April 24 marks the 111th anniversary of the genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated at a press briefing Friday.

“According to Armenian historians’ data, more than 1.5 million people became victims of the genocide, and more than 600,000 were expelled from their homes. Holy places and architectural monuments were destroyed. From the very beginning, our country perceived this terrible tragedy as its own grief. Numerous commemorative events and activities are held in our cities every year.

Today we express our deepest condolences to the Armenian people and mourn with them.

Russia's position [on this matter] is objective and consistent: mass extermination on the basis of ethnicity cannot be justified. Our country is a party and initiator of a number of relevant international legal documents, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Recently, on April 19, for the first time… according to the laws of the Russian language, it should be said ‘marked,’ but I would still like to say ‘lived’ this mournful date—the day of remembrance of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people, which is enshrined in our legislation.

Russian diplomacy was at the forefront in recognizing the tragic events of the first quarter of the 20th century for the Armenian people as… ‘crimes against humanity.’ And modern Russia was one of the first countries in the world to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide in the relevant documents of the State Duma. According to the 1995 statement of the lower house of the Russian parliament, today’s date is considered in our country as the day of remembrance of the innocent victims of this tragedy.

We have never hidden our position [on the matter]. The Russian leadership, including the highest, as well as official delegations, visit the Yerevan memorial complex, built during the Soviet years and dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Genocide.

Unlike some Western partners, who have turned their attention to Armenia today, we do not remove posts about such gestures of support from social media or news platforms. Also, we don’t shy away from the word ‘genocide.’

We know that today, April 24, is of enormous spiritual, moral, and political significance for our friendly Armenian people and the multi-million Armenian diaspora in Russia.

This mournful day is not only a date of remembrance, but also a symbol of the resilience, unity of Armenians, devotion to their historical traditions and preservation of their identity,” the Russian MFA spokesperson noted.