OMM Newsroom
A report circulated on social media this week that Armenian dancer Arsen Aghamalyan, a two-time world and three-time European champion, was coming to Baku. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it: Armenians have taken part in competitions held in Baku before. But this time, it was the dancer’s life story, rather than the competition itself, that drew attention.
“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that Aghamalyan was born in Baku and grew up in Khankendi. When war began in Garabagh, he left Azerbaijan with his family. Years later, the “Azerbaijan Dance Festival 2026” brought him back to Baku. But the trip meant more to him than taking part in a festival: he would see again the city where his childhood memories remained and meet relatives. That may have been what prompted the interview.
At what age, and at what point, does someone teach you that a person is your enemy? That is the question Aghamalyan asks today. He now speaks of peace and friendship. Yet six years ago, in one of his statements after the war, he said Garabagh did not belong to Azerbaijan. Armenia’s then-Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took a similar position at the time. Today, amid changing realities in the region, different views are being voiced. Aghamalyan’s story also shows that personal ties, memories and the possibility of friendship can endure between people who have long been portrayed as enemies.
After many years, Aghamalyan has returned to his birthplace, Baku. He says he was moved to tears when he saw the Maiden Tower again. Applause from Azerbaijani spectators took him back to memories of his childhood.
His exclusive interview with ITV News Final is not only about the memories of a man returning to the city where he was born. It is also a thought-provoking account of the marks war leaves on people’s lives, the relationships that can be built years later, and what peace means in everyday life.
“Operative Information Center-OMM” presents ITV’s report:
