How and why ‘Nikolism’ became a totalitarian cult

By Anahit Voskanyan

Panorama

Let us briefly analyze the phenomenon of “Nikolism”, which refers to the policies and actions of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters, and how it turned into a totalitarian cult.

What is a totalitarian cult? Totalitarian cults often operate under the guise of cultural, commercial, educational, social, popular, scientific, or religious organizations. However, beneath the surface, their activities pose significant threats to the state and society. These cults typically employ authoritarian methods of control, restricting the rights and freedoms of their members.

One of the most striking examples of such a cult is the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This might seem surprising to some, given that they quote and speak about the Bible. But we should pay close attention to the ideological foundations at play, especially if one is not religious. Perhaps especially then.

Christianity is built upon the doctrine of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one God. This unity implies that the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross was not just his own, but a shared experience within the Godhead

In contrast, the Jehovah’s Witnesses promote a theology that separates the Father and the Son. In their view, Jesus is simply one among many angels. In other words, when Jehovah allowed Jesus to die on the cross, it was merely an offering. He sacrificed his son, demanding love, faith and worship in return.

This divide has become a chasm between the Christianity and Jehovah’s Witnesses. At this point, it no longer matters what justification a man cites for the sacrifice of his son. Accepting such a premise – believing in it, building one’s ideology upon it, and allowing it to shape one’s actions – sets off a relentless cycle of destructive behavior, which corrodes not only the individual but also the world around them.

The parallels with Nikol Pashinyan’s leadership are striking. During the 2020 Artsakh war, Pashinyan sacrificed thousands of young Armenian men – the sons of others – for his own ambitions. He turned their lives into death, while demanding love, obedience and devotion for himself in return.

It is another matter that the young men fell defending the land where our forefathers and theirs before them became one with the soil over thousands of years. They made that land their own, turning it into a sanctuary of our love, values, families, faith and the enduring spirit of our existence through the centuries.

Yet those who continue to support Pashinyan, knowingly or unknowingly, accept the ideological framework in which such sacrifices are justified. This acceptance becomes self-reinforcing, eroding universal human values, distorting even love and faith and ultimately becoming a totalitarian cult.

You may have noticed – or even been shocked by – how the Nikol-led clique laughs off posts about the destruction of Armenian monuments in Artsakh, the displacement of Armenians and acts of genocide. Yet, when someone dares to draw a clear line between themselves and nikolism, refusing to yield to their pressure or to let it cross the bounds of personal dignity and the law, they grow furious and hostile.

This is not random behavior. It is the manifestation of an ideology that now operates on its own momentum.

And Pashinyan himself does the same.

Many people ask: What happened to Nikol and Anna (his partner)? Why have they begun to spew venom, lies and slander with such intensity?

The answer is simple: nothing new has happened. They are simply the most devoted adherents of their own ideological cult. The difference is, they are not just leading a fringe organization – they are at the helm of the state.

With control over Armenia’s scientific, educational, cultural, commercial and social institutions, Pashinyanism systematically erases science, pedagogy and ethics, thus destroying the state from the top down. Simultaneously, they encourage its collapse from the bottom up through vulgarity, hateful speech and by relying on their volunteer followers.

That said, they don’t fully trust even their own supporters, constantly re-educating them with their ideology.