Anastas Mikoyan, an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin
Dr. Pietro Shakarian explains the core arguments and new archival findings behind his book on Anastas Mikoyan. We cover Mikoyan’s effort to devolve power inside the USSR during Khrushchev’s constitutional reform drive, what a confederal model could have meant, and why it stalled. We discuss Mikoyan’s role in Armenia’s cultural thaw, including rehabilitations tied to his 1954 Yerevan speech. Shakarian details his research trail across Russian and Armenian archives, 1960s Artsakh petitions, Mikoyan’s stance toward the Armenian Church, and how his Armenian identity surfaced during Cold War crises.
Topics
Research journey, archives Moscow and Yerevan
Mikoyan’s vision of confederation for the USSR
Artsakh’s status within Soviet constraints
De-Stalinization and Armenia’s cultural thaw
Mikoyan’s stance toward the Armenian Church
Guest
Hosts
Key Questions Discussed
How far did Khrushchev’s reforms move the USSR toward a confederation, and why did it fail in practice
What “radical devolution of powers” would mean for union and republic relations
Which Armenian writers and officials were affected by post-Stalin rehabilitations
What new evidence from Moscow and Yerevan archives changes prior scholarship
How Mikoyan’s Armenian identity and stance toward the Church shaped decisions and relationships
Referenced Articles and Sources
Anastas Mikoyan, an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin – Amazon
Prior Groong episode with Pietro Shakarian (Episode 28)
Episode 480 | Recorded: October 18, 2025
