“Before moving to the disputed territory, Vardanyan had been living in our country for more than 20 years and invested a lot of effort and money in its development. It is no exaggeration to say that it was thanks to him that the institute of social entrepreneurship appeared in Russia. Vardanyan became the one of founders of the Skolkovo School of Management and dozens of humanitarian projects. By the way, all his Russian initiatives work today, and he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in April.
Vardanyan repeatedly called Russia a key partner of Armenia and pointed to the leading role of the Russian Federation in the peaceful settlement of the situation in the South Caucasus. In addition, he spoke with great respect about the work of Russian peacekeepers and stated the need for their presence in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Today, when, according to Sergei Lavrov, Russian-Armenian relations have entered a stage of half-disintegration, such people like Ruben Vardanyan are simply necessary on the political stage. And I hope that he will be able to go free in order to reassemble our historical union”.
“It is a rare phenomenon, but Vardanyan is really an unbiased politician who has always advocated friendly and mutually beneficial relations between Russia and Armenia.
Before moving to Nagorno-Karabakh, Vardanyan had lived and worked in the Russian Federation for many years: he was engaged in charity and supported educational projects, stood at the origins of the Skolkovo School of Management. His Russian projects continued their work even after the arrest of the philanthropist. Armenia is traditionally considered Russia’s main ally in Transcaucasia, but today the relations between the two countries can hardly be called friendly. Nevertheless, this is not a reason to ignore what is happening: while Yerevan is silent, former members of the NKR government are in the Baku pre-trial detention center, and among them is Vardanyan, who can assist in strengthening relations between Yerevan and Moscow”.
“How many of our people are in Baku prisons? Twenty? Thirty? Twenty-three?.. We don’t even know…
Armenia forgot about them, the world, peacekeepers, mediators, everybody forgot about them… And we, Armenians.
Just Armenians, very young and already very old. Ordinary people and those who were in power… Ruben Vardanyan. He stands out. Probably, because his story is special, one of those stories on the basis of which scripts are written…
What is their fault?
There is a fault. They are very guilty. They were unlucky – they were born Armenians. This was a crime.
Their names… Photos of our hostages, everyone, should hang on the streets of Yerevan. And in the center of the city, on the roof of the opera, for example, the counter would have to count days that they are in the Baku prison”.
“From the first days of its establishment, our foundation has been serviced by the best company for foundations @philinphilgood. I entrusted all audits, legal and financial issues to the strongest. The company was built by a great, decent, strong and intelligent Man – Ruben Vardanyan. I love the @noodomeclub space and have been proud to meet Veronika Feliksovna since 2020. He is wise and brave Man. He is a role model for me.
Below are Ruben Karlenovich’s words about the team and like-minded people. This is about you and me, guys) ❤️
“I never believed one person could change everything. Another thing is when he unites a number of like-minded people around an interesting idea, then unique projects are realized. All our projects – the international humanitarian initiative “Aurora”, projects in Armenia, Russia, for example, Philgood and Philin, the business school “Skolkovo” and the business club “Atlanta”, which we do together with Mikhail Voronin – are all about working together with many like-minded people.
Thanks to it, the environment and space are changing.
somewhere more, somewhere less,
somewhere on a large scale, somewhere locally”.
The main thing is that it is changing)
#мирунуженчеловек
#freeRubenVardanyan»
“We must constantly remind the world that torture and the length of incarceration have created conditions that threaten the lives of these people. And it cannot be that life in Armenia or among Armenians around the world simply continued as usual, while our people are doomed to unspeakable suffering, are behind bars and are tortured by the state, which has repeatedly demonstrated nothing more than intention to destroy the Armenian people. Indifference in these circumstances is unacceptable, since we should be the voice of our illegally detained compatriots, whose lives hang in the balance”.
“Ruben Vardanyan was captured when the Azerbaijani army was sent to Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In Nagorno-Karabakh, he tried to protect the local Armenian population from the coming violence. After a complete blockade lasting ten months, which deprived the local population of food, fuel and medical supplies, Azerbaijan is forcing more than 100,000 Armenians to leave their homes, leave their property and flee. Many called it genocide.
Ruben is an experienced and dedicated business executive. He has dedicated himself to a number of charitable causes, including schools, colleges, and the Aurora Prize, which honors individuals for their outstanding humanitarian work around the world (of which I am a Board Member).
Now the international community has got an opportunity to respond to the illegal arrest of Vardanyan, as well as other Armenian prisoners illegally detained in Baku. Just a year after the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan, in November this year, this country is preparing to host the UN Climate Change Summit COP29 in its capital Baku. These are the largest global climate talks this year.
MEPs have openly called for a boycott. A growing number of governments around the world are expressing dissatisfaction with Azerbaijan’s behavior. I sincerely hope that the newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will also join this growing “chorus” given his commitment to human rights. The UN should demand that Azerbaijan release all Armenian prisoners before the COP29 summit, as well as review the procedure for selecting host countries in the future.”
“In the last decade Ruben Vardanyan has stepped away from business and has been involved in philanthropy. His humanitarian projects are still working in many countries, including Russia. Vardanyan was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in NKR. And for the fact that in times of crisis he sincerely wanted to help his people looks at least plausible. Some will find this position naive, but I believe that there are still enough ideological people in the world. Vardanyan is definitely one of them. He was the only wealthy Armenian who responded to my call to save Karabakh. He abandoned everything and came there. Hero. Freedom to Ruben!”
“Armenian-born Ruben Vardanyan has lived in Russia for a long time and has done a lot for our country. In recent years, he moved away from business and concentrated on charitable activities: the philanthropist developed humanitarian initiatives and, in fact, founded the Institute of Social Entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation.
His renunciation of Russian citizenship and his relocation to NKR caused perplexity to many. Although Vardanyan himself did not hide the reasons. His sole purpose was to help the people of NKR survive the war and blockade. And do it from the perspective not of an outsider, but of an insider.
Even after his departure, the philanthropist continued to participate in Russian projects and in fact remained a member of the society of Russia. Therefore, today his fate deserves at least the attention of the Russian authorities. And as a maximum – active participation at least in the form of publicity”.
“I like Ruben Vardanyan very much for a number of reasons. First of all, everything is clear to me, what a person does in life, his values, his deeds. But what brings me closest to Ruben is his philanthropy and his desire to spend his energies and funds for the development of our society in Russia, as well as in his homeland in Armenia. I know of very few such examples. Ruben is now going through a difficult and dangerous journey, I really hope these sacrifices are not in vain. I believe that he can make it. We look forward to seeing you and many more good and helpful things to come! God save you!”
“Ruben Vardanyan has proven himself to be an unabashed supporter of peace not only in our region, but also in the entire world. He is a world-renowned philanthropist, businessman and co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, which supports peace making, education and medical care for people around the world”.
“A man who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for helping people during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains in custody. Vardanyan prevented a humanitarian catastrophe in Karabakh by organizing many social projects in the region supporting the peaceful population.
Vardanyan’s letter, read by his wife at the Aurora award ceremony (Vardanyan is one of its founders), says: “I have decided to be together with those who need help and help them in any way I can. I’ve been completely isolated from the outside world for eight months now, and I have a lot of time to think. And I do not regret my choice at all”.
“Thousands of Armenians spoke about their readiness to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Karabakh, but only a few did it. This is not a stone in the garden of those who did not move – most of them helped, supported and did what they could. Thank you. But Vardanyan came there. And stayed. It is hard to imagine that a financial grandmaster, who is able to calculate everything several steps ahead, did not consider a failure. He knew for sure where and why (and with whom) he was going. He took a risk, realizing that even if he wins, he will have to wait for champagne for a long time. To hell with champagne and black caviar, when in Stepanakert you live in a blockade: there is no light, no heat, no bread, no help either. Yerevan is somewhere far away, Moscow is even farther away. And here comes the special forces, all in black, handcuffs on hands, head in the floor, one hundred and twenty thousand Karabakh people have to go to Armenia, Vardanyan and several other NKR officials – to sunny Baku. Yerevan is “gracefully” silent. The public response oscilloscope is serenely calm, no spikes. What is happening with us Armenians? Or already happened?!”
“A couple of weeks ago I traveled again to my beloved Armenia with my son. We familiarized ourselves with the school in Dilijan, founded by Vardanyan, because it is the place where Misha would like to study (though it would not hurt to enroll there first). And there, in that school in Dilijan, I thought how cool it is when a person is far-sighted enough to create an international school on the territory of poor, half-destroyed Armenia. Students from all over the world come to this international school to get to know and love Armenia and Armenians, to soak in this culture, warmth and hospitality, and then return back to Uruguay, Brazil, Australia, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, Portugal, Egypt, Zimbabwe. Yes, believe it or not, there are students from all these countries studying in Dilijan and telling people about small, wonderful, sunny Armenia. This is how Ruben decided to popularize his country.
I also learned that in recent months he has found money to pay tuition in Dilijan for a dozen refugee children from Nagorno-Karabakh. Probably, if I had a seven-flowered flower today, I would spend one petal on returning freedom to Ruben Vardanyan”.
“In Russia, it is Ruben Vardanyan who is credited with creating the institute of social entrepreneurship. His charitable initiatives are known not only in Russia and Armenia, but all over the world. For example, one of Vardanyan’s projects in Russia is Philin Philgood, a service for professional philanthropy, which has won over 25 major industry awards. Since 2014, the company has helped a hundred Russian charitable foundations and NGOs to solve social problems. In addition, the philanthropist has donated large sums to the Dr. Lisa Foundation and consulted on management issues for other foundations, including “Gift of Life”.
In September 2022, Vardanyan moved to Nagorno-Karabakh, where he agreed to take the post of state minister of the unrecognized republic. However, he only stayed in this position for a few months. But while in public office, he continued his humanitarian work and was active in helping the locals. The territorial development agency “We are our Mountains” founded by him did everything to alleviate the hardships of war time and blockade for the Artsakh people”.
“Ruben Vardanyan is a graduate of Moscow State University, a talented businessman, and has been among the top richest people in Russia since 2011. At different times he has served on the boards of directors of major companies. He spent a lot of energy and money on charity and paid a lot of attention to helping Armenia.
A man who had everything in life risked everything for his beliefs.
Vardanyan’s appearance in the republic [Artsakh] has become an international news flashpoint: history knows few examples of billionaires exchanging their comfortable lives for an adventurous position in an unrecognized republic at war.
A unique oligarch of the entire post-Soviet space: having amassed a billion-dollar fortune, he did not have luxury yachts and huge houses, but went where he was in real danger. He didn’t leave until the very last. He stayed with the people. Unfortunately, our military was unable to prevent his arrest”.
“He is a peacemaker, a man of formidable scope and vision, amazing loyalty, kindness and generosity. All of Ruben’s activities have always been of a constructive creative nature. And of course, with this kind of activity by Ruben, the situation [Varadyan’s arrest] is not just absurd – it’s upsetting. As for the decision of the Nobel Committee [to nominate Ruben Vardanyan for the Nobel Peace Prize], it is absolutely deserved, thoughtful”.
“Vardanyan was one of the most famous figures of Artsakh and knew no fear. He was brave and spoke honestly. And this is always a big threat to genocidal regimes because they operate on the basis of propaganda rather than truth. Vardanyan spoke a harsh truth for Azerbaijan: the Artsakh people have the right to self-determination, which is accepted and must be recognized by international law. Moreover, Ruben Vardanyan has a global reputation in the field of humanitarian activities, he is respected at the global level”.
“Wherever and however many times I was there [in Armenia], I kept coming across stories about Vardanyan: ‘Have you been to Dilijan?’ Have you seen what international school Vardanyan has opened there?’ or ‘We are sitting in a restaurant, celebrating! They received the Aurora Prize, which Vardanyan established’. Vardanyan spent all his time in Stepanakert for the last couple of years and spent countless amounts of his own money to feed, treat, and support people who were soon to leave their homes and become refugees. In my opinion, at some point it became obvious to the whole world that the exodus of Armenians from these territories was inevitable, that there would be thousands of refugees. Vardanyan thought so too. But he stayed there with his people in a totally desperate situation and continued to help. Ruben Vardanyan is an incredible romantic, a man of donkikhot nobility, the pride of Armenians all over the world and, I think, the great pride of all mankind. And now, having committed no crime, Vardanyan sits in prison in Azerbaijan and is accused of financing terrorism, creating and participating in the activities of illegal armed groups. The fact that the world has gone mad is no news to anyone, but I keep thinking it’s treatable…”
“Ruben Vardanyan deliberately invested money in solving acute social problems, developing education, and supporting the preservation of cultural values. His projects include, for example, Philin Philgood, a company that facilitates the work of dozens of Russian charitable foundations and other NPOs. Vardanyan continued to be engaged in charity even in the post of the State Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, as for him the people he tried to help were always at the top of the list. Let’s hope that Baku will hear the voice of reason and agree with the calls for liberation, which are sounding louder and louder”.
“He was a philanthropist and humanitarian of international stature and is known for the decades of work he did with his family, done regardless of who the charitable programs were aimed at. The beneficiaries of his charitable programs have been from different nations and religions. We hoped that the Azerbaijani state should not have qualified Ruben Vardanyan as it happened. This was a big blow to the global humanitarian community. For this reason, this action has displeased all those concerned with humanity and human rights”.
“In his short term as the state minister [of Artsakh], Vardanyan had little time to accomplish anything. In all his interviews and statements he was tactful, not belligerent, did not promote any ideas of revanchism and spoke about Karabakh more from the point of view of the need to protect its Armenian population and heritage. I came to Stepanakert for the last time when Vardanyan had just been appointed. This was just weeks before the blockade and the closure of the Lachin corridor. Karabakh people have always been mistrustful of the aliens, and after losing the war they were even more withdrawn and gloomy. The last 40 years have taught them that people from the outside will turn out to be temporary at best, and at worst will abandon them at the worst possible moment, like the Soviet internal troops, like the Russian peacekeepers. Vardanyan’s arrival in Karabakh was viewed philosophically: “It can’t get any worse, but maybe he will succeed. And in those circumstances, as a state minister, nothing was expected of him. But Vardanyan made a breakthrough elsewhere. Probably never during the entire existence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has any Karabakh politician – president or commander – been quoted by the world press as often as Vardanyan. He was a world-renowned speaker of a tiny region lost on the map. Apparently, this is what determined his place in Baku’s “black list”.
“He [Vardanyan] launched a lot of social and charitable projects. I’m telling a story he told himself. When his picture appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine, that’s when he and his wife [Veronica Zonabend] decided it was time to talk to their son, he was 14 years old. They sat him down across from them and said, “You see, we’re not leaving you this money. Because there are so many projects to do. That’s where we’re going to spend the money”. To which their son said an extremely clever line, “I get it. Just don’t leave me debts”.
“For the people of Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan is not just an official who held the post of state minister for some time, but a man whose devotion to his people was never doubted. During the worst times of the blockade, he saved from hunger those who could not survive on their own. He opened a free canteen and replenished the food reserve of the region. He organized cultural centers. He supported the elderly and children. The Azerbaijani authorities declared him a criminal for this activity and detained him on September 27 last year. It is not clear why Azerbaijan is stalling and for what geopolitical purposes it plans to use Vardanyan’s arrest. In any case, the most advantageous position now for the image of Aliyev and Azerbaijan is to pardon the former state minister. It will play much better for the country’s reputation on the world arena”.
“President Ilham Aliyev could initiate a series of reforms, bringing his country closer to international human rights standards. He could begin by heeding to international calls to release Armenian political prisoners currently being illegally detained, the most well-known being prominent businessman and humanitarian Ruben Vardanyan. President Aliyev would earn the respect and goodwill of the international community, and help Azerbaijan gain a greater status on the world stage, a goal it is desperate to reach.”
“We need to do everything to get him [Ruben] out [of the Baku prison]. He needs to be in Armenia. The currently captive presidents of Artsakh, they are citizens of Armenia. They, too, need to be in Armenia. It is an enormous tragedy for these people and their families. I wish their families and children the strength to endure and survive all that is happening.”
“Ruben Vardanyan is a powerful personality on an international level. He has helped the entire world. He came [to Nagorno-Karabakh] only with intentions to help, because the people of Karabakh had suffered a great deal.”
«ARMENIA NEEDS HELP. Just learned that my friend Ruben Vartanian is a prisoner in Azerbaijan. He had switched career from derivatives trader/philanthropist to leader of the Artzakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). He is not even treated as a prisoner of war, but as a “terrorist”».
“I want to address the state of Azerbaijan. The leaders of the Republic of Artsakh — Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, Ruben Vardanyan — are in Azerbaijani prisons. But we haven’t seen them at all late-ly. I would like to see (not only me, but the entire Armenian people) some new footage showing the faces of Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and Ruben Vardanyan, how they live, how they are treated.”
“When Ruben Vardanyan came to Artsakh, we did not understand at first. Artsakh already had problems with accepting and understanding people after numerous betrayals. Even when he started talking about drastic changes and big plans, it was still unclear. But after a short time Ruben Vardanyan man-aged to show that he was one of us. Once, when we talked with him: me not as an MP and he not as a state minister, but instead me as a native of Yerevan and he as a non-native of Artsakh, and we still shared our feelings for the Motherland.
I said that sometimes I catch myself thinking that such feelings for Artsakh are abnormal, that I don’t know if it is love or concern. The land of Artsakh, its water, everything, even the dust rising on the side of the road — this degree of love is abnormal. He also spoke about his feelings.
He said that before moving to Artsakh, he always thought that if one day one of his children asked him why he was Armenian — what would he answer? And I realized that the feelings I experienced were very similar to his. And that many people feel the same. In other words, each of us has a struggle with self-fulfillment amid this chaotic situation created by the authorities. And yes, many people came to Artsakh to live and create, to save Artsakh in order to confirm their right to be worthy of this land.
Ruben Vardanyan is one of them. In a very short time, he showed that feelings for the Motherland are not in a comfortable living, not in luxury, feelings for the Motherland are in sharing its pain and suffering. This is the purpose of his life. He even bought a house in the village of Kolatak and lived there. He com-muted to Stepanakert every day until the fuel problem worsened. During this time, he implemented many programs to make people’s life easier under siege.”
“The nine months of the blockade were the most important indicator, which, like a bare nerve, showed who is who. Even today I can think of 100 people ready to devote the rest of their lives to the mission of restoring Armenia and reviving the Armenian world.
Justice demands that this row begin with the “prison twin cities” — Ruben Vardanyan (Baku), Armen Ashotyan (Yerevan). It’s time to ask ourselves what our state is about, how we see it, and what we expect from ourselves. We need to continue the list of missionaries’ names — let others add more names, and we must keep moving forward.”
“The tragedy continues to unfold in Armenia. Azerbaijan is guilty of arbitrarily detaining former Artsakh officials and destroying the Armenian heritage on this territory.
Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, as well as with the 100,000 refugees and political prisoners held by Azerbaijan. On December 10, in cele-bration of the International Human Rights Day, I will grant honorary citizen-ship of Paris to the representatives of Artsakh Armenians.
Paris also calls for the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan.”
“I’m still trying to understand why numerous Armenian prisoners are being held in Azerbaijan. The European Union demands that we start peace negotia-tions by the end of this year, but how can peace be established when people are still being illegally held in Azerbaijan, including Ruben Vardanyan, David Babayan, David Manukyan, David Ishkhanyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan…
My question is addressed to the EU and other organizations that make useless demands without studying all the nuances, ignoring the illegal seizure of Arme-nian lands and detention of Armenians by Azerbaijanis. To start negotiations, first, begin with the release of all captured Armenians.”
“A well-known philanthropist who devoted his life to humanitarian and cul-tural projects, former state minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan, was de-tained exactly one month ago.
The Armenian Assembly condemns the illegal abduction of Ruben Vardanyan by Azerbaijan at an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor on September 27.
There charges faced are absurd and the prominent philanthropist is now look-ing at up to 14 years in prison.
Ruben Vardanyan’s humanitarian contributions are invaluable for the Armeni-an and international community.
He abandoned his everyday life and travelled to Artsakh to facilitate its devel-opment and share all hardships of the blockade and war with residents of the republic. Ruben Vardanyan was determined to help find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
We believe that justice will prevail, that Ruben Vardanyan will be free and re-turn to his family soon!”
“Ruben, we remember you. At present, my main goal is assisting in the release of Ruben Vardanyan and other political prisoners in Azerbaijan.”
“Over the past 23 years, together with Ruben, we have implemented dozens of humanitarian and charitable projects in Armenia. Last fall Ruben moved to Artsakh to help residents regain their dignity and resist the pressure they had been under. He served as state minister for three months, and remained in Artsakh even after leaving this post to implement humanitarian projects and better help the people. I believe Ruben is a symbol of all Armenians. The sole purpose of his arrest, and his charges, is to subject 10 million Armenians around the world to psychological torture. I hope that international players will not stand back nor encourage this injustice and impunity. We need to oppose it now.”
“Telegram channels have already reported about the joint visit of Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan, and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, to the locations of temporary residence for forced migrants from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mijatović is meeting with officials, international organizations and civil society representatives and intends to make a statement on the visit results.
I join the experts in wondering whether the name of Ruben Vardanyan detained by Azerbaijani forces will be included in this statement. He is currently under arrest in Baku along with other prisoners.
The Azerbaijani authorities led by Ilham Aliyev are candid regarding their attitude to the issue — for instance, take a recent video with the president, where he tramples on the flag of the unrecognized republic.
One cannot count on Pashinyan to help, so only Russia can accelerate Vardanyan’s release. The Russian Federation should not abandon the person whose humanitarian and educational projects continue to work despite his detention. For example, the Skolkovo business school, whose graduates have already come up with a letter in support of Vardanyan.”
“I believe Vardanyan can play a significant role in the region’s events. While another full-scale war is brewing in the Middle East, Karabakh is gradually fading into the background.
At first glance, everything has calmed down: Azerbaijan is starting to establish a new life in the region; it has launched restoration work, as well as construction of housing and infrastructure. No ethnic cleansing reports have been confirmed: Armenians willing to leave are free to go, they don’t have to run barefoot, without luggage under whizzing bullets like Azerbaijanis in the 1990s.
That being said, Ruben Vardanyan is still in a Baku prison. Having given the situation some thought, I believe that Baku has a trump card capable of solving several problems at once — granting pardon to Vardanyan.
Firstly, Ruben Vardanyan is not a killing squad member of the First Karabakh War. As loud as it may sound, he is a world-renowned businessman and philanthropist with many charitable projects, who, on the wave of idealistic patriotism, rushed to help his people. Given his influence, Vardanyan can be quite effectively exchanged for, let’s say, actual murderers deserving punishment.
Secondly, the pardon destroys the narrative built by Baku’s enemies about “the cruel and barbaric country of Azerbaijan, punishing everyone it can reach” — there is guilt, there is punishment for the most vicious criminals, but there is also generosity for those who cannot be called murderers or genocide architects. Due to his prominence, Vardanyan’s pardon would have a powerful effect in the global media, forcing many people to rethink the imposed assessments of the situation.
Finally, the pardon would once again show who is working toward signing a peace treaty and being constructive, and who is after retaining power through insane diplomatic somersaults. It is another argument for Western friends to put pressure on Nikol Pashinyan and move closer to signing a peace treaty — which also would benefit other countries of the region and Russia (for which it is vital to start a new chapter of relations with the South Caucasus states when both Azerbaijan and Armenia are considered allies).
Pardoning Ruben Vardanyan would help reach several more goals than a prison sentence — both in terms of politics, reputation and diplomacy. In my opinion, this is the right decision.”
“A human rights activist from the Council of Europe is making a big tour of the far region. Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović wheels around Armenia as a VIP guest. In May, she already claimed human rights violations in Baku. Will her position change now that the local security forces are holding the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh captive? How will Dunja react to the merciful cup of tea that the detainees receive according to Ilham Aliyev?
What is even more interesting is Mijatović’s personal attitude to the fact that prominent philanthropist and public figure Ruben Vardanyan, who is only guilty of wanting to support the Armenians of Karabakh and moving there amid the military conflict, is languishing in a dungeon of Baku.
Does Dunja know about his detention? Most likely, yes. Vardanyan’s personality is too big for the prison bars opening. Ruben’s projects have helped thousands of people and brought educational innovations in Russia and Armenia to a new level. But knowing something doesn’t mean you can ask awkward questions. Especially when the European Union takes part in settling the conflict.
Apparently, Russia will still have to deal with Vardanyan’s detention. At least, the public is already actively discussing this insane and illegal arrest.”
“From a human point of view, it is very inspiring when a wealthy and successful businessman leaves Moscow for a war zone.
Nagorno-Karabakh was such a zone when Ruben Vardyanan, known for his Troika Dialog company, moved there a few years ago. He did not just travel there but actually headed into Nagorno-Karabakh for a short time, acting as its state minister.
Publicly declaring his intention to go to Nagorno-Karabakh in September of last year, Ruben Vardanyan noted that he was doing it not for political reasons but with a humanitarian mission. “Residents of the republic have survived two wars and lost their relatives and friends in the fight for independence. They feel abandoned,” he emphasized, expressing gratitude to Russia for its presence in the region. Once Nagorno-Karabakh was liquidated and occupied by Azerbaijani troops, he was arrested.
“Will the man who called himself the prime minister of Karabakh dare to threaten us today?” the president of Azerbaijan rhetorically asked, adding that Vardanyan and other detained NKR leaders were served tea in a remand prison.
When Ruben Vardanyan was allowed to call home from the Azerbaijani prison, he only said that his condition was normal. The actual situation is unknown at the moment — Azerbaijan has no institutions similar to Russian public oversight committees (which can check the detention conditions of any prisoner). Neither the Red Cross nor any other international organizations have inspected the prison conditions yet.
Unfortunately, Ruben Vardanyan is not formally associated with Russia anymore. In last year’s interview to Forbes magazine, he stated that he had obtained an Armenian passport and renounced Russian citizenship, “I want to have complete freedom of action, including from a moral standpoint. After all, Artsakh is a territory that still has no full-fledged definite status, and I don’t want to set Russia up in this conflict.”
His motivation (he believes that “After the 2020 war, we, Armenians of the world, must be together with Artsakh”) was absolutely clear. It is only logical that protecting the rights of Armenian citizens (including Ruben Vardanyan) must be among the Armenian authorities’ top priorities. The release of people who had no part in military operations but worked in the Nagorno-Karabakh government, can and should be included in the terms of peace agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This endeavor could be supported by the influential Armenian diaspora in many countries, which for years has been talking about Nagorno-Karabakh as a symbol for the entire Armenian people. Probably, the Armenian diaspora in Russia could also be more active in defending one of its prominent representatives. We should not forget that thousands of people, active members of Russian civil society, have passed through Vardanyan’s projects — the Skolkovo business school, Aurora social projects and others. Their voices could facilitate the philanthropist’s release despite his renunciation of Russian citizenship.”
“In light of Pashinyan’s recent statements, the quadrilateral meeting with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia may be postponed indefinitely.
The fate of the Karabakh prisoners, who are still being held in Azerbaijan, could have been decided during the meeting. One of the people arrested by the Azerbaijani forces is our former citizen Ruben Vardanyan, a social entrepreneur and philanthropist whose humanitarian projects continue to work in Russia.
Let me remind you of a few. First and foremost, we have the Philin Philgood company, which provides comprehensive services to charitable foundations and other NPOs: it offers legal and accounting support, selects personnel, creates IT solutions. Over the nine years since its creation, Philin has helped more than a hundred Russian NPOs.
Also, we cannot ignore Vardanyan’s contribution to educational development. He co-founded the Scholae Mundi charity foundation, served on the board of trustees of MSU and RANEPA, created the international college UWC Dilijan in Dilijan, where high school students from many countries, including Russia, study.
Even after leaving for Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan maintained close contact with colleagues and like-minded people who remained in Russia. I think eventually he will be released. Perhaps an exchange will take place. I am sure that releasing the philanthropist after the negotiations will benefit Russia and reinforce our influence as architects of peace.”
“Amid the recent events in the world, the tragedy of the former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders arrested by Azerbaijan and our compatriot, Ruben Vardanyan, in particular are out of the limelight.
Vardanyan is no stranger to Russian charity. For many years, he helped Doctor Liza’s Foundation, responding, among other things, to emergency requests for helping homeless people. I know he helped both the Khabenskiy’s Foundation and Podari Zhizn. Yet, unlike many, he never publicly showed off his charity. Actually, not many philanthropists help the homeless: this is a very stigmatized area. Vardanyan really sympathized with it all. I know that recently he called his family, saying that everything was fine, and he asked his relatives to continue helping those in need, including refugees.
Overall, I’ve been closely watching how Vardanyan gave up everything and left to help his native Karabakh. Simply because a person willing to risk everything, his life included, and to give up such things as daily comfort, security, confidence in his future for the sake of an idea already demands respect. And in line with the laws of universal justice, people who provide assistance to those in need should get some good in return.
I sincerely do not understand why Vardanyan has to be in prison. In theory, his fate should have drawn at least the Armenian authorities’ attention, but they are still silent. I think that Russia should also get involved in his future: apparently, the situation cannot be resolved without it. I sincerely hope that this resolution will come.”
“Ilya Ananyev, expert in political and regional communications and author of the Telegram channel Sprosite Ananyeva (“Ask Ananyev”), exclusively for Moskovskaya Prachechnaya.
I am a little surprised by Russia’s reaction to the arrest and imprisonment of Ruben Vardanyan. The Kremlin’s reaction is more or less clear: it’s big politics, caution is required when getting involved in another conflict. Perhaps there is some secret empathy toward their “ambassador of Artsakh” and maybe even undisclosed negotiations (I believe it’s possible) with Azerbaijan on releasing the well-known philanthropist and businessman.
But there is another Russia — Russian Armenians, Gazprom-Media, businesses, small and medium entrepreneurs who had received his business angel investments en masse, as well as Skolkovo and its education programs graduates.
If anyone has ever stepped out of their comfort zone, it was Vardanyan. This is exactly the behavior coaches encourage among all successful and accomplished people as they make their first career steps.
Recently, I’ve been truly happy to hear the only voice in the silence around the Artsakh crisis from the Skolkovo School of Management and Andrei Sharonov’s team. They came up with a careful appeal in defense of Ruben Vardanyan, which was nevertheless vital both for the school’s trustee and the school itself. But it drowned in the blockade just like Artsakh.
Hey, everyone from Comedy, the most successful project made in Armenia, and Gazprom-Media, why are you so quiet? Why aren’t there any creative ideas on the “Give Ruben Back” case? So many other parties could easily join the challenge as well.
Look, we ripped the “gun baron” Viktor Bout out of the United States’ grasp and trumpeted that story all over the country, yet we leave the humanitarian and philanthropist who gives Russia the most precious things — brains and education — to smolder in the stench of a prison cell. Isn’t there something wrong with this scale of justice?
“Saving Private Vardanyan” is a strong state’s mission. Kudos to Andrey Sharonov and his small but brave — within the limits of Russian domestic politics — team. They don’t leave their own behind.”
“There is another very important topic. I’m talking about the unresolved fate of Nagorno-Karabakh residents recently detained by Azerbaijan.
As you know, Ruben Vardanyan, a prominent public figure and philanthropist, was among those arrested. People may bring up his citizenship, but let me remind you that in the recent years, he has devoted himself to humanitarian projects that continued working in Russia even after Vardanyan’s detention.
He sponsored Konstantin Khabenskiy’s Foundation, Podari Zhizn and Doctor Liza’s Foundation.
Last fall, Vardanyan moved to Karabakh. Some people spoke about his political ambitions, yet in the end, he stayed there, sacrificing himself for the population’s sake.
He wanted to unite the divided parts of the nation through social projects and launched several initiatives in the unrecognized republic to support its residents.
Alas, as long as the Karabakh people are held in Baku prisons, Aliyev’s claims do not inspire optimism. Will they be left to fend for themselves? Or will Russia interfere?”
“I am deeply saddened and troubled to hear about Ruben Vardanyan’s abduction and illegal arrest by Azerbaijani forces in Artsakh.
I have known Ruben for many years, and I have always been impressed by his intelligence, compassion, dedication, and commitment to Armenia, his family and friends, and all the initiatives he has launched or taken a role in.
Ruben, someone I consider a friend, is a devoted philanthropist, visionary leader and investor who has dedicated his life to the betterment of #Armenia and #Artsakh. His fierce and passionate advocacy for his people is undeniable, while some may have differing views on his methods.
He has made significant contributions to the Armenian community around the globe, and his work in Artsakh has had a great impact. He has helped develop the region’s economy and infrastructure and has played a vital role in promoting peace and reconciliation.
His abduction and arrest clearly violate international law, and they send a chilling message to the Armenian people.
I urge the international community to lend support to promote the fair treatment of the Armenian people and to seek a peaceful resolution in Artsakh. This is no longer about politics. It is about human rights.
I stand together with Ruben and his family during this difficult time.
In addition to supporting #RubenVardanyan, let’s take this opportunity to raise awareness about Artsakh ‘s ongoing challenges.
Since the end of the 2020 war, Armenians have suffered. We have lost our homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Our people have been displaced, and our land has been destroyed. Whether it be today or the next, we must ensure justice is served. We will raise our voices and rise up to support all Armenians as we work toward rebuilding our lives and forging a brighter future.
Have no doubt.”
“In 2010, I enrolled at Skolkovo, a slightly naive young entrepreneur.
Then I was lucky to start working with Ruben Vardanyan, he became my mentor. After only a few meetings with him, I managed to completely change my worldview, breaking through the glass ceiling I had at the time.
One of the first thoughts that struck me was about the planning horizon. At that time, Lee Kuan Yew was visiting us at Skolkovo with his Singapore development horizon for the future 60 years. Ruben told us that he also planned his actions for 20+ years and explained how he did it.
It was a powerful insight for me. I thought about it and realized that my horizon was not quite defined. More precisely, the dream and long-term goals were seemingly there, but their decomposition along the journey was clearly inadequate.
Thanks to our meetings with Ruben, I realized what partnership is in business and life. And what power lies in it. After that, my second stage of the entrepreneurial path began; it was all about partnership interactions. I saw how powerful it was in life — surrounding yourself with strong people.
For me, Ruben Vardanyan is a person who thinks in four dimensions. For decades to come.
He told us about the circle of trust, about the environment, about the 21st century trend — the community — back when it was not a hot topic, and no one was engaged in communities.
Thanks to Ruben, Atlanty appeared, as well as the Skolkovo business school, the Aurora humanitarian initiative and the Dilijan school. And a huge number of other very cool karmic projects that make our world a better place.
According to Ruben, the most important thing in determining your own strength is how many people will support you in an hour of need.
And I’m sure that now is the time for us to support him so that he returns home to his family as soon as possible and continues to make our world better.
I consider this my small contribution to his great contribution to us!”
#freeRubenVardanyan #вподдержкуРубенаВарданяна #freeRuben
“‘You either work for someone else’s mission or go after your own.’
I here quote Ruben Vardanyan, a phrase he casually passed to me while walking one of Skolkovo’s many corridors. It guided my path for the rest of my life.
I’ve been an entrepreneur for 10 years. His statement was moral permission to become a bit more like Ruben.
I came to the Skolkovo business school as an ambitious young lady in my early 20s and graduated as a young entrepreneur with ambitions of a completely different kind. From ‘successful success’ I desired to create more for the world than for my personal aspirations and dreams.
Once I interviewed Ruben for a book dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Troika Dialog:
‘Why did you do all this? Well, all of it. From the interview about the dream to the distribution of dividends between partners and incredible festivals with Polunin, when no one else was doing such things.’
‘We had to.’
His answers were extremely short. It was enough for a book, but not enough for a media interview. But he never liked ostentation and empty bluster.
Ruben Karlenovich has an amazing trait: he grants you a sense of self-importance. You don’t feel small next to him, although he is many times greater: in terms of thoughts, scale, actions. With him, you feel inspired. And you start acting. Surprisingly, his scale does not devastate but inspires.
He is a godfather to maybe 600 children in Nagorno-Karabakh families. And to probably hundreds of businesses in entrepreneurs’ environment. My business is one of them.
A teacher, mentor, elder, founding father, an impeccable example of service. Someday his name will be like Mother Teresa in business: a synonym for a way of thinking and acting, leadership of the spirit.
We were all lucky to observe his journey. You want to be with him as often as possible in order to absorb his essence and become a little bit like Ruben yourself, although nobody can become just like him, of course.
Like thousands of other entrepreneurs he inspired to choose their own mission, I pray that his example is possible. Available. Free.
I want to see more stories about him in the future.
There should be more books, more interviews and projects.
Freedom to Ruben Vardanyan. Freedom to give freedom to others.
Freedom to inspire other leaders by example.”
“When I worked at Troika Dialog, Ruben constantly used to talk about his dream — for Troika not only to have offices in Moscow, London and New York, but also branches all over the country. At that time, Troika had only five branches.
Then Ruben Karlenovich suggested that I move from Samara to Moscow in order to expand and strengthen the large federal chain. And we managed to do so — he always believed we could.
Every time we met, I noticed his deep penetrating gaze, his amazing voice timbre, it was fascinating… He was able to inspire like no one else. It was always a pleasure working with him. He empowered you to do your job better than you could in other companies.
Even after I started my own business, Ruben with genuine interest continued to ask what I was doing, how I was doing, whether everything was OK.
Thanks to working at Troika under Ruben’s leadership, I considered it essential to introduce such principles as official salaries, annual reviews with employees and the importance of corporate culture in my company.
Ruben Vardanyan is still my teacher.”
“Once I asked Ruben Vardanyan why he worked 18 hours a day and launched non-profit projects again and again.
‘To make the world a little better,’ Ruben said.
I’ve heard this phrase from different people, but after working with Ruben for more than five years, I saw that he really meant it.
He gives it his all, completely, unreservedly.
I don’t know anyone who gives so much without asking for anything in return.
He always laughed at the various Forbes lists, they had no meaning to him.
But I’m sure that he is already at the top of the list when it comes to people who have made great contributions to Russia, Armenia and the world.
The Skolkovo business school, Aurora humanitarian initiative, Dilijan school, Tatev, Atlanty business club and over 50 other karmic projects that make our world a better place.
Ruben joined Atlanty at a very difficult time and got moving right away.
In five years we’ve managed to create one of the strongest business communities in Russia, bringing together 900+ entrepreneurs and top managers.
Thousands of solved requests, hundreds of events and the rapid growth of Atlanty’s businesses are just a small fraction of our results.
But most importantly, Ruben has always emphasized increasing the radius of trust between the members.
And I believe that we have managed to create a community where interaction between the residents is based on just that — trust.
Atlanty and I hope that Ruben will be home with his family soon.
We hope he will continue to make our world better, because now it is more important than ever.
Right now, when I don’t know who to ask for help, I truly believe in the power of the universe and victory of the good.”
“I don’t understand Pashinyan’s actions at all. Armenians seized by Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh — Pashinyan’s blood brothers — languish in Baku dungeons. One of them is the prominent philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, who has done so much for both Russia and Armenia. Pashinyan had the European Parliament pulpit at his disposal. Why, when exuding hatred toward Russia and indulging in speculations about the future cooperation with the EU, did Pashinyan not even attempt to raise the issue of the immediate release of his country’s citizens? And if the European Parliament wanted to, it could put serious pressure on Baku.”
