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Robert ArakelovAzerbaijani mathematician and pamphleteer of Armenian origin
Date of Birth: 01.01.1937
Country:  Azerbaijan |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Career in Mathematics and Research
- Escape and Literary Debut
- Later Career and Views
- Controversies and Accusations
- Legacy
Early Life and Education
Born into an Armenian family in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Arakelov spent most of his life in Baku. He obtained his mathematical education and earned a Candidate of Science degree.
Career in Mathematics and Research
Working as a department head at a Scientific and Technical Information Research Institute, Arakelov is known to have assisted the director with his doctoral dissertation after initially completing a candidate's dissertation for him.
Escape and Literary Debut
Amidst the anti-Armenian riots in Azerbaijan, Arakelov fled via Turkmenistan to Yerevan. However, he failed to establish himself there and returned to Baku in 1991, where he published his propagandist pamphlet "Nagorno-Karabakh: The Perpetrators of the Tragedy." This work, with a print run of 100,000 copies, was followed by a second book in 1995 titled "Karabakh Notebook," which had a smaller print run of 1,000 copies.
Later Career and Views
During his retirement in the 1990s, Arakelov taught mathematics and frequently appeared on Baku television. In 2005, he published an open letter inviting Nagorno-Karabakh residents to participate in Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections.
Arakelov's books present a memoir-like narrative, recounting his experiences in Armenia and Karabakh alongside his reflections and generalizations. His central argument is that "Armenian nationalism" and "separatism" are solely responsible for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Controversies and Accusations
British journalist Tom de Waal criticized Arakelov's first book as an example of low-quality propaganda prevalent during the conflict. Grigor Apoyan, a former colleague from Yerevan, accused Arakelov of "treason" and "racism" against Armenians.
Legacy
Azerbaijani media have portrayed Arakelov as a "courageous and honest Armenian" who "redeemed Armenia's national shame" with his civic courage.
