like a drowning man clutching at straws, Moscow is trying to pull one last card from its sleeve. But is it really an ace?
The Russians simply cannot resist bringing up the Lezgins. In Moscow’s view, the Lezgins—who, ironically, were divided by Russia itself—are a supposed “trump card,” a hidden advantage they can use against Azerbaijan to “tame” official Baku.
I am a Lezgin, and I have been expecting this moment. Every time Russia feels offended by Azerbaijan, it seeks revenge, aiming to cause harm: inevitably resorting to the Lezgin question, but always, note, as a last resort.
Russian state propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, notorious for his openly pro-Armenian stance, has once again violated the laws of Azerbaijan—and, indeed, of Russia itself. Now he is calling for actions that incite interethnic hatred and hostility. More than that, Solovyov is openly calling for terrorism on his Full Contact program.
“What do we have here? We have over 300 kilometers of border with Azerbaijan. So Azerbaijan wants military action against us? Fine. Let me remind you that Lezgins live in that territory. Their situation in Azerbaijan isn’t the best, whereas in Dagestan there are many Lezgins and they are treated with great respect. We can fight for the rights of Lezgins in Azerbaijan and fully support the Lezgin movement. They are in a difficult situation. Who says Azerbaijan is united? Who says Azerbaijan’s borders are inviolable?” — muses this moral degenerate with a feigned air of intelligence.
Solovyov is mistaken—though such delusion is common among narrow-minded people of limited intellect. This “trap” might have worked in Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, when we had just gained independence and lacked a clear vision for our future; when the country was vulnerable on all sides, and Armenia, backed by Russia, had occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory. Naturally, a second front would have been unbearable for us.
This was precisely the lever the Kremlin used to force Azerbaijan into submission. On one hand, Russia, through Armenian hands, committed genocide against the Azerbaijani people, driving them from their lands, reshaping the demographic and ethnic landscape. On the other, it obstructed Baku’s economic ambitions and threatened to pit Azerbaijan’s own peoples against each other.
Such statements were threatening back then—but not now.
Russia is losing the information war to Azerbaijan and is therefore frantically searching for new pressure tactics. Yes, Azerbaijan is a multiethnic republic, but Russia is profoundly mistaken about the Lezgins. Lezgins in Azerbaijan have never been a weak point for the state—and never will be. Why? Because Lezgins have never seen themselves as separate from the Turkic part of the population. We are one people. This is our shared land, our historical homeland, for which we shed blood in the Karabakh war. We work daily for our country’s prosperity and will not allow a small clique in the Kremlin to jeopardize the Azerbaijani nation.
It is not Lezgins in Azerbaijan who find life difficult—it is Moscow, which cannot bear to see different peoples living in peace and harmony. Because they themselves do not know how. That is why they use cowardly jackals like Solovyov to foment conflict.
Turks and Lezgins are brothers not only because we live side by side, but also because we share the same faith in one God—we are Muslims. We have common roots, and no amount of Kremlin effort will turn us into enemies.
Solovyov is also wrong about Dagestani Lezgins: they too will not fall for this scheme. They have long since opened their eyes to the reality that Russia has never helped them; on the contrary, it has done everything to keep Dagestan underdeveloped. Russian imperial policy has done its dirty work, dividing Lezgins into Azerbaijani and Dagestani, Azerbaijanis into Georgian and Iranian, and so on. This is a textbook example of “divide and rule,” done for the sole purpose of sowing hostility and governing through conflict.
Let this fool—pardon my French, but sometimes things must be called by their names—not delude himself into thinking that Lezgins, Talysh, Udis, Avars, or others will take the bait of his cheap propaganda. The fairy tale about Russia’s noble guardianship over the peoples of the Caucasus is long outdated.
Solovyov must answer for his actions. During the Second Karabakh War, he already insulted the Azerbaijani people and questioned the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Now Baku must take all necessary steps to hold Solovyov criminally accountable—not only for his past offenses, but also for his calls to terrorism and incitement of interethnic hatred. Evil must be punished!
Ramella Ibrahimhalilova
Translated from minval.az
