Man with shovel: How Pashinyan dug trenches in Jebrail

PR is one of the tools for creating a political image. This is normal and does not raise any questions. Ideally, a politician's deeds and talents should speak for him, but not everyone is given this, so most resort to PR. However, building PR campaigns also requires skill. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, for example, has never possessed such a skill. Therefore, his PR campaigns most often cause a grin.
Last week, he promoted cycling trips. It would seem that this is a great initiative - the head of government uses environmentally friendly transport, hangs out among citizens. But in the Armenian public, this step of his caused not emotion, but sarcasm. Apparently, the Armenian prime minister should hire a professional PR manager who could advise him what to do and what not to do in any case.

The day before, Nikol Vovaevich held another PR campaign - he posted on his Facebook page a video shot in 2016, after the April battles. He and several other men are working with shovels. This performance takes place on the territory of the then-occupied Jabrayil region of Azerbaijan. Recall that the main events of the "four-day war" unfolded in the direction of this area. Pashinyan claims that he was filmed by an unknown person, who gave him this video after his recent stormy speech in parliament.
Well, let's say, knowing Pashinyan's predilection for PR, we do not believe that the video was shot by accident and has been lying around for about eight years. Nicol kept it in reserve, in case accusations of betrayal and lack of patriotism began to cross the line. One of the main claims against Pashinyan is that he, they say, did not serve in the army and did not fight. He always replied to these claims that all this was a lie, and after the April battles, he was in a volunteer detachment in the occupied territories and even worked there with a shovel. Now it's time to show the people how it was. The video with the clean-up (and you can't call this performance otherwise) in the occupied territories came in very handy. Pashinyan showed his people that he is not a traitor and is even a very patriotic politician. That's what kind of trench he dug, that's how he famously wields his hand trench tool, that is, a shovel.

It is noteworthy that all the participants of the clean-up, who were caught on video, now occupy various posts. Bah, all the familiar faces! Who is not there.

So, Nikola Pashinyan, who was filmed from all angles and poses, everyone knows. Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan is in the company with him. A deputy from the ruling party (dashnak in those days) is digging in another trench Hovik Aghazaryan, Head of the Vedi community Garik Sargsyan, Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan, Foreign Ministry employee Gevorg Abgaryan, Vice Mayor of Yerevan Armen Pambukhchan. Of course, they hold all these positions today.

As you can see, the clean-up day turned out to be very useful for career growth.
But seriously, Nikol Pashinyan made a serious mistake by putting up this video. His huge advantage, thanks to which he was treated more favourably in Baku than his predecessors, was that he did not participate in the occupation bacchanalia. The image of a politician who did not participate in ethnic cleansing and genocide is a very rare phenomenon for a country like Armenia. And Pashinyan should not destroy it. He will not be able to please the revanchists in this way anyway - they are already laughing at him, calling this nostalgic video clowning and kindergarten. But the image of a politician who sincerely wants peace is tarnished.  

If anyone remembers, the abbreviation of the Komsomol was deciphered not only correctly, but also mockingly - Take a Shovel and Dig Your Own Grave. Nikol Pashinyan does not need to take a shovel and dig a grave for the peace process. If this video has been lying around for eight years, let it stay there.