The Italian website Rivistacontrasti tells about the history of Armenia using Henrikh Mkhitaryan's quotes and calls the Inter footballer the jewel of the Caucasus and the brightest representative of the most ancient Armenian civilisation.
Excerpt from Rivistacontrasti article:
Armenia is one of the oldest political entities in human history. A clan community, the first traces of which can be traced back to 800 B.C., when the kingdom of Urartu, the first empire of Armenia, was established. Throughout the centuries, the proto-Armenian peoples constantly changed their identity, including in relation to their enemies who sought to exploit the exceptional geographical position of Armenia, which from the heart of the Caucasus is a vector of influence in Anatolia and to the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates.
The First World War and the Russian Revolution, the horrific - and never fully acknowledged - genocide committed by the Turks against them, the shift of the centre of gravity of Armenian culture from Inner Anatolia to the Caucasus - these are new traumas in a long historical process.
This is also where Mkhitaryan was born, a bright talent benefiting his people and his land, a distinctive character.
The Armenian genocide process continues to this day. The double encirclement of Turkey and Azerbaijan led to the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 with the connivance of Armenia's only ally Iran and the tacit consent of Russia.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, then playing for Roma in 2020, said.
"I am a professional sportsman who proudly represents Armenia around the world, and I write this letter today with great concern. At a time when the world is witnessing a tragic and unprecedented war in Nagorno-Karabakh, let me express my deep concern that my country is in great danger."