Pietro Shakarian - Anastas Mikoyan, an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin | Ep 480, Oct 22, 2025

Anastas Mikoyan, an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s KremlinDr. 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.TopicsResearch journey, archives Moscow and YerevanMikoyan’s vision of confederation for the USSRArtsakh’s status within Soviet constraintsDe-Stalinization and Armenia’s cultural thawMikoyan’s stance toward the Armenian ChurchGuestPietro ShakarianHostsHovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianKey Questions DiscussedHow far did Khrushchev’s reforms move the USSR toward a confederation, and why did it fail in practiceWhat “radical devolution of powers” would mean for union and republic relationsWhich Armenian writers and officials were affected by post-Stalin rehabilitationsWhat new evidence from Moscow and Yerevan archives changes prior scholarshipHow Mikoyan’s Armenian identity and stance toward the Church shaped decisions and relationshipsReferenced Articles and SourcesAnastas Mikoyan, an Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin – AmazonPrior Groong episode with Pietro Shakarian (Episode 28)Episode 480 | Recorded: October 18, 2025https://podcasts.groong.org/480Subscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong