After Azerbaijan filed a complaint, the title “Artsakh” was removed from the Olympic program listing for Armenian figure skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin and the music is now listed only as “Music by Ara Gevorgyan,” reports The Guardian.
The controversy became public on February 6, when Azerbaijan’s National Olympic Committee announced that it had filed a complaint over the use of the composition during the Winter Olympic Games. Azerbaijan objected to the planned short program music of Armenian figure skating pair Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin, arguing the term “Artsakh” carries what it described as “political and separatist” meaning. The complaint was conveyed to Olympic authorities, with Azerbaijan citing Olympic Charter principles on political neutrality.
According to The Guardian, Azerbaijan’s National Olympic Committee said it is unacceptable to use the Olympic platform for political purposes and stressed the need to maintain political neutrality. “The Olympic Games are a symbol of peace, friendship and mutual respect between peoples,” the committee said.
Figure skating allows athletes to perform routines using music of their own choosing. Akopova and Rakhmanin, Armenia’s first pair figure skaters since independence, previously announced they would skate to “Artsakh” for their short program, a composition by Armenian composer Ara Gevorgyan. The pair served as Armenia’s flag-bearers at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony and held their final training session in Yerevan before departing for Milan.
“Artsakh” is an instrumental folk song from Armenian contemporary composer Ara Gevorgyan’s 1999 album Ani. The piece has been used in the repertoire of various figure skaters over the years, including Russian-Armenian skater Adeliia Petrosian and her skating partner during the 2021–22 season.
In the past, Azerbaijani sources have attempted to attribute Gevorgyan’s “Artsakh” composition to Soviet-era Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov. Gevorgyan has said he officially registered the copyright for the piece with the U.S. Library of Congress in 1998, and later produced a documentary titled “Story about Artsakh Music” detailing its creation.
Akopova and Rakhmanin are scheduled to compete in the pairs short program on February 15, with the free skate set for February 16.
